A Heuristic-Expert based Approach for Reconfiguration of Distribution Systems

This paper presents an algorithm for network reconfiguration based on a heuristic-expert approach. The objective of the algorithm is to minimize the real power loss through network reconfiguration of a distribution network avoiding the deviation in bus voltages and branch current violation while the radial network structure is retained with all loads kept energized and the current balance among the feeders maintained. Heuristic rules are incorporated in the algorithm for drastically minimizing the number of tie-switch operations. An improved Fast Decoupled load flow algorithm with single matrix model (FDC-SMM) has been proposed for distribution networks. The proposed load flow algorithm is very effective in dealing with reconfiguration problems of the weakly meshed multi-feeder networks.