Modernizing Distribution System Restoration to Achieve Grid Resiliency Against Extreme Weather Events: An Integrated Solution

Journal Article · Fri Jul 07 04:00:00 EDT 2017 · Proceedings of the IEEE

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/JPROC.2017.2684780· OSTI ID:1389641

Chen, Chen; Wang, Jianhui; Ton, Dan

Recent severe power outages caused by extreme weather hazards have highlighted the importance and urgency of improving the resilience of the electric power grid. As the distribution grids still remain vulnerable to natural disasters, the power industry has focused on methods of restoring distribution systems after disasters in an effective and quick manner. The current distribution system restoration practice for utilities is mainly based on predetermined priorities and tends to be inefficient and suboptimal, and the lack of situational awareness after the hazard significantly delays the restoration process. As a result, customers may experience an extended blackout, which causes large economic loss. On the other hand, the emerging advanced devices and technologies enabled through grid modernization efforts have the potential to improve the distribution system restoration strategy. However, utilizing these resources to aid the utilities in better distribution system restoration decision-making in response to extreme weather events is a challenging task. Therefore, this paper proposes an integrated solution: a distribution system restoration decision support tool designed by leveraging resources developed for grid modernization. We first review the current distribution restoration practice and discuss why it is inadequate in response to extreme weather events. Then we describe how the grid modernization efforts could benefit distribution system restoration, and we propose an integrated solution in the form of a decision support tool to achieve the goal. The advantages of the solution include improving situational awareness of the system damage status and facilitating survivability for customers. The paper provides a comprehensive review of how the existing methodologies in the literature could be leveraged to achieve the key advantages. The benefits of the developed system restoration decision support tool include the optimal and efficient allocation of repair crews and resources, the expediting of the restoration process, and the reduction of outage durations for customers, in response to severe blackouts due to extreme weather hazards.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-06CH11357
• OSTI ID: 1389641
• Journal Information: Proceedings of the IEEE, Journal Name: Proceedings of the IEEE Journal Issue: 7 Vol. 105; ISSN 0018-9219
• Publisher: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

Automated feeder switch
distributed generator
distribution system restoration
extreme weather event
grid modernization
microgrid
resiliency
situational awareness
survivability