Optimal operation of multicarrier energy systems using Time Varying Acceleration Coefficient Gravitational Search Algorithm

This paper describes a novel modified optimization algorithm based on a new heuristic method, namely Time Varying Acceleration Coefficient Gravitational Search Algorithm (TVAC-GSA), to solve both single- and multi-objective Optimal Power Flow (OPF) problems in hybrid systems especially focusing on electricity-gas network. The suggested method is based on the Newtonian laws of gravitation and motion. Sum of the complexity of both electrical and gas-based networks in terms of the valve-point loading effect of generator units, energy hub structure, energy flow equations, and different related equality and inequality constraints make the optimization problem highly nonlinear, non-convex, non-smooth, non-differential, and high-dimensional. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm to solve such a complex problem is verified on a new introduced hybrid system based on a modified version of IEEE 14-bus network. Comparison of results obtained by the presented method with those obtained by GSA, Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Genetic Algorithm (GA), and Differential Evolution (DE) shows the better accuracy and fast convergence of the new method in finding an operating point with lower objective function value.