An effective algorithm for distribution feeder loss reduction by switching operations

This paper presents an effective heuristic-based switching scheme to solve the distribution feeder loss reduction problem in fuzzy notations. By using the proposed algorithm, an efficient network configuration can be obtained to reduce loss. According to the switch searching strategies, some membership functions were defined in this paper. Through the "set" operations of all the membership functions, the on-off switch status can be determined. By considering the largest membership value obtained in each searching level, the process can be confined to a limited number of feasible states. Tests to many practical networks show that the desired switching operations can be reached in a very efficient manner by using this algorithm.