Optimal Control and Operation of Fully Automated Distribution Networks Using Improved Tunicate Swarm Intelligent Algorithm

Simultaneous control and operation of Capacitor Banks (CBs) and Distributed Generators (DGs) with Distribution Network Reconfiguration (DNR) is the most important modern trend for distribution systems performance enhancement. The complexity and variety of the control variables of this problem represent a challenge for distribution systems planners and operators as well as interested researchers. Optimal solution can provides quantitative as well as qualitative power service to satisfy consumers' satisfaction and reduces dissipated energy. Furthermore, performance enhancement of distribution systems is very vital where improving their performance directly affects the performance of transmission and generation systems. For solving the considered problem, an improved Tunicate Swarm Algorithm (ITSA), which imitates the swarming behaviors of the marine tunicates and their jet propulsions during its navigation and foraging procedure, is proposed. In ITSA, Lévy flight distributions are emerged in the traditional Tunicate Swarm Algorithm (TSA), which improves the diversification searching abilities of the TSA and consequently avoids the stagnation possibilities. The proposed ITSA is applied and tested for optimal DNR simultaneously with optimal control of the switched CBs and dispatchable DGs taking into account daily load variations. The ITSA is compared with other techniques on the standard 33-bus, 69-bus and the large-scale 119-bus distribution systems considering different automation scenarios of the distribution systems. The simulation results reveal that significant enhancement in distribution system performance is obtained through the application of the proposed automation process using the ITSA. ITSA can efficiently search for the optimal solutions of the problem and outperforms the other existing algorithms in the literatures.