2017 14th International Conference on Electrical Engineering/Electronics, Computer, Telecommunications
and Information Technology (ECTI-CON)
Improve Performance in Electrical Power Distribution
System by Optimal Capacitor Placement Using
Genetic Algorithm
Mehdi Mahdavian1, Mohammad Hossein Kafi2, Amir Movahedi2, Mohammadreza Janghorbani3
1
Department of Electrical Engineering, Naein Branch, Islamic Azad University, Naein, Iran
2
Smart Microgrid Research Center, Najafabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Najafabad, Isfahan, Iran
3
Department of Electrical Engineering, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract—The aim of this work is improve voltage profile and
active power loss. Capacitor placement and sizing are done by
loss sensitivity analysis and GA. Power loss sensitivity factor offer
the important information about each section in a feeder. This
factor is determined using load flow study. In a feeder, Sections
with highest power loss sensitivity are selected to installation the
capacitor. GA with a multi-purpose goal function for simultaneo-
us reduction of the losses and the improvement of the voltage pr-
ofile detects the optimal size of capacitor in each candidate sectio-
n. The results of the application of this method are compared
with the results obtained from the installation of capacitors by
DIGSILENT software.
Keywords—capacitor placement; distribution system; genetic
algorithm; DIGSILENT software.
I. INTRODUCTION
The development of transmission systems based on increas-
ing demand load are important on power networks [1,2]. How-
ever, the power systems performance decreases with complexi-
ty and increasing size the grids [3,4]. The distribution system is
the part of an electric power system after the transmission syst-
em that is dedicated to delivering electric energy to individual
consumer premises [5,6]. Distribution of electric power to vari-
ous consumers is done with much low voltage level [7, 8]. Op-
timal capacitor placement in distribution systems has a number
of advantages such as improvement of the system voltage
profile, reducing losses, improving power factor, increasing the
maximum flow through cables and transformers and so on
[9,10]. The optimization methods have been used for differe-
nt aim in power networks [11-19]. Several references have
shown capacitor placement problem in distribution system
[11,12]. An ant colony search algorithm algorithms for solving
the optimal feeder reconfiguration problem, the optimal capac-
itor placement problem, and the problem of a combination of
the two in distribution system is presented in [13]. A two-stage
procedure the loss sensitivity analysis and the ant colony opti-
mization algorithm to identify the optimal locations and sizes
of capacitors in radial distribution systems is presented in [14],
which the proposed procedure is applied to different standard
test radial distribution systems. The capacitor allocation
problem in distribution systems for the modified IEEE 16-bus
distribution system connected to wind energy generation based
on a cost function is presented in [15], which PSO technique is
978-1-5386-0449-6/17/$31.00 (c) 2017 IEEE
749
used to determine the near-optimal capacitor placement. A
method based on application of the Monte Carlo simulation
methods for optimal allocation of shunt capacitors in distribu-
tion network with renewable distributed generation units to im-
prove voltage profile is proposed in [16]. A plant growth-based
optimization approach for capacitor placement in power syst-
ems is proposed in [17], which the method is validated using
example grids and a part of the Taipower company system. In
this paper for determination the power loss sensitivity of each
section the calculation are done in the pick of the load. We then
consider the determination of the required optimized size of the
capacitor in the minimum load by GA. By using this method
the increase of voltage due to phase lead of the system in the
minimum load is prevented. In order to prove the efficiency of
this method, the results of capacitor placement by this method
are contrasted with those obtained from DIGSIENT software.
II. GENETIC ALGORITHM
A GA is an algorithm that imitates the process of natural
selection. It is a method for solving both constrained and
unconstrained optimization problems that is based on natural
selection, the process that drives biological evolution [18,19].
There are three basic differences between GA and optimization
classical methods.
1. GA works on the encoded strings of the problem
parameters. Each string is the representative of one answer to
the problem, and the real quantities of the parameters are
obtained from the decoding of these strings.
2. GA is a search algorithm which works on a population of
search spaces. This quality causes the GA to search different
response spaces simultaneously reducing the possibility of
being entrapped at local optimized points.
3. GA does not need previous data from the problem resp-
onse space such as convexity and derivable. It is only necessary
to calculate a response function named fitness function. This
function expresses the rate of response proximity to the goal
function of the intended algorithm. Many papers have been
published in the field of GA is used to search for optimal
settings of controller parameters [20]. A genetic algorithm for
optimum shunt capacitor placement in micro-grids in distributi-
on networks with consideration of islanded mode of operation
is proposed in [21], which the cost function of the proposed
 2017 14th International Conference on Electrical Engineering/Electronics, Computer, Telecommunications
and Information Technology (ECTI-CON)

optimization technique consists of three terms the cost of pow-

er and energy losses, the cost of capital investments of the ins-
talled shunt capacitors and the customers cost of interruption.

