Application of the SSA to the Optimal Phase-Swapping Problem in Three-Phase Asymmetric Networks

This research addresses the optimal phase-balancing problem by applying a master-slave optimization methodology. The master stage defines the load connections per node using a discrete codification, while the slave stage evaluates each load configuration provided by the master stage via a three-phase power flow. For the master stage, the salp swarm algorithm (SSA) was selected, which is an efficient bio-inspired technique to deal with continuous and discrete nonlinear optimization problems. The slave stage employed the matricial backward/forward power flow method for three-phase asymmetric networks. Numerical simulations in IEEE test feeders composed of 8, 25, and 37 nodes confirm the effectiveness of the SSA approach in finding efficient solutions regarding the expected grid power losses after optimal load phase-swapping. Numerical comparisons with the vortex search algorithm, the Chu & Beasley genetic algorithm, and the crow search algorithm demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology in dealing with the studied problem. All numerical validations were carried out in the MATLAB programming environment.