An Ant-Lion Optimization Based Approach to Solve Phase Balancing Problem in Distribution Networks

Phase unbalance is a significant issue for power distribution networks. It can lead to increased energy losses and voltage instability, undermining the electrical grid's reliability and efficiency. We propose an approach to minimize voltage unbalance through reactive power management from PV instal-lations and the optimization of charging/discharging of energy storage devices utilizing a control algorithm based on Ant-Lion Optimizer. We tested the approach on the IEEE 123-Bus Test System, incorporating PV generations by daily simulations. From the results, the combined operation of reactive power support from PVs and Storage Units with the help of the ALO algorithm offers a promising solution to the phase unbalance problem.