Distribution System Enhancement Using Reconfiguration and DG Application

Abstract

Power loss in electrical distribution systems is a critical challenge that impacts both operational efficiency and economic performance. Reconfiguration of distribution networks, involving the strategic opening and closing of switches to alter the network topology, presents a promising solution to minimize these losses. This paper investigates the effectiveness of network reconfiguration in reducing power losses within the IEEE standard 69-bus test system, a widely recognized benchmark in power systems research. The cuckoo search algorithm is employed to determine the optimal reconfiguration strategy. The study provides a detailed comparative analysis of this algorithm with and without configuration. Simulation results demonstrate that reconfiguration significantly reduces active power losses, with the Cuckoo search algorithm achieving a reduction of up 18.97% also, when DG allocation is applied to an already reconfigured system, the power losses were calculated to be 156.7812 which represents 30.3% reduction compared to the initial configuration. This research contributes to the ongoing efforts to improve power system reliability and sustainability through innovative reconfiguration strategies.