Optimization of Combined Economic Emission Dispatch Problem Using Artificial Bee Colony Method

Optimal system operation, in general, involves the consideration of economy of operation, system security, emissions at fossil-fuel plants, optimal release of water at hydro power plants etc. and aim at improving the efficiency of the power system. In this research work, consideration will be given to two aspects of the optimal system operation, emissions and economy of operation, also known as economic dispatch. Generally the heuristic methods like Genetic algorithm, Simulated annealing, Particle Swarm Optimization, Ant Colony techniques and their various modifications have shown marked improvement in the addressing of the economic dispatch problem as well as the combined economic and emission dispatch problem. However there is scope of improvement of the solution to the combined economic and emission dispatch problems, in terms of better convergence, lower losses, faster computation times, reduced fuel costs and reduced emissions. It is worthy of notice that Artificial Bee Colony Method applied in the present work, yielded superior solutions than the heuristic and traditional optimization techniques.