A Computerized, Cluster Based Method of Building Representative Models of Distribution Systems

An automatic, computerized procedure is used to generate a representative model of a large distribution system. Although the distribution system may have hundreds of feeders, the representative model has only 12, reducing manpower and computer costs in studying major issues such as voltage regulation, equipment loading, and operating policy. This computerized procedure reduces the distribution system to a 12 feeder model using a clustering method that groups feeders into sets of feeders with similar characteristics.