Surge Arrester Optimal Placement in Distribution Networks: A Decision Theory-Based Approach

The study introduces a novel method for optimizing surge arrester placement in the distribution line to mitigate lightning-induced overvoltages, employing a single-objective optimization algorithm. The study assesses the effectiveness of two types of surge arresters concerning discharge energy in reducing lightning overvoltage. Moreover, the comparative analysis takes into account the transfer of overvoltage performance from protected to unprotected towers, highlighting its significance in estimating flashover rates under different protection alternatives. Decision theory analysis is employed in the present study to identify optimal arrester locations. The study aims to minimize the expected flashover rate and identify the most effective protection strategy by considering futures/scenarios associated with different values of peak current and lightning locations. The results of numerical applications also showed the substantial impact of lightning surge transfer within the network, emphasizing the imperative to incorporate this phenomenon into lightning protection modelling.