Real-time reconfiguration of distribution network with distributed generation

This paper presents a new methodology to perform the automatic reconfiguration of distribution networks incorporating distributed generation in normal operation. The power generation availability of wind turbines, solar photovoltaic panels and small hydropower are considered in the reconfiguration process. The real-time reconfiguration methodology is based on a heuristic method to determine the best settings. The method assumes that only remote controlled switches are considered in the analysis. The multicriteria analysis AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) method is employed to determine the best sequence of switching. The developed algorithms are integrated into a supervisory system, which allows real-time measurements and commands to the equipment. The proposed methodology is tested in a real network of a power utility and results are presented and discussed. To evaluate the performance and efficiency of the proposed method, different network reconfiguration scenarios with distributed generation were tested. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.