Application of genetic algorithm for reconfiguration of shipboard power system

Reconfiguration of the electrical network in a shipboard power system is a critical activity that is required to either restore service to a lost load or to meet some operational requirements of the ship. Reconfiguration refers to changing the topology of the power system in order to isolate system damage and/or optimize certain characteristics of the system related to power efficiency. When finding the optimal state, it is important to have a method that finds the desired state within a short amount of time, in order to allow fast response for the system. Since the reconfiguration problem is highly nonlinear over a domain of discrete variables, the genetic algorithm method is a good candidate. In this paper, a reconfiguration methodology, using a genetic algorithm, is presented that will reconfigure a given network, satisfying the operational requirements and priorities of loads. It also considers islanding to restore supply to critical loads after a fault is encountered. As a preliminary work, the proposed method has been applied to a simple 8-bus shipboard power system model and the concept will be extended to larger power systems.