Optimal Feeder Switches Location Scheme for High Reliability and Least Costs in Distribution System

This paper proposes an optimization method for planning adequate number and location of feeder switches in a loop controlled distribution feeder. The purpose is to minimize the total costs on precondition of the service reliability indices to achieve the required level. First, a network equivalent technique is introduced to reduce the calculating burden in the reliability indices and outage costs evaluating procedure. Second, by using the equivalent method, system reliability indices and costs on various switches configuration cases can be deduced. Then a binary programming optimization method based on improved genetic algorithm (GA) is proposed to determine the optimal switch number and location configuration. The improved algorithm introduces parallel evolution and migration scheme into the GA to enhance the searching efficiency. Last, numerical example shows the validity of the optimizing scheme