Learning Optimal Solutions for Extremely Fast AC Optimal Power Flow: Preprint

Conference · Mon Nov 16 04:00:00 EST 2020

OSTI ID:1721730

Zamzam, Ahmed S.; Baker, Kyri

We develop, in this paper, a machine learning approach to optimize the real-time operation of electric power grids. In particular, we learn feasible solutions to the AC optimal power flow (OPF) problem with negligible optimality gaps. The AC OPF problem aims at identifying optimal operational conditions of the power grids that minimize power losses and/or generation costs. Due to the computational challenges with solving this nonconvex problem, many efforts have focused on linearizing or approximating the problem in order to solve the AC OPF on faster timescales. However, many of these approximations can be fairly poor representations of the actual system state and still require solving an optimization problem, which can be time consuming for large networks. In this work, we learn a mapping between the system loading and optimal generation values, enabling us to find near-optimal and feasible AC OPF solutions. This allows us to bypass solving the traditionally nonconvex AC OPF problem, resulting in a significant decrease in computational burden for grid operators.

• Research Organization: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program
• DOE Contract Number: AC36-08GO28308
• OSTI ID: 1721730
• Report Number(s): NREL/CP-5D00-77736; MainId:30651; UUID:3ea44210-46b4-4c44-9811-ccb9663b388e; MainAdminID:18478
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION
machine learning
neural networks
optimal power flow