Behavior analysis of new bio‐inspired metaheuristics to solve distribution network reconfiguration problem under different radiality constraints representation

Abstract

As distribution networks operate in their majority in a radial way, this condition becomes one of the most important constraints of distribution network reconfiguration (DNR) problem. There are diverse ways to represent this in DNR, but a lack of studies that provide an analysis of its behavior is noted, specially regarding its influence in metaheuristics and bio‐inspired metaheuristics. This paper presents a discussion between two alternatives to represent this in DNR in conjunction with three new bio‐inspired metaheuristics. One is based on the formation of the incidence matrix of the system and its determinant; the other is a modified approach of a method that establishes a set of forbidden switches through the analysis of the system fundamental loops. To solve DNR, three new bio‐inspired metaheuristics are presented: monarch butterfly optimization (MBO), gray wolf optimizer (GWO), and marine predators algorithm (MPA). A comparison is performed with selective particle swarm optimization (SPSO). To test the alternatives, three systems are used (33‐, 69‐, and 84‐ bus), with results showing the influence of the radiality approach in the results of bio‐inspired metaheuristics.