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Addressing non-convexity plays a fundamental role in solving the optimal electricity-gas flow models. In this paper, an improved spatial branch-and-bound algorithm is proposed to solve the non-convex problem, which is formulated as a mixed-integer bilinear programming, for its exact solution. The core of the algorithm is to divide the non-convex model into convex and small sub-models by branching on specific continuous variables, so that the non-convex problem can be equivalent to a rooted tree for exploration. The exactness of the algorithm is guaranteed by the same criterion as the classical branch-and-bound algorithm. To alleviate the computational burden, a novel two-stage spatial branching strategy is developed to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the branching operations. The performance of the proposed algorithm is verified on two integrated electricity-gas systems with different sizes. Numerical results demonstrate that our method achieves a balance among feasibility, optimality, and efficiency. The comparison with another 6 convexification-based methods, 3 state-of-the-art non-convex optimization solvers, and 2 spatial branch-and-bound algorithms with classical branching rules further shows the superiority of our algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distributed optimization algorithms for security-constrained economic dispatch (SCED) problems have been the subject of significant research interest in recent years. However, existing distributed SCED algorithms can be ineffective in the presence of malicious participants and inefficient in the absence of a coordinator. On the other hand, blockchain, an emerging technique known as the trust machine, has not shown its potential to address the above challenges in state-of-the-art literature. This paper proposes a blockchain-based distributed SCED algorithm. Using blockchain to form a coordination committee and enable balance among committee members, the proposed method allows the use of hierarchical SCED algorithms in the absence of a coordinator and can disable malicious participants. Numerical results show the robustness and necessity of the proposed blockchain-based SCED algorithm, by comparing the SCED results with and without blockchain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of the variable renewable energies makes the operation conditions of the power system ever-changeable. Consequently, the power system operational reliability evaluation is increasingly important. This paper introduces the concept of decision-dependent uncertainty (DDU) in the operational reliability evaluation. Unlike the exogenous uncertainties, DDU reveals that the decisions of the system operation could significantly affect the resolution of the uncertainties which influence the reliability metrics. In this paper, the proposed DDU modeling method links the device reliability indices, i.e., the forced outage rate, and the operational-decision variables. The impacts of DDU on operational reliability are analyzed based on a reliability-constrained stochastic unit commitment (UC) model. An adaptive reliability improvement UC (ARIUC) algorithm is proposed to efficiently solve the problem. Case studies underline the necessity of considering DDU in power system operational reliability evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new decentralized data-driven load restoration (DDLR) scheme for transmission and distribution (TD) systems with high penetration of wind power. Robust DDLR models are constructed in order to handle uncertainties and ensure the feasibility of decentralized schemes. The Wasserstein metric is used to describe the ambiguity sets of probability distributions in order to build the complete DDLR model and realize computationally tractable formulation. A data-driven model-nested analytical target cascading (DATC) algorithm is developed to obtain the final load restoration result by iteratively solving small-scale mathematical models. The proposed DDLR scheme provides load restoration results with adjustable robustness, and performance efficiency is independent from the amount of data. The DDLR scheme makes full use of the available data while respecting information privacy requirements of independent operated systems, and ensures the feasibility of a decentralized load restoration strategy even in the worst-case condition. The effectiveness of the proposed method is validated using a small-scale TD system and a large-scale system with the IEEE 118-bus TS and thirty IEEE-33 DSs, showing high computational efficiency and superior restoration performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the proliferation of distributed generators and energy storage systems, traditional passive consumers in power systems have been gradually evolving into the so-called “prosumers,” i.e., proactive consumers, which can both produce and consume power. To encourage energy exchange among prosumers, energy sharing is increasingly adopted, which is usually formulated as a generalized Nash game (GNG). In this paper, a distributed approach is proposed to seek the Generalized Nash equilibrium (GNE) of the energy sharing game. To this end, we first prove the strong monotonicity of the game. Then, the GNG is converted into an equivalent optimization problem. An algorithm based on Nesterov's methods is thereby devised to solve the equivalent problem and consequently find the GNE in a distributed manner. The convergence of the proposed algorithm is proved rigorously based on the nonexpansive operator theory. The performance of the algorithm is validated by experiments with three prosumers, and the scalability is tested by simulations using 1888 prosumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temporal decomposition is a potential approach to relieve the computation cost of power system multi-interval scheduling problems, such as economic dispatch. In this form of decomposition, the considered scheduling horizon is partitioned into several subhorizons. A subproblem is formulated for each subhorizon, and a distributed optimization algorithm strategy is used to coordinate subproblems. The main existing challenge is decomposing the scheduling horizon to gain the most time saving from distributed computing. This paper serves as an extension to our previous work and presents a machine learning-aided temporal decomposition strategy to partition a scheduling horizon optimally. We have found that the load profile, known before solving economic dispatch, significantly affects the best number of subhorizons. We have used load profiles as inputs to a learner whose goal is to assign a temporal decomposition class to each load profile. Possible decomposition classes are divisors of the considered scheduling horizon. Thus, the proposed learning procedure is a multiclass classification. We have selected Extreme Gradient Boosting that is a tree-based classification learner. Simulation results using real-world load profiles show the promising performance of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phase balancing of American-type three-phase distribution circuits is one of the classical problems faced by distribution system operators and planners. In this paper, a mixed-integer non-linear programming problem is formulated to minimize the number of phase connection changes in existing circuits to reach the desired phase balancing. The proposed algorithm uses geographical information system models of distribution circuits to build a reduced model and realistic load profiles offered by smart meters, or measurements at the distribution transformers to characterize the demand. The formulation is validated in highly unbalanced distribution circuits with thousands of single-phase customers. The results show that it is possible to rebalance large-scale circuits by moving a few single-phase laterals and loads. In addition, the application of the proposed method, based on loading conditions