Optimal Placement And Sizing Of Distribution Generation In Smart Distribution System Planning

Abstract

The increasing integration of distributed generations (DGs) units and capacitors newlineinto distribution networks, alongside the development of microgrids and smart grids, is newlinecrucial for enhancing voltage profiles, reducing line losses, improving power quality, newlineand promoting sustainability. However, inappropriate and suboptimal placement and newlinesizing of these components may lead to many system operational issues, such as voltage newlineinstability, reverse power flow, and suboptimal operational efficiency. This research newlineaddresses the optimal allocation of DGs and capacitors in radial distribution systems newlinethrough single-objective and multi-objective optimisation frameworks. Enhanced newlineweighting factor is considered in this research for multi-objective optimisation. newlineThe study considered the number and size of the DGs and capacitors for the newlineoptimal solution, along with power factor variation as the variable to be optimised. newlineTechnical, operational, and economic constraints were considered to make the study newlinefeasible for real-time applications. Additionally, the metaheuristic approaches were newlineenhanced by adaptive system parameters and a hybrid approach concept. newlineThe study considered the objective function of minimising real network power newlinelosses using well-established enhanced and hybrid metaheuristic algorithms in a singleobjective newlinecontext, based on quasi-oppositional forensic investigation and differential newlineevolution. Combining conflicting objectives, such as minimising power loss, enhancing newlinevoltage profile, and reducing costs, is simultaneously optimised using the weighted sum newlinemethod for the multi-objective approach. The weighted sum method aggregates multiple newlineobjectives into a single composite function through user-defined preference-based newlineweighting factors, which are computed dynamically, making the solution adaptable to newlinedifferent operational scenarios. newlineThe performance of the proposed models is evaluated on standard IEEE 33-bus, newline69-bus, and 85-bus radial distribution systems under varying loading conditions. Results newlinedemonstrate substa