Distribution Systems Reconfiguration Considering Load Type: An Efficient Model

Various types of energy consumers are connected to load points of actual distribution networks that cause different power losses compared to mono-type loads. However, the majority of models propose distribution reconfiguration problems disregarding consumer diversity. The few studies that have included load type in their proposed reconfiguration strategies present non-linear formulations for the problem. However, non-linear models can be solved by metaheuristic algorithms but without guaranteeing optimal solutions and may be computed by non-linear solvers in classic optimization tools but require intensive and time-consuming computations. Therefore, the current paper introduces an efficient model for reconfiguration of distribution systems considering various load types that can be easily implemented by linear solvers in commercial optimization software. The results show that the proposed model is precise enough to find accurate solutions for desired reconfiguration problems and is adequately fast for online reconfigurations.