Slime Mould Algorithm –Based Study on Optimal Placement Planning of Capacitors and Distributed Generations

The increasing load demands in distribution systems are giving rise to several issues, including higher line losses due to increased current flow and deterioration of the system voltage profile. To address these challenges, this study employs and validates a method for the optimal placement and sizing of Distributed Generations (DGs) and Capacitor Banks (CBs) on a standard 118-bus distribution system. An unconventional objective function is utilized, incorporating system line losses, cumulative voltage deviation, reliability index, and overall system cost, to obtain the optimal solution for the problem. Initially, a sensitivity analysis, based on power loss and cumulative voltage deviation indices, is performed to identify the most appropriate bus locations for deploying DGs and CBs. Thereafter, the maiden application of slime mould algorithm is made to address the aforementioned problems. The independent and simultaneous optimal deployment of DGs and CBs are studied as separate case studies, and their results are compared and analyzed to highlight the relative advantages of each approach.