Stabilizing Voltage and Managing Power Loss in Medium Voltage Distribution Systems Through Strategic Maneuvers

Repairs and maintenance on the electrical power system often require power outages. To ensure safety and security during maintenance, limiting the extent of these outages is essential. This study aims to analyze the impact of network maneuvers on voltage drop and power loss in feeders in Medan, Indonesia. The research involves simulating the feeder circuit under various maneuver scenarios using ETAP 19.0.1 software to analyze voltage drop and power loss in the 20 kV distribution network. The end voltage on the backup feeder decreased from 20.31 kV before maneuvering to 20.10 kV after maneuvering. Despite the maneuvers causing an increase in voltage drop from 0.724 kV (3.24%) to 1.080 kV (4.23%) and in active power losses from 152.59 kW (2.29%) to 226.92 kW (3.02%), both remained within the acceptable standard of 5%. To mitigate the voltage, drop, the study proposes uprating the conductor by replacing the existing AAAC conductor with an XLPE-insulated cable. This upgrade can increase the end voltage from 20.09 kV to 20.49 kV, thus improving the overall performance of the feeder during maintenance activities.