Advanced Resilience Planning for Distribution Systems

TL;DR

This paper introduces a comprehensive planning framework that enhances distribution system resilience against climate-induced extreme weather events by optimizing investments and operational strategies using a stochastic mixed-integer approach.

Contribution

It presents a novel hybrid stochastic-deterministic model and a two-stage optimization method for resilient distribution system planning under climate-related uncertainties.

Findings

Achieved 10% cost reduction in IEEE 15-bus case study.

Improved system robustness in Riyadh distribution grid.

Demonstrated effectiveness of resilience strategies against climatic hazards.

Abstract

Climate change has led to an increase in the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, posing significant challenges for power distribution systems. In response, this work presents a planning approach in order to enhance the resilience of distribution systems against climatic hazards. The framework systematically addresses uncertainties during extreme events, including weather variability and line damage. Key strategies include line hardening, backup diesel generators, and sectionalizers to strengthen resilience. We model spatio-temporal dynamics and costs through a hybrid model integrating stochastic processes with deterministic elements. A two-stage stochastic mixed-integer linear approach is developed to optimize resilience investments against load loss, generator operations, and repairs. Case studies on the IEEE 15-bus benchmark system and a realistic distribution grid model in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia demonstrate enhanced system robustness as well as cost efficiency of 10% and 15%, respectively.