A new approach for distribution feeder reconfiguration for loss reduction and service restoration

This paper presents a new approach to solve the distribution feeder reconfiguration problem for loss reduction and service restoration. By using the proposed algorithm, a more efficient network configuration can be obtained to reduce loss. Three switching indices were defined in this paper. Branch voltage-drops and line constants were used with all the electrical constraints. Meshed networks were considered instead of the radial topology by closing all the tie switches. By considering only the largest switching index in each loop, this algorithm can reduce the number of feasible states drastically. The switching index can also be used for service restoration. Many tests have been run to show its effectiveness.