Allocation and Optimal Sizing of Flexible Capacitor Banks for the Minimization of Active Power Losses in Long Unbalanced Rural Medium Voltage Distribution Feeders using Heuristic Algorithms

This article explores a heuristic based optimization methodology for power loss reduction and the voltage profile improvement in a medium voltage distribution network. The objective function provides minimum values for the power losses using three-phase capacitor banks located and dimensioned throughout the distribution network. This location and dimensioning were carried out using two heuristic methods: ant colony and genetic optimization algorithms. These algorithms involve determining which capacitor bank might be installed in a specific bus; under these conditions, the losses are optimized. Such heuristic optimization methods were tested in three distribution networks with radial topology to show feasibility of the methodology: the IEEE 33-bus and the IEEE 69-bus, and the long unbalanced rural Medium Voltage feeder Piñal of CNEL Guayas-Rios (Ecuador). The results show significant power losses reductions, especially in the IEEE model networks and moderate power losses reductions in Piñal. The proposed approach permits the flexible optimization variables that are represented in their natural form.