Optimal placement of switched capacitors equipped with stand-alone voltage control systems in radial distribution networks

This study presents a method for optimally selecting the location and size of switched shunt capacitors equipped with stand-alone voltage control systems and fixed shunt capacitors in radial distribution networks. The main contribution of this paper is the introduction of a novel algorithm specifically designed for placement of capacitors equipped with stand-alone voltage control systems. The considered objective function is the net saving calculated for every potential solution by using a backward-forward load flow technique. A genetic algorithm is used to maximize the objective function while taking into account the technical constraints of the distribution network and the maximum capacitors' sizes depending on the set points of the stand-alone voltage control system and on the locations of capacitors. The effectiveness of the proposed optimization method is verified and compared with other prevalent methods by simulation results carried on 69-bus and 28-bus distribution networks with three load levels.