Power Loss Minimization and Voltage Improvement with Small Size Distributed Generations in Radial Distribution System Using TOPSIS

Abstract

The distribution system suffers highest power losses, and hence, the voltage profile and stability conditions are highly affected in this part of power system. The aim of this study is to improve the power quality of the power system by minimizing power loss and improving voltage profile using small size distributed generation (DG) system. Due to limitation on land resources and intermittency, the output of renewable-based power plants is low. Hence in this paper, the effect of small size DG units is studied. Technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS), a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) algorithm, is used to find the best location based on the size of DG used. The DG units of 250, 500 and 750 KW are used at these locations to check their effect on convergence of voltage profile and minimization in power losses. Only active power injecting DGs have been used in this paper. The results highlight that the small-sized DG systems installed at different locations give better results in terms of power loss and voltage profile than the large-sized DG placed at single locations and in some cases multiple locations as well. IEEE 33-bus radial distribution system has been used to test the method.