Optimal allocation of shunt capacitors in radial distribution networks using Constriction-Factor Particle Swarm Optimization and its techno-economic analysis

Abstract

The optimal penetration of a Shunt Capacitor (SC) is one of the most economical means to enhance the efficiency of radial distribution networks (RDNs). This enhancement includes reducing power loss, and operating costs, improving voltage profiles, and enhancing stability. This paper introduces a constriction-factor Particle Swarm Optimization (Cf-PSO) for SC allocation problem. It leverages the equivalent reactive power voltage stability index (EQVSI) to narrow the search space of the initial Cf-PSO population. The proposed approach analyzes the optimal SC allocation for various scenarios: the base case before SC integration, one SC, two SCs, three SCs, and four SCs. The Cf-PSO technique was tested on the standard IEEE 33- and 69-bus RDNs. For these networks, allocating four SCs resulted in the most significant percentage reduction in power loss: 35.15 % for the IEEE 33-bus and 35.85 % for the IEEE 69-bus, compared to their respective base scenarios. The simulation results also demonstrate that as more SCs are optimally installed, the percentage reduction in power loss and the financial cost-benefit improve. However, beyond two SCs, the rate of improvement significantly diminishes, reaching a point where adding more SCs is no longer economically advantageous compared to the previous number. The power loss results obtained using this approach were validated by comparing them to established techniques found in the open literature, confirming their effectiveness in most cases.