Integrating artificial bee colony and cauchy algorithms for distribution network reconfiguration with soft open points

Abstract

Reconfiguring the distribution network by selecting open switch states is an effective approach to reduce power losses in the system. However, with the rise of distributed energy resources such as photovoltaic and wind turbines and dynamic loads such as electric vehicles, which introduce uncertainties, it has become necessary to integrate standard operating procedures (SOPs) to better control power flows. This study proposes an algorithm that combines the artificial bee colony (ABC) and Cauchy opposition-based learning (OBL) algorithms to solve the optimization problem of determining both the location and capacity of SOPs, alongside reconfiguring the distribution network. The primary objective is to minimize power losses while improving power quality and system reliability. The proposed methodology was validated on the IEEE 33-node and 69-node distribution networks under seven varied operational scenarios, evaluating outcomes both with and without the integration of SOPs. The findings demonstrate that installing SOPs optimally reduces power losses, enhances system reliability, and maintains voltage levels within acceptable limits. The integration of the two algorithms also accelerates the convergence process, increasing computational speed and avoiding local optimization issues. When compared with other methods, the proposed algorithm delivers similar performance but with faster computation times and fewer iterations, making it more efficient and reliable.