Using a New Method Based on BFOA to Solve the SEP Problem

The problem discussed in this paper is the planning of sub-transmission substation’s location, sizes, and service boundaries. The objective of Substation Expansion Planning (SEP) is to ensure that the growing demand for electricity in an area can be satisfied by systems that are both economical and technically adequate. The large number of design variables, and combination of discrete and continuous variables makes the substation expansion planning a very challenging problem. The technique discussed uses Bacterial Foraging Optimization Algorithm (BFOA) to simultaneously optimize the sizes and locations of both the existing and new installed substation and feeders by considering reliability constraints. The results of the discussed algorithm will lead to a configuration of substations with minimum expansion cost including substation and feeder construction costs, expansion cost of the substations and feeders, and loss’s cost. The fast convergence, consideration of real-world network’s limitations as problem constraints and simplicity in applying to the real networks are the main features of the proposed method.

Using a New Method Based on BFOA to Solve the SEP Problem Keywords:

Bacterial Foraging Optimization Algorithm , Reliability , Substation Expansion Planning