REAL-TIME OPTIMAL REACTIVE POWER-CONTROL FOR DISTRIBUTION NETWORKS

A computer algorithm for optimal reactive power and voltage control, s uitable for large distribution networks, is presented in this paper. T he proposed algorithm starts with implementing a partitioning and Kron 's reduction technique in order to reduce the size of the problem. The algorithm decouples the capacitor problems from the regulator problem s and it uses a dynamic programming technique to maximize the reductio n in line losses in a real-time environment. The net outcomes of the a lgorithm are the capacitor bank locations, rating and switching scheme and location of voltage regulators, and tap settings that maximizes t he loss reduction. The algorithm ensures that the voltage levels for a ll buses in the system are within permissible limits at all times. The algorithm is efficient, fast and reliable and can be easily implement ed by any utility to optimize line loss reduction on distribution feed ers.