Enhancing Voltage Stability of Radial Distribution Systems by Network Reconfiguration

Network reconfiguration is performed by altering the topological structure of distribution feeders. By reconfiguring the network, voltage stability can be maximized for a particular set of loads in distribution systems. A simple algorithm is formulated for enhancement of voltage stability by network reconfiguration through loss reduction method. In network reconfiguration for loss reduction, the solution involves a search over relevant radial configurations. To aid the search, a simple load flow method has been developed. This method is computationally efficient and in general gives conservative estimates of loss reduction. The proposed method has been tested on a 69-node test system and the results indicate that it is able to determine the appropriate switching options of the distribution systems to give maximum load, the system can ensure without going into voltage instability. It has also been shown that power losses are reduced when voltage stability is improved by network reconfiguration.