A Capacitor Placement Programming Model for Distribution Systems with Voltage-Varying Loads

The fluctuation of voltage level at network buses has the ability to alter the load power of the network, which can be addressed by optimally placing capacitor banks at suitable points along the network. Even though some studies have considered the appropriate locations of capacitors for minimizing losses and improving the voltage sag, only a few studies have investigated the voltage-dependent loads impact on capacitor locations. Nevertheless, the models either used nonlinear or extreme approximation linear approaches. Meanwhile, nonlinear models do not guarantee the optimality of the solution when solved using metaheuristic algorithms, while their implementation in commercial solvers also leads to strenuous and time-consuming computations. Moreover, the linearization of the models makes them highly approximated into piecewise functions consisting of many uncertain parameters. To address these issues, the paper under consideration presents an efficient model for the formulation of voltage varying loads in capacitor placement problems through the use of commercial linear solvers. The model is examined on the 70-bus network and outcome demonstrates that proposed model does not only lead to the significant reduction of active losses, but greatly corrects the profile of system’s voltage as compared to conventional capacitor placement models.