Automatic voltage regulators siting in distribution systems considering hourly demand

Abstract

This paper presents an approach for the best site determination of automatic voltage regulators in distribution systems taking into account hourly variations of demand. A unique objective function is defined considering losses and voltage drop indices through the weighting coefficients method and then optimized using genetic algorithms. The evaluation of the objective function is done through a Newton Raphson load flow, allowing the optimal tap position determination. To consider the variability of demand, multiple hourly deterministic optimization processes are applied considering the daily load profiles of each node. Results of the application of the proposed approach over a test system and a real distribution feeder are presented. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.