Optimal Reconfiguration of Power Distribution Systems

Due to the rapid increase in the demand for electricity, environmental constraints and competitive energy market scenario, the power sector(both transmission and distribution) are being operated under overloaded conditions at most of the time. Today, the major concern is efficient dispatch of power to the customers on an individual basis. This can be done by proper reconfiguration of the distribution system. The scope of reconfiguring the network is not limited to only dispatch of power but extends to minimizing the system losses, minimizing power interruptions, increasing the system reliability and most importantly, the proper maintenance of the costly devices like transformers, huge electric machines, etc at the factories which need constant good quality power input. Again there are places like hospitals; defence corporations etc where power interruptions for the slightest time can also cause blunders. To add to these factors, the occurrence of blackout is also a major concern as stabilizing the grid after such an incident is a tedious job. So it is always better to avoid such events. The above discussion clearly states the importance of proper management of the power system, especially the distribution sector. System reconfiguration to achieve the optimal structure is highly essential as it leads to an operating condition with minimum power loss and maximum reliability. The project deals with optimizing the distribution system considering the two factors namely power loss and system reliability. New methodology to reconfigure an electric power distribution network under normal operating conditions to reduce the active losses of the network or to balance the load of the system's feeders is also proposed in this research paper.