Practical applications of optimal power flow

Optimal power flow (OPF) is a natural outcome of the need to develop a more intelligent and efficient tool which would give power system planners the ability to analyze multi-variable, multi-alternative problems which otherwise would be difficult or impossible to solve with conventional load flow programs. The questions which can be justly raised concern the attributes of: robustness; accuracy; useful applications; and cost. This paper deals to some extent with the first three aspects of interest, concentrating on applications. The question of cost is insignificant in light of the relative and historical cost of many other `mainstream´ planning and operations software packages and the relative power of the OPF