Optimal placement of FPIs in distribution systems

Abstract

Fault Passage Indicators (FPIs) also called FCIs, Faulted Circuit Indicators have been under development for the last 70 years including new capabilities to satisfy the needs of the distribution network operators. In order to improve system stability, faulted circuit indicators (FCI) can be allocated along the feeder to reduce, or even eliminate, the uncertainty about the fault location. The location and number of FPIs effects on the reliability indices and can extra charge the distribution companies and consumers. In this work, the optimal location and number of fault passage indicator (FPI) are determined in Power Distribution Network (PDN) with special economical combined objective function using the genetic algorithm to solve the optimization problem. Further, simultaneous reconfiguration of the system is incorporated to maintain the continuity of supply. Fault Passage Indicator has been implemented first in PC using Matlab_Simulink, then tested on the two case studies, IEEE9 bus & 33 bus systems. At the end the results are presented discussed.