Improved Heap-Based Optimizer for DG Allocation in Reconfigured Radial Feeder Distribution Systems

This article presents an improved heap-based optimizer (IHBO) for dealing with the optimal combination of power distribution system reconfiguration and distributed generators allocation in power distribution systems (PDSs). The suggested IHBO tries to improve on the conventional HBO by integrating an efficient exploitation mechanism to increase the exploring around the leadership position, with the goal of increasing its global search skills and avoiding being trapped in a local optimum. Three PDSs are studied, including a conventional IEEE PDS of 33-bus and two actual PDSs of 59-bus Cairo distribution system, Egypt, and 84-bus Taiwan Power Company (TPC), Taiwan. For the IEEE standard system, the proposed IHBO algorithm achieves the maximum reduction of power losses of 69.44%, 72.29%, and 74.725% for low, nominal, and high loadings, respectively. For the Cairo PDS, the proposed IHBO obtains the best performance with the least minimum, average and maximum fitness of 1.4149, 1.444, and 1.496, respectively. For the Taiwan PDS, it achieves the least minimum, average and maximum losses of 240.88, 264.16, and 308.49 kW, respectively. It also exhibited a significant improvement in voltages throughout the PDS buses.