Optimal number and placement of automated sectionalizing switches for smart grid Distribution Automation

Determination of the optimum number and placement of sectionalizing switches in Distribution Automation (DA) feeders is a very challenging task. This is an important step in the feasibility process of DA projects and one has to consider the trade-off between reliability and economics to arrive at the answer. This paper presents a novel iterative approach based on the relative reduction in the normalized customer interruption costs for the optimal switch number and placement problem. An iterative algorithm is constructed which minimizes the total interruption costs at each step of the analysis to arrive at the solution. The proposed approach isolates the impacts of varying switch investment and customer interruption costs that are based on surveys. The proposed method is implemented on IEEE 34-bus and 123-bus test feeders. The mathematical model is developed in Matlab and the results show the computational robustness and efficacy of the solution.