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This paper aims to design an accurate angular position control for DC motors using a proportional integral derivative (PID) controller. The estimated DC motor parameters have been calculated using the parameter estimator toolbox in MATLAB, Arduino Mega 2560 and speed sensor to build an accurate model in MATLAB. The optimized PID coefficients are found for the DC motor model using the firefly algorithm (FA), which aims to make the actual angle match the desired value without overshooting and oscillations. The PIC16F877A microcontroller was used to implement the code based on optimized PID coefficients found in MATLAB/Simulink to generate the suitable pulse width modulation (PWM) output. In this work, step input was tested to analyze the characteristics of the system response in terms of rise time, settling time and overshoot. It was found that the controller output response curve which is produced from FA-based-PID reached the desired position without overshoot and any oscillations. The findings established that closed-loop control of any system using a system identification toolbox and optimized PID technique can be applied in real applications using low-cost controllers and sensors such as PIC16F877A microcontroller and analog rotary position sensor, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a radial distribution network integrated with distributed generation (DG), frequency and voltage instability could occur due to grid disconnection, which would result in an islanded network. This paper proposes an optimal load shedding scheme to balance the electricity demand and the generated power of DGs. The integration of the Firefly Algorithm and Particle Swarm Optimization (FAPSO) is proposed for the application of the planned load shedding and under frequency load shedding (UFLS) scheme. In planning mode, the hybrid optimization maximizes the amount of load remaining and improves the voltage profile of load buses within allowable limits. Moreover, the hybrid optimization can be used in UFLS scheme to identify the optimal combination of loads that need to be shed from a network in operation mode. In order to assess the capabilities of the hybrid optimization, the IEEE 33-bus radial distribution system and part of the Malaysian distribution network with different types of DGs were used. The response of the proposed optimization method in planning and operation were compared with other optimization techniques. The simulation results confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed hybrid optimization in planning mode and demonstrated that the proposed UFLS scheme is quick enough to restore the system frequency without overshooting in less execution time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]