Optimal network reconfiguration following hourly variations of load demand and wind generation

Abstract

As wind power and load characteristic of the distribution system varies over time, the network topology also changes from one hour to another. The methodology addressed in this study consists of alternating distribution network switches following hourly variation in load consumption and wind power output, two scenarios are investigated, in order to obtain an optimal reconfiguration of the distribution system with the aim of both reduce power losses and improve the voltage profile. To deal with, an improved PSO methodology coupled with MATPOWER toolbox was applied on the IEEE 33-bus radial distribution network and the obtained results show the effectiveness of reconfiguration procedure for enhancing the test system performance.