Optimal Network Reconfiguration to Improve Network Reliability and Voltage Profile in Distribution Systems Using Chaotic Linear Decreasing Inertia Weight‐Based Particle Swarm Optimization

ABSTRACT The growing energy demand has intensified reliability challenges in power distribution systems. This study employs network reconfiguration to minimize power loss, enhance voltage stability, and improve system reliability. A modified particle swarm optimization algorithm incorporating a chaotic map and a linearly decreasing inertia weight (PSO‐CLDIW) is proposed to address the limitations of conventional PSO. IEEE 33 and 69 bus systems were used to test the proposed method for power loss and reliability improvement. For the IEEE 33‐bus system, the power loss of PSO‐CLDIW decreased from 202.6771 to 139.5513 kW after reconfiguration under normal load. The reliability indices include SAIFI, SAIDI, CAIDI, ASAI, EENS, and AENS, with the corresponding values of 2.0261, 1.4291, 0.7053, 0.9998, 1522.683, and 0.0837, respectively. Under light load, PSO‐CLDIW achieved 33.433 kW loss compared to 47.071 kW in the base case, reflecting a 28.98% reduction. At heavy load, the power loss was 381.14 kW, resulting in 33.73% improvement. Reliability indices also showed significant enhancement, with SAIFI, SAIDI, CAIDI, EENS, and AENS values improving to 1.984, 1.368, 0.68953, 377.1413, and 0.020722, respectively, under light load, and 1.994, 1.386, 0.695, 3882.871, and 0.213 under heavy load. The IEEE 69‐bus system power loss decreased from 224.9606 to 98.5902 kW after reconfiguration under normal load, and SAIFI, SAIDI, CAIDI, ASAI, EENS, and AENS values are 1.112, 0.7613, 0.68464, 0.9999, 2913.084, and 0.2339, respectively, under normal load. PSO‐CLDIW achieved a power loss of 23.827 kW at light load, corresponding to a 53.83% reduction. Reliability indices improved, with SAIFI, SAIDI, CAIDI, ASAI, EENS, and AENS reaching 1.0246, 0.73701, 0.719321, 0.99992, 728.281, and 0.0585, respectively. At the heavy load, the power loss was 276.12 kW. Overall, the proposed PSO‐CLDIW method outperforms the baseline and other optimization techniques, demonstrating the superior ability of PSO‐CLDIW to minimize power loss, enhance reliability, and improve the voltage profile in distribution systems.