Abstract
•This paper proposes BAT search algorithm for designing optimal PSSs.•The design problem of PSSs is formulated as an optimization problem.•The superiority of the BAT algorithm is compared with GA and conventional one.•The effectiveness of the proposed controller in damping oscillations is confirmed.
A new metaheuristic method, the BAT search algorithm based on the echolocation behavior of bats is proposed in this paper for optimal design of Power System Stabilizers (PSSs) in a multimachine environment. The PSSs parameter tuning problem is converted to an optimization problem which is solved by BAT search algorithm. An eigenvalues based objective function involving the damping factor, and the damping ratio of the lightly damped electromechanical modes is considered for the PSSs design problem. The performance of the proposed BAT based PSSs (BATPSS) has been compared with Genetic Algorithm (GA) based PSSs (GAPSS) and the Conventional PSSs (CPSS) under various operating conditions and disturbances. The results of the proposed BATPSS are demonstrated through time domain analysis, eigenvalues and performance indices. Moreover, the results are presented to demonstrate the robustness of the proposed algorithm over the GA and conventional one.