Optimal Placement of Micro-Phasor Measurement Units in Distribution Network using Pattern Search Algorithm

This paper presents a Pattern Search (PS) algorithm for optimal placement of Micro-Phasor Measurement Units (M-PMUs) in a distribution network to obtain complete observability through which security of network can be attained. By the distribution state estimation process, these M-PMU measurements can help to estimate the state of every node in the network. The pattern search algorithm is a nonlinear, constrained procedure used to optimize network locations for M-PMU placement. Redundancy bus nodes in the feeder network are considered in the optimization process to minimize PMU locations. The locations of M-PMUs with and without radial buses are compared. A redundancy index (RI) at the node and a complete network observabilty index (CNOI) for the entire network are proposed to assess network observabilty. The proposed indices can show whether the system is completely observable or not. Test cases that are MATLAB-programmed include the IEEE-13, 33, and 69 feeder networks. The effectiveness of the findings in the optimization of nonlinear constraints is shown by comparison with other widely used techniques.