An intelligent cognitive expert system for voltage control in power systems

In large-scale power systems, generating plants provide energy to consumers through exceedingly flexible and dynamic networks. The delivered electrical energy is maintained in high quality and the voltage profile is kept within acceptable limits by the utilization of control devices scattered in key locations over the power grid. Thus, one of the most important problems facing the electric utilities is to coordinate the reactive power compensation devices to maintain acceptable bus voltage profile while minimizing operational costs and assuring system stability in the presence of disturbances. In practice, the dispatcher, traditionally a trained human expert makes the decision as to the location, the switching sequence, and the amount of compensation needed of the control devices. To aid with this sometimes overwhelming decision-making task, a Matlab-based intelligent knowledge-based expert system for steady-state voltage control is developed.