Intelligent Electronic Devices Placement for Reconfiguration of Active Distribution Networks Considering Reliability and Protection

Utilizing distributed generations (DGs) in distribution networks offers numerous technical and economic benefits. However, DGs can also negatively impact the network by causing protection miscoordination and potential protection scheme failures. Accurate fault location and rapid fault clearance are essential to maintain system stability and ensure continuous load supply. Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs) enable fast communication among network components through Generic Object-Oriented Substation Events (GOOSE) messaging. Nevertheless, their deployment is limited due to high investment, installation, and infrastructure costs. This paper investigates the optimal allocation of IEDs alongside DGs to enhance distribution system reliability and reduce power losses. Network reconfiguration is also incorporated to achieve efficient system operation. Two objective functions—power losses and the Energy Not Supplied (ENS) index—are optimized using the Multi-Objective Particle Swarm Optimization (MOPSO) algorithm. Considering ENS in addition to losses allows the operator to achieve higher reliability levels. The Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method is then employed to select an optimal trade-off solution between the objectives. The proposed approach is tested on the IEEE 33-bus standard distribution system. Simulation results demonstrate a substantial reduction in power losses and a significant improvement in network reliability through ENS minimization.