Optimal topological design of power communication networks using genetic algorithm

An electric power supply is the backbone of development in advanced as well as in developingeconomies. an integral part of ensuring a secure power supply system is a power communication system.due to the high and sustained performance requirements of power communication systems, electriccompanies prefer to construct their own communication networks privately rather than relying solelyon a public communication system. the focus of this paper is on the optimal topological design of a powercommunication network. based on advanced optimization models in public communication networks, andtaking into account the specific quality of service, as demanded by various applications, such as protection,scada, voice, etc., an optimization model (pc/iso) has been developed. the pc/iso requires tediousnumerical processing. hence, a genetic algorithm (ga) is proposed to solve the optimization problem. inorder to demonstrate the application of the proposed model for a power system communication networkdesign and in order to evaluate ga solver results, a case study on designing the optimal communicationnetwork topology of one of the iranian regional electric companies has been conducted. the resultssuggest that the pc/iso model and its ga solver are entirely viable and offer a simple, accurate, and costeffective solution.