Hybrid GA-SOCP Approach for Placement and Sizing of Distributed Generators in DC Networks

Abstract

This research addresses the problem of the optimal location and sizing distributed generators (DGs) in direct current (DC) distribution networks from the combinatorial optimization. It is proposed a master–slave optimization approach in order to solve the problems of placement and location of DGs, respectively. The master stage applies to the classical Chu & Beasley genetic algorithm (GA), while the slave stage resolves a second-order cone programming reformulation of the optimal power flow problem for DC grids. This master–slave approach generates a hybrid optimization approach, named GA-SOCP. The main advantage of optimal dimensioning of DGs via SOCP is that this method makes part of the exact mathematical optimization that guarantees the possibility of finding the global optimal solution due to the solution space’s convex structure, which is a clear improvement regarding classical metaheuristic optimization methodologies. Numerical comparisons with hybrid and exact optimization approaches reported in the literature demonstrate the proposed hybrid GA-SOCP approach’s effectiveness and robustness to achieve the global optimal solution. Two test feeders compose of 21 and 69 nodes that can locate three distributed generators are considered. All of the computational validations have been carried out in the MATLAB software and the CVX tool for convex optimization.