A Novel Approach to Distribution Network Reconfiguration Considering the Priority of Customers

This paper is concerned with distribution network reconfiguration in order to maintain load and generation balance at acceptable frequency during the restoration process after a total or partial blackout. The problem is formulated as a constrained multiple-objective optimization problem. ACO algorithm is used to search the proper reconfiguration sequence based on the PN model. The proposed method is designed with consideration to the priority of customers emphatically. At the same time, the restoration is accomplished as soon as possible by minimizing the number of switching operations while the radial network structure is maintained. As a result, a feasible sequence of operations to reach the final configuration is outlined. The effectiveness of the proposed approach has been demonstrated through the test system.