Mixed Integer Programming-based reconfiguration of a distribution system with battery storage

In this paper, a general approach based on Mixed Integer Programming (MIP) is proposed to formulate the reconfiguration problem for a radial/weakly meshed distribution network or restoration following a fault. Effect of Community Energy Storage systems (CES) on reconfiguration is also investigated. Two objectives considered in this study are to minimize the active power loss, and to minimize the number of switching operations with respect to operational constraints, such as power balance, line flow limits, CES units´ constraints, and radiality of the network. The latter is the most challenging issue in solving the problem by MIP. Performance of Mixed-Intereger Linear Programming (MILP) and Mixed- Integer Quadratic Programming (MIQP) are investigated and compared. A novel approach based on Depth-First Search (DFS) algorithm is implemented to avoid cycles and loops in the system. Using the proposed strategy, it is easy to formulate the reconfiguration problem with various objectives for any given distribution system. Recent improvements in MIP algorithms and processor speed have dramatically improved computational time, allowing the approach to be practical for online application. Numerical simulations of the proposed method on single-source 33-bus system model demonstrates the feasibility of the proposed algorithm.