Title: Fuel cost minimisation in generator systems with valve-point effects using differential evolution algorithms

Authors: Om Prakash; Saumya Das; J. Satheesh Kumar; Hashinur Islam; Amrita Rai

Addresses: Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering and Technology (Autonomous), Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh, India ' Department of Computer Science and Engineering – Artificial Intelligence, Brainware University, Barasat, Kolkata, West Bengal, India ' Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering and Technology (Autonomous), Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh, India ' Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, HKBK College of Engineering, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India ' Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Galgotias College of Engineering and Technology, Greater Noida, India

Abstract: This research explores the effectiveness of the differential evolution (DE) optimisation algorithm in solving economic load dispatch (ELD) problems in electrical power systems. A population-based, stochastic optimisation method with a reputation for simplicity and resilience, differential evolution has shown encouraging results in a range of real-world restricted optimisation situations. The DE algorithm is used in this study to solve ELD scenarios, including both 5-and 13-generator systems. Systems with valve-point effects add complexity and nonlinearity to the cost function and are given special consideration. The exterior penalty method reframes the ELD problem as an unconstrained optimisation problem to address system restrictions. The outcomes show that DE can minimise fuel costs while handling the dispatch problem's intrinsic non-convexities skilfully.

Keywords: economic load dispatch problem; ELD; differential evolution; multidimensional functions; global optimisation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJICA.2026.154207

International Journal of Innovative Computing and Applications, 2026 Vol.15 No.5, pp.328 - 339

Received: 08 Jun 2025
Accepted: 03 Mar 2026
Published online: 16 Jun 2026 *

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