Voltage profile estimation and control of a distribution feeder

Monitoring the voltage profile of a distribution feeder can improve the reliability and quality of the distribution power system. However, economic constraints limit widespread deployment of monitoring equipment. This paper presents a method to estimate the voltage profile of a radial distribution feeder with limited number of monitoring points. Using the voltage profile estimation, load forecasting information, and the bus impedance matrix, this paper also describes a technique to find an optimal capacitor bank switching sequence that minimizes the number of switching changes along the feeder for a 24 hour period.