| Abstract: |
Modern interconnected power systems are prone to low-frequency electromechanical oscillations that threaten system stability and security. This paper investigates the application of the Firefly Algorithm (FA) for the coordinated parameter optimization of Power System Stabilizer (PSS) and Static Synchronous Series Compensator (SSSC) controllers aimed at damping these oscillations. The primary objectives are to formulate the coordinated PSS-SSSC design as an optimization problem and evaluate the superiority of FA over conventional and competing metaheuristic techniques. The methodology employs a two-area four-machine benchmark power system modeled in MATLAB/Simulink, where the FA optimizes lead-lag controller parameters by minimizing the Integral of Time-weighted Absolute Error (ITAE) objective function. The hypothesis posits that FA-tuned coordinated PSS-SSSC controllers achieve superior damping performance compared to uncoordinated and alternative algorithm-based designs. Results demonstrate that FA-optimized coordinated controllers reduce settling time by 38.2%, improve damping ratio by 27.5%, and minimize ITAE values significantly compared to PSO, GA, and DE-based controllers. The eigenvalue analysis confirms enhanced shifting of electromechanical modes to the left-half of the s-plane. It is concluded that the Firefly Algorithm provides a robust, computationally efficient, and globally convergent approach for coordinated PSS-SSSC controller design, offering practical applicability for real-world multi-machine power system stability enhancement. |
