Optimal Design and Control Scheme for Continuous Capacitive Compensation of Distribution Feeders

Distribution automation schemes being considered for implementation by electric utilities will rely heavily on substation-based computers for control of reactive power on primary feeders. To assist such implementation a new, continuously controllable, capacitive compensation scheme for primary distribution feeders is presented. This compensation scheme allows optimal placement and sizing of time- variable capacitors based on an optimal operating strategy which provides for power loss minimization as a function of time. A numerical example involving a realistic physically-existing feeder is provided to exemplify the design and control schemes.