ABSTRACT
The complexity and large number of computations involved in power flow and reconfiguration analysis of large distribution networks necessitates the need for the improvement of power flow and reconfiguration techniques. In this research work, a GPS based method is used in modeling Azare distribution network and in selecting the most appropriate positions of Tie branches (required for network reconfiguration). Radial distribution network power flow and reconfiguration algorithms are developed based on improved Backward-Forward Sweep (BFS) and All Spanning Trees of Undirected Network Graph (ASTUNG) techniques respectively.MATLAB GUI based simulators are also developed for power flow and reconfiguration analysis. The developed simulators are used in simulating power flow and reconfiguration on the Azare distribution network. A voltage profile improvement of 64.11% and a total real power loss reduction of 54.4% are achieved in the optimum configuration compared to the original configuration. Finally, the effectiveness of the developed power flow simulator is also demonstrated by testing it using the Standard IEEE 30 and 33 bus networks and comparing the results with those obtained in other similar literatures; while the effectiveness of the reconfiguration simulator isdemonstrated using the standard IEEE 33 bus network. The developed reconfiguration simulator was able to improve the voltage profile of the standard 33 buses IEEE radial network by 65.7% and reduce its total real power loss by 56.17%; and when compared with other similar literatures, an improvement of 14.23% is made in voltage profile while a reduction of 0.31% is achieved in power loss. All computations and simulations were performed using MATLAB V.7.0 Software.