A new method based on fuzzy system and gravitational optimal detector for capacitor placement, considering nonlinear loads

This paper describes an advantageous method for using the capacitor banks in the distribution network, optimally. The aim is to determine the count, location and capacitor values in order to minimize the annual cost resulting from energy losses and capacitor bank’s installation cost. Besides, in the case of having nonlinear loads in the network, by installing capacitors in appropriate locations, the possibility of occurring a resonance at harmonic frequencies originating from nonlinear loads, could be reduced. Therefore, in capacitor placement, power quality constraints, including the maximum harmonic deviation value, are taken into account. The case study is a nonlinear problem that a new algorithm based on the gravitational optimal detector and fuzzy system has been used to solve it. In comparison with other intelligent search methods, the proposed algorithm has appropriate precision and convergence rate. The proposed method has been performed on a 69-buss network and a part of the distribution network of city YAZD, and the results confirmed the performance and efficiency of the proposed algorithm.