Consensus-based distributed optimal power flow algorithm

Abstract

Optimal power flow (OPF) is a well known challenging optimization problem for power systems engineering. There have been a myriad of works dedicated to solving OPF problems in a centralized way, i.e. using a centralized solver, which necessitates for a central control center to receive and transmit a large amount of data. Recently, few attempts have been done to solve OPF problems in a distributed way, which means that the computations are distributed over the whole network, reducing the need for communications (with a central control center) and increasing the robustness of the control to loss of communications and to unexpected faults in the network nodes. Furthermore, a decentralized solution to the OPF problem has the advantage to be flexible to the network topology and size, since the computations are distributed over the network. In this paper we propose some preliminary results on a distributed OPF algorithm, to solve the original OPF problem, i.e. without any convexification steps. We propose a consensus-based distributed OPF algorithm, which uses consensus algorithm to estimate the optimization variables between neighboring nodes in a given network. We test the performance of this algorithm on the IEEE 14-node test-case. IEEE PES Innovative Smart Grid Technologies Conference (ISGT)This work may not be copied or reproduced in whole or in part for any commercial purpose. Permission to copy in whole or in part without payment of fee is granted for nonprofit educational and research purposes provided that all such whole or partial copies include the following: a notice that such copying is by permission of Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.; an acknowledgment of the authors and individual contributions to the work; and all applicable portions of the copyright notice. Copying, reproduction, or republishing for any other purpose shall require a license with payment of fee to Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc. All rights reserved. Abstract-Optimal power flow (OPF) is a well known challenging optimization problem for power systems engineering. There have been a myriad of works dedicated to solving OPF problems in a centralized way, i.e. using a centralized solver, which necessitates for a central control center to receive and transmit a large amount of data. Recently, few attempts have been done to solve OPF problems in a distributed way, which means that the computations are distributed over the whole network, reducing the need for communications (with a central control center) and increasing the robustness of the control to loss of communications and to unexpected faults in the network nodes. Furthermore, a decentralized solution to the OPF problem has the advantage to be flexible to the network topology and size, since the computations are distributed over the network. In this paper we propose some preliminary results on a distributed OPF algorithm, to solve the original OPF problem, i.e. without any convexification steps. We propose a consensus-based distributed OPF algorit...

A novel distributed particle swarm optimization algorithm for the optimal power flow problem

“…where we place respectively (6) right after the first equation in (3), and (7) after the second equation in 3, and…”

“…Distributed generation, free electricity market as well as the increasing penetration of renewable energy sources in the grid require the OPF solutions to adapt to a definitely complexified electric network. In particular, the requirements for scalability and efficiency make centralized solutions no longer tractable and justify the research for distributed ones [3].…”

“…Moreover, typically, the optimization problem is formulated in a distributed way via the introduction of an additional constraint called consistency or consensus constraint, which is responsible for the consistency, or agreement, of the variables which are shared among the agents of the network (e.g. [5], [6], [3]). Considerable attention has been devoted to exact convex relaxation methods (e.g.…”

“…Thus, neither optimality of the solution nor feasibility of the original problem are guaranteed. In [3] a consensus based distributed OPF is proposed by employing available convex optimization tools. In addition the consensus constraint is taken into account via the method of the penalty function.…”

Asynchronous consensus for optimal power flow control in smart grid with zero power mismatch

“…In [35] a simplified version of the OPF problem based on linearization of constraints and convexity assumptions is solved without central coordination. In [36] a consensus-based approach is taken to the OPF problem by commissioning each agent to perform a full optimization across both its own state variables and its neighbours also. While these approaches solve, or approximately solve, the central OPF problem, they are unable to deal with inseparable components of system state such as network power mismatch.…”