Adequacy Assessment of Power System Generation Using a Modified Simple Genetic Algorithm

A new method for the assessment of generation system reliability is based on a modified version of the simple genetic algorithm (MSGA). A genetic algorithm (GA) is used not for its traditional objective of optimization but as a search tool to truncate the probability state space and to track the most probable failure states. The GA stores system states, in which there is generation deficiency to supply system maximum load, in a state array. The given load pattern is then convoluted with the state array to obtain adequacy indices. State array is also used to obtain useful information about the contribution of different states and generation unit combinations to the probability of system failure.