An efficient greedy approach for minimum loss reconfiguration of distribution networks

This paper proposes a two-stage heuristic procedure, based on a greedy approach, for the minimum loss reconfiguration of MV distribution networks. The first stage of the procedure is based on a minimum flow rule and consists in the progressive opening of all switchgears which are initially assumed closed, in order to convert the meshed network into a completely radial network. From the radial network thus created, one then proceeds to search for further improvements minimizing the losses, applying a single branch exchange technique, which in turn is composed of two procedures: one is based again on the minimum flow rule whereas the other is based on a load transfer derived from that proposed by Civanlar et al. The entire procedure has been implemented in a software package which has been used to assess its efficiency. To this end, all examples of the application of the various methods found in the existing literature for which data were available have been reconsidered. The analysis of the results of this comparison has demonstrated the efficiency of the proposed procedure which at no time produced configurations with losses greater than those of the corresponding configurations arrived at with other methodologies.