Differential evolution based load lowering in the Iraqi national grid

This study examines energy sharing in the context of imbalance between power generation and demand, and the need for better load handling, particularly in light of a growing population. Load interruption is pivotal, as this offers a rapid solution to unbalanced conditions, helping prevent grid breakdown and increasing reliability; however, its enforcement can be otherwise harmful, as classical load reduction techniques can lead to over or under reduction of the load in the electrical grid. In reality, most distribution feeders switch off in such systems without consideration of their priorities and the system may thus not perform as anticipated. In this research, a logarithmic reduction strategy is therefore suggested to lower loads based on both priorities and daily performance. A Tunning Factor Reduction Matrix was scaled based on the size of the grid, with higher priority demands fed with a reliable power source and power reduction restricted to lower priority demands. Using MATLAB software and an Excel spreadsheet, this study thus clarified the proposed optimisation technique using a differential evolution algorithm, which is applied to minimise the error with regard to the amount of load reduction required and the actual load reduction in electric power systems. The proposed algorithm was also tested on a practical data system sample provided by the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity and the control centre of the Iraqi national grid in Baghdad, verifying its use with regard to practical data systems.