A load reconfiguration algorithm for optimizing LV residential feeders with voltage performance as the criterion

Abstract

The voltage drop in a feeder is aggravated by the imbalance of single-phase loads connected to the phases of a multi-phase distribution network can be appreciable. It is particularly important In long radial low voltage feeders when the voltage drop in the feeder Is the major sizing criterion. This applies equally to existing or to new plant. Significant enhancement in the voltage performance of a multi-phase feeder feeding single-phase customers may be obtained by configuring the customer connection schedule in an optimal way. A method of achieving this is proposed in this paper. The method is based on the principle of superposition and is applied to a probabilistic voltage drop calculation procedure. Simple examples are given to illustrate the method but it has been applied to more complex networks in practice. Although the method was developed for low voltage feeders, the principles are applicable at any voltage level with some modification.