Optimizing electric vehicle charging station placement integrates distributed generations and network reconfiguration

The surge in adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) within the transportation sector can be attributed to the growing interest in sustainable transportation initiatives. It is imperative to position electric vehicle charging stations (EVCS) strategically and distribute generations (DGs) to mitigate the effects of electric vehicle loads. This research employs the whale optimization algorithm (WOA) to optimize the placement of EVCS and DGs alongside network reconfiguration. The backward-forward sweep (BFS) power flow technique is utilized to compute load flow under varying load conditions. The primary objective of this investigation is to minimize power losses and enhance the voltage profile within the system. The proposed approach was tested on IEEE-33 and 69 bus systems and compared with particle swarm optimization (PSO) and genetic algorithm (GA) techniques. The simulation outcomes affirm the effectiveness of whale optimization algorithm in determining that integrating 3 EVCS with 3 DGs yields optimal outcomes following network reconfiguration, resulting in a 56.22% decrease in power losses for the IEEE-33 bus system and a 76.13% reduction for the IEEE-69 bus system. The simulation results indicate that the proposed approach enhances system performance across all metrics, showcasing the superior performance of WOA compared to PSO and GA in accomplishing set objectives.