Distributed ADMM Approach for the Power Distribution Network Reconfiguration

TL;DR

This paper presents a distributed ADMM-based algorithm for power distribution network reconfiguration that ensures radial topology and minimizes losses, effectively handling complex modern grid challenges.

Contribution

It introduces a novel distributed algorithm using ADMM for reconfiguration with radiality constraints, enabling scalable and efficient optimization in power grids.

Findings

Effective in 33-bus test system

Handles real-world network scenarios

Ensures radial topology while minimizing losses

Abstract

The electrical network reconfiguration problem aims to minimize losses in a distribution system by adjusting switches while ensuring radial topology. The growing use of renewable energy and the complexity of managing modern power grids make solving the reconfiguration problem crucial. Distributed algorithms help optimize grid configurations, ensuring efficient adaptation to changing conditions and better utilization of renewable energy sources. This paper introduces a distributed algorithm designed to tackle the problem of power distribution network reconfiguration with a radiality constraint. This algorithm relies on ADMM (Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers), where each agent progressively updates its estimation based on the information exchanged with neighboring agents. We show that every agent is required to solve a linearly constrained convex quadratic programming problem and a Minimum Weight Rooted Arborescence Problem (MWRAP) with local weights during each iteration. Through numerical experiments, we demonstrate the performance of the proposed algorithm in various scenarios, including its application to a 33-bus test system and a real-world network.