Optimal Placement of Measurement Devices in Electric Distribution Systems

This paper proposes an optimization algorithm suitable to choose the optimal number and position of the measurement devices needed to operate management and control issues, such as energy dispatching and protection coordination, in modern electric distribution networks. The goal of the proposed procedure, which is based on the dynamic programming, is to guarantee at the same time the minimum cost and the accuracy required to the measured data. Both the random changes of the loads and the uncertainty introduced by the measurement devices are taken into account. An example, relevant to a real size distribution network, shows the validity of the proposed approach