Analysis and classification of power quality disturbances using variational mode decomposition and hybrid particle swarm optimization

Abstract

Power quality disturbances (PQD) threaten electrical power systems, especially in distributed generation with renewable energy sources and in smart grids where PQD takes a complex form. Providing accurate information on the status and characteristics of the electrical signal facilitates the identification of practical solutions to this threat. In this paper, a variational mode decomposition (VMD) signal processing tool is proposed to analyze complex PQD. In VMD, the input signal is decomposed into different band-limited intrinsic mode functions (IMF) or non-recursively reconstructed modes. The input signal analysis by VMD, which considers the frequency values and spectral decomposition for each mode, describes the changes in the input waveform, and the IMFs help extract the behavioral patterns of these disturbances. A new hybrid particle swarm optimization-technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (PSO-TOPSIS) algorithm is also proposed to classify the disturbances based on the features extracted from the signals decomposed using VMD. The performance of this method is then extensively validated by using different PQDs (including complex, stationary, and non-stationary (PQDs) and through a comparison with deep learning methods, such as convolutional and recurrent neural networks. Results show that VMD has several advantages over Fourier, wavelet, and Stockwell transforms, such as its lack of any modal aliasing effect, its capability to diagnose disturbances across four noise levels, and its ability to separate harmonics from other events. The proposed VMD in combination with PSO-TOPSIS performs more accurately than the other methods across all noise levels.