Optimal Placement of Protection Switches in a Real Distribution Network Based on Reliability Importance Using an Improved Gravitational Search Method

The operation of the power distribution network is influenced by many factors, such as various faults, network maneuvers, and out-of-service equipment. Therefore, reducing the outage time, increasing the reliability, and, as a result, the satisfaction of the subscribers is one of the important goals of the power distribution company. Protective switches such as reclosers and sectionalizers reduce the outage time and energy not supplied (ENS) of subscribers by isolating the damaged part of the network. Due to the high costs of installing and repairing this equipment, distribution companies seek to minimize these costs. The main goal of this study is to determine the optimal number and location of reclosers and sectionalizers in the distribution network according to the objective functions of reliability and operational limitations. Therefore, in this paper, using the improved gravitational search (IGS) algorithm, the appropriate placement of protection switches is proposed to optimize the desired objective function in the test feeder in Razavi Khorasan province. The comparison and analysis of the obtained results show the ability of the proposed method to determine the appropriate location and number of protection switches in a real network.