Distribution Network Reconfiguration Using Selective Firefly Algorithm and a Load Flow Analysis Criterion for Reducing the Search Space

This paper proposes an alternative to solve the distribution network reconfiguration (DNR) problem, aiming real power losses' minimization. For being a problem that has complexity for its solution, approximate techniques are adequate for solving it. Here, the proposition is a technique based on the firefiy metaheuristic, named selective firefiy algorithm, where the positioning of these insects is compressed in a selective range of values. The algorithm is applied to the DNR, and all its implementation and adequacy to the problem studied are presented. To define the search space, the methodology presented initially considers a set of candidate switches for opening based on the studied systems' mesh analysis. To reduce these possibilities, a refinement through a load flow analysis criterion (LFAC) is proposed. This LFAC considers the real power losses on each branch for a configuration with all switches closed, then, selecting possible switches to elimination from the set previously established. To demonstrate the behavior and the viability of the LFAC, it was initially applied on a 5 buses' and 7 branches' system. Also, to avoid getting stuck on results that may be considered not good, a disturbance resetting the population is set to occur every time a counter reaches a pre-defined number of times that the best solution does not change. Results found for simulations with 33, 70, and 84 buses are presented and comparisons with selective particle swarm optimization (SPSO) and selective bat algorithm (SBAT) are made.