Accelerated Voltage Regulation in Multi-Phase Distribution Networks Based on Hierarchical Distributed Algorithm

Journal Article · 22 October 2019 · IEEE Transactions on Power Systems

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/TPWRS.2019.2948978 · OSTI ID:1572648

Zhou, Xinyang ^[1]; Liu, Zhiyuan ^[2]; Zhao, Changhong ^[3]; Chen, Lijun ^[4]

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1. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
2. Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States)
3. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); City Univ. of Hong Kong (Hong Kong)
4. California Inst. of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States); Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States)

Here, we introduce a hierarchical distributed algorithm to solve optimal power flow (OPF) problems that aim at dispatching controllable distributed energy resources (DERs) for voltage regulation at minimum cost. The proposed algorithm highlights unprecedented scalability to large multi-phase distribution networks by jointly exploring the tree/subtrees structure of a large radial distribution network and the structure of the linearized distribution power flow (LinDistFlow) model to derive a hierarchical, distributed implementation of the primal-dual gradient algorithm that solves OPF. The proposed implementation significantly reduces the computation loads compared to the centrally coordinated implementation of the same primal-dual algorithm without compromising optimality. Numerical findings on a 4,521-node test feeder show that the designed algorithm achieves more than 10-fold acceleration in the speed of convergence compared to the centrally coordinated primal-dual algorithm through reducing and distributing computational loads.

• Research Organization: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Univ. of Central Florida, Orlando, FL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office
• Grant/Contract Number: AC36-08GO28308; EE0007998
• OSTI ID: 1572648
• Alternate ID(s): OSTI ID: 1820920
• Report Number(s): NREL/JA-5D00-74253; MainId:24547; UUID:f9cbca2c-5998-e911-9c24-ac162d87dfe5; MainAdminID:13023
• Journal Information: IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, Vol. 35, Issue 3; ISSN 0885-8950
• Publisher: IEEECopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English