Three-phase load flow methods for radial distribution networks

A distribution system has certain distinguishing features which make it different and somewhat difficult to analyze as compared to a transmission system. Unbalanced loads, untransposed lines, single-phase and two-phase laterals are some of them. The distribution system needs to be analyzed on the three-phase basis instead of the single-phase basis. Hence, the three-phase load flow for the distribution system is significantly different from the conventional load flow for the transmission system. In this paper, various load flow methods for distribution systems are reviewed. These methods are applied on a sample 8-bus system. The results are reported. The performance of these methods is compared for various parameters.