Fault Reconfiguration in Distribution Networks Based on Improved Discrete Multimodal Multi-Objective Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm

Distribution network reconfiguration involves altering the topology structure of distribution networks by adjusting the switch states, which plays an important role in the smart grid since it can effectively isolate faults, reduce the power loss, and improve the system stability. However, the fault reconfiguration of the distribution network is often regarded as a single-objective or multi-objective optimization problem, and its multimodality is often ignored in existing studies. Therefore, the obtained solutions may be unsuitable or infeasible when the environment changes. To improve the availability and robustness of the solutions, an improved discrete multimodal multi-objective particle swarm optimization (IDMMPSO) algorithm is proposed to solve the fault reconfiguration problem of the distribution network. To demonstrate the performance of the proposed IDMMPSO algorithm, the IEEE33-bus distribution system is used in the experiment. Moreover, the proposed algorithm is compared with other competitors. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can provide different equivalent solutions for decision-makers in solving the fault reconfiguration problem of the distribution network.