Abstract: In order to obtain the optimal solution, we combined with the quasi-random Sobol sequence to introduce the new quantum-behaved particle swarm optimization, which is based on the Sobol sequence disturbances to perturb the average position. On the analysis of the mathematical model of electric power economic dispatch, we handled constraints with penalty functions to solve economic dispatch problem of power system, and the algorithm steps for solving the economic dispatch problem were given. Then we applied this algorithm to a 15-unit system, the experimental results indicated that the algorithm is of high speed, high accuracy and good convergence.

Key words: quantum-behaved particle swarm optimization, economic dispatch, random sequence