III. CAPACITOR PLACEMENT METHOD

With regard to the presented subjects about the selection
candidate buses for the installation of capacitors and genetic
algorithms, the method of capacitor placement are performed
on the basis of the following stages. (1) Formation of the initial
population on the basis of candidate Buses. (2) Evaluation of
each of the chromosomes as follows: 2-1- Installation of
the capacitors specified by each of the chromosomes on the
candidate buses. 2-2- Performing load distribution operations
by a reciprocal method. 2-3- Calculation of power fall rate and
voltage profile. 2-4- Assigning a specific amount as the rate of
chromosome competence to it. (3) Construction of a new
population on the basis of transmit operations, crossover, and
mutation. (4) Repetition of stages 2 and 3 until reaching the
stoppage parameter which can be the maximum number of
repetition. (5) Decoding each of the chromosomes and
determining the required capacitor rate.
The capacitor placement algorithm is show in Fig. 1 [22].
IV. SIMULATION RESULTS
In order to show the specifications of the presented method- Fig. 1. Capacitor placement algorithm
s, we first start with the use of the above method for placating
capacitors in a distribution feeder depicted in Fig. 2. We then
start the operations of capacitor placing on this feeder by DIG-
SILENT software. The intended feeder with the name of a radi-
al feeder is very long with great voltage and power drop. Its ph-
ysical and electrical specifications are presented in Tables I and
II. After capacitor placing with GA in Nasher feeder and
performing load distribution operations by a reciprocal approa-
ch and calculate power fall rate and voltage profile and
detected the critical points with regard to losses and voltage
drop. The critical section in this feeder are A, B, C. The
determined capacitor amounts for each of the places with aim
of GA and amount of power losses in each critical section
before and after capacitor placement are show in Fig. 3. The
Fig. 2. Geographical diagram of Nasher feeder
base unit capacitor in each bank is 125 KVAR.
By simulation of Nasher feeder in DIGSILENT software
TABLE I. PHYSICAL SPECIFICATIONS OF NASHER FEEDER and definition of the capacitors with the capacities of 130,
Length Number of Number Number of 250, 480, 1000, and 30 KVAR and the performance of capac-
Name Length of right indoor of outdoor itor placing operations, this software specified the places for a,
way transformer section transformer
87050 46135 b, c, d, and e. The determined capacitor amounts for each of
Nashar 0 186 87 the places are presented in Table III.
m m
TABLE III. THE SIZE OF THE SUGGESTED CAPACITOR FOR EACH SECTION
TABLE II. ELECTRICAL SPECIFICATIONS OF NASHER FEEDER BY THE SOFTWARE

Parameters Values Section name a b c d e

Voltage and current 20 KV, 149.22 A Capability of capacitor (KVAR) 1000 480 250 130 30
Active power and power factor 4184 KW, 0.809
Minimum voltage and
15.512 KV, 22.44 KV By exercising the results of the algorithm and the software
percentage of voltage drop
Active power losses and
577 KW, 13.79
as well as installation of the specified capacitors in the
percentage specified and critical sections by the software, we will witness
changes in the feeder parameters according to Fig. 4. In Figs.
5, 6 and 7 the voltage profile before and after placing the
capacitors in the two methods are depicted.

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 2017 14th International Conference on Electrical Engineering/Electronics, Computer, Telecommunications
and Information Technology (ECTI-CON)

V. CONCLUSION determination of the size of capacitor by genetic algorithm.

The application of capacitors in distribution network is
well known for electrical engineers. In design of distribution
system, the use of capacitors is accepted as a necessity. A gen-
etic algorithm is simply the algorithm used to simulate evoluti-
on. In this paper a multi-purpose goal function employed for
the simultaneous improvement of several parameters in the
The place for the installation of the fixed capacitor was also
obtained by a fast load distribution method, which is a recipro-
cal method. This algorithm was executed on a very long radial
feeder and noticed considerable reduction of losses and a rela-
tive improvement of voltage profile and the quality of the
power.

800 750
700
600
500
400
300 250
200 125
69.9 49.3 46.5
100 27.8 18.3 34
0
Capability of installed capacitor Power losses before capacitor Power losses after capacitor
(KVAR) placement placement

Section A Section B Section C

Fig. 3. The capacitor size required in each section

Fig. 4. The specification of the feeder before and after capacitor placing

Fig. 5. The Nasher feeder voltage profile before placing the capacitor Fig. 6. Nasher voltage feeder profile after placing the capacitor by intelligent
method

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 2017 14th International Conference on Electrical Engineering/Electronics, Computer, Telecommunications
and Information Technology (ECTI-CON)
Fig. 7. Nasher feeder voltage profile after placing the capacitor by
DIGSILENT software
With the reduction of the losses we noticed that a part of
the line capacity became free and ultimately we had a reduction
in the expenses for the expansion of new sources. Additionally,
with the relative improvement in the quality of voltage profile,
the quality of the power was also increased. Comparing the
results of placing capacitors by intelligent method and
DIGSILENT software, we notice that the method of presentati-
on has economically higher advantages than the software meth-
od, because while the software creates more improvements in
the rate of losses and voltage profile, but it uses more capaci-
tors which are not economical.
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