Optimal Reactive Power Injection in Distribution Networks to Maximize Cost Savings Via AOA

Utilities have been forced to raise the overall efficiency towards a better position in radial distribution systems (DS). The literature has proved that reactive power compensation performs well in minimizing the power loss ( PLoss ) and enhancing the bus voltage profile within the permissible range in radial DSs. This work presents Archimedes optimization algorithm (AOA) to resolve the problem efficiently. The merit of this technique is that it can offer a global or near-global optimum for capacitor siting and sizing. The main intention of this study is to obtain annual financial benefit (AFB) using the placement and sizing of capacitors optimally. This can, however, be achieved by minimizing the objective function composed of cost-based PLoss and capacitor investment cost on radial DSs. The proposed technique has been tested on four renowned DS: the Indian 10-bus, modified 12-bus, IEEE 69-bus, and 94-bus Portugal system. The previously published papers are compared with the outcomes of AOA in terms of PLoss reduction and AFB and prove that AOA achieves better performance and more AFB.