EFFECTS OF NONLINEAR LOADS ON OPTIMAL CAPACITOR PLACEMENT IN RADIAL FEEDERS

The nonlinear portion of electrical loads has increased significantly in recent years. Harmonic currents injected by these loads into the distribution system should be considered when solving the capacitor placement problem in order to assure that the optimal solution does not result in excessive harmonic distortion. A voltage-dependent current injection load model is presented to determine voltage waveform characteristics and additional losses at harmonic frequencies. Computer simulations show that optimal capacitor sizes and locations depend heavily on the load model used at fundamental frequency and on harmonic signals, especially when limits are imposed of voltage waveforms.