Automatic Generation Control Scheme for Power Quality Improvement of Multi-source Power Generating System with Secondary Controller Optimization Using Parameter-Setting-Free Harmony Search

Getting good quality power supply from the electric network is a crucial thing in recent days. Quality of power is affected due to continuous load demand variation from time to time in a day-to-day life because of technical growth. In order to overcome this drawback, an automatic generation control (AGC) scheme is introduced in power generating system. In this proposed chapter, AGC of single-area multi-source power generating system is examined by applying proportional–integral–derivative (PID) controller as a secondary controller loop. The multi-source power generating system incorporates thermal plant, hydro plant and gas power plant. The gain values of PID controller are tuned by using parameter-setting-free harmony search (PSF-HS) by applying one percent (1%) step load perturbation in system. The performance of the proposed technique is verified by comparing PSF-HS-PID controller with genetic algorithm (GA), particle swarm optimization (PSO) and harmony search (HS)-tuned controller performance. Finally, simulation result effectively proved that the proposed parameter-setting-free harmony search-tuned controller (PSF-HS-PID) yields better response in terms of minimal settling time with over- and undershoot at the time of sudden load demand over GA- PID, PSO-PID and HS-PID controller.