Imperialist Competitive Algorithm for Optimal Reactive Power Dispatch Problem: A Comparative Study

In this paper, imperialist competitive algorithm (ICA) is applied to solve the optimal reactive power dispatch (ORPD) problem. The ORPD problem is a key instrument to achieve secure and economic operation of power systems. Due to complex characteristics of ORPD, heuristic optimization has become an effective solver. Based on the IEEE 14- and 30- bus systems, ICA is compared with some basic algorithms. Simulation results show that ICA is a suitable algorithm for ORPD and should deserve more attention.