Modified artificial bee colony algorithm for optimal distributed generation sizing and allocation in distribution systems

This paper presents a modification in the neighboring search of the artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm. The ABC algorithm is a new meta-heuristic population-based optimization technique inspired by the intelligent foraging behavior of honeybee swarms. To verify the validity of the proposed modified ABC algorithm, the problem of determining the optimal size, location and power factor for a distributed generation (DG) to minimize total system real power loss is considered. The IEEE 33-bus and 69-bus feeder systems are examined, and the results obtained by the proposed algorithm are compared with those found using other methods. The outcomes verify that the modified ABC algorithm has excellent solution quality and convergence characteristics. The efficiency of the proposed algorithm lies in the fact that the standard deviation of the attained results for 30 independent runs at every test case is virtually equal to zero.