This paper presents a distribution planning on a geographical network, using improved K-means clustering algorithm and is compared with the conventional Euclidean distance based K-means clustering algorithm. The distribution planning includes optimal placement of substation, minimization of expansion cost, optimization of network parameters such as network topology, routing of single/multiple feeders, and reduction in network power losses. The improved K-means clustering is an iterative weighting factor based optimization algorithm which locates the substation optimally and improves the voltage drop at each node. For feeder routing shortest path based algorithm is proposed and the modified load flow method is used to calculate the active and reactive power losses in the network. Simulation is performed on 54 nodes based geographical network with load points and the results obtained show significant power loss minimization as compared to the conventional K-means clustering algorithm.

This paper presents a distribution network reconfiguration based on bacterial foraging optimization algorithm (BFOA) along with backward-forward sweep (BFS) load flow method and geographical information system (GIS). Distribution network reconfiguration (DNR) is a complex, non-linear, combinatorial, and non-differentiable constrained optimization process aimed at finding the radial structure that minimized network power loss while satisfying all operating constraints. BFOA is used to obtain the optimal switching configuration which results in a minimum loss, BFS is used to optimize the deviation in node voltages, and GIS is used for planning and easy analysis purposes. Simulation is performed on the 33-bus system and results are compared with the other approaches. The obtained results show that the proposed approach is better in terms of efficiency and having good convergence criteria.