The optimal reactive power dispatch (ORPD) problem, as a subproblem of optimal power flow, has significant effects in providing reliability and economic operation. In this article, a modified version of the pathfinder algorithm (PFA), which is inspired by the collective movement of a swarm led by one member, is proposed for solving the ORPD problem. The objective of this study is to minimize the power losses by adjusting the control variables. Numerical analyses are performed on 57-bus and 118-bus power systems. To show the performance and effectiveness of the modified pathfinder algorithm (mPFA), some well-known methods are used for comparison. Statistical tests are performed to assess the consistency and ranking of the proposed method. The results show that the mPFA achieved competitive results and obtained a competitive ranking with statistical analyses. The simulations show that the proposed method could be a superior algorithm for solving the ORPD problem.

最优无功调度（ORPD）问题作为最优潮流的一个子问题，在提供可靠性和经济运行方面具有重要作用。在本文中，受一个成员领导的群体的集体运动启发，提出了一种路径查找算法（PFA）的修改版本，用于解决 ORPD 问题。本研究的目的是通过调整控制变量来最小化功率损耗。对 57 母线和 118 母线电力系统进行了数值分析。为了显示改进的探路者算法（mPFA）的性能和有效性，使用了一些众所周知的方法进行比较。执行统计测试以评估所提出方法的一致性和排名。结果表明，mPFA 取得了有竞争力的结果，并通过统计分析获得了有竞争力的排名。仿真结果表明，所提出的方法可以成为解决ORPD问题的优越算法。