Optimal Design of Low Voltage Distribution Networks Using a PSO-PRIM Algorithm

Abstract

A particle swarm optimization technique (PSO) combined with a greedy algorithm (PRIM) is proposed to design low voltage distribution networks (LVDNs), from scratch. The approach is able to construct a radial network using the GPS coordinates of the utility poles, furthermore, it can also find the optimal placement for the distribution transformer (DT) and select the most suitable conductors for each branch. The evaluation of the distribution network is based on fuzzy rules, to obtain a satisfaction degree regarding the imposed constraints of the system, all this in order to minimize voltage deviation (VD) and quality issues (QI). Finally, several tests have been made in four real LVDNs, where the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm to design them has been proved.