Optimal voltage profile control and losses minimization of radial distribution feeders

Abstract

The primary function of the power system is to satisfy load and energy requirements for customers with a reasonable assurance of continuity and quality of supply. The electricity sector in all countries is interested in improving system quality not only to achieve legal obligations and standard regulation but also to increase the revenue. Improving system quality leads to increasing electricity sales, which represent a profit to the utility, and contract damage. The appliances and equipments will operate more efficiency during its lifetime which is a return to the customer. Two main items identifying the quality of service were considered that directly affect the system operation besides the utility revenue and also customer satisfaction. Voltage profile control and losses minimization were the two items considered. Owing to the load growth, the utility lies in a criticality due to the increasing voltage drop and losses in addition to the capabilities of the distribution network. This paper introduces a new method to find out the optimal location and quantity of capacitor banks for reactive power compensation. There before a step voltage regulator for voltage profile control is assigned and allocated to achieve the highest benefits for customer load patterns and utility loss reduction. The compensation problem under study is an optimization problem solved using nonlinear programming technique. Appropriate voltage profile control and regulator allocation depends on the sight of the operation engineer and distribution feeder.