Optimal Capacitor Placement and Operation for Loss reduction and Improvement of Voltage Profile in Radial Distribution Systems

방사상 배전계통의 손실감소 및 전압보상을 위한 커패시터 최적 배치 및 운용

This paper presents an optimization method which determines locations and size of capacitors simultaneously while minimizing power losses and improving voltage profile in radial distribution systems. Especially, the cost function associated with capacitor placement is considered as step function due to banks of standard discrete capacities. Genetic algorithms(GA) are used to obtain efficiently the solution of the cost function associated with capacitors which is non-continuous and non-differentiable function. The strings in GA consist of the node number index and size of capacitors to be installed. The length mutation operator, which is able to change the length of strings in each generation, is used. The proposed method which determines locations and size of capacitors simultaneously can reduce power losses and improve' voltage profile with capacitors of minimum size. Its efficiency is proved through the application in radial distribution systems.