Hybrid real coded genetic algorithm solution to economic dispatch problem

This paper presents a new, two-phase hybrid real coded genetic algorithm (GA) based technique to solve economic dispatch (ED) problem with multiple fuel options. The proposed hybrid scheme is developed in such a way that a simple real coded GA is acting as a base level search, which makes a quick decision to direct the search towards the optimal region, and local optimization by direct search and systematic reduction in size of the search region method is next employed to do the fine tuning. Constraint satisfaction technique has been employed to improve the solution quality and reduce the computational expenses. In order to validate the effectiveness of the proposed hybrid real coded genetic algorithm, the result of 10-generation unit ED problem with multiple fuel options is considered. The result shows that the proposed hybrid algorithm not only improves the solution accuracy and reliability but also makes the algorithm more efficient in terms of number of function evaluations and computation time. The simulation study clearly demonstrates that the proposed hybrid real coded genetic algorithm is practical and valid for real-time applications. © 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.