Multi-level ant colony algorithm for optimal placement of capacitors in distribution systems

An ant colony algorithm is proposed to determine the optimal locations and ratings of capacitors in a distribution network for reactive power compensation. The approach is multilevel. Two separate tables of pheromones are maintained by the algorithm. Ants generate solution stochastically, based on these pheromone tables. The pheromone tables are updated periodically, so that pheromones accrue more along better solutions. Results obtained by the proposed algorithm have been compared with earlier schemes. We conclude that the proposed approach is an effective approach for optimally placing capacitors in a distribution system.