A Multi-Objective Reconfiguration Scheme for Reliability and Energy Usage Enhancement of Distribution Systems in the Presence of Wind Turbines Using the MOHSA Optimization Algorithm

Abstract

The stochastic nature of the active power generated by wind turbines (WTs) has posed new challenges to the reliability assessment, load flow analysis, and reconfiguration process of distribution systems penetrated with WTs. In this paper, a new optimization approach has been presented to find the best configuration of the distribution system along with optimal locations of WTs. This is aimed at maximizing the reliability of the system, while energy losses are minimized. To this end, based on the graph theory and the system topology, a simple technique is proposed for finding minimal cut sets that could be used for calculating reliability indices. Furthermore, the multiple flow directions created in the presence of WTs cause difficulties in calculating reliability indices and in performing load flow analysis. Accordingly, a new concept called the independent reliability zone is introduced to overcome these problems. In this paper, the multi-objective harmony search algorithm, due to its suitability for multi-objective problems, is employed as a solution for solving the proposed optimization problem. The effect of the proposed approach has been evaluated on both test and real systems. The results show that using the proposed approach, a more practical solution is achieved for low-cost and reliable 24-hour planning of the system in the presence of uncertainties in DGs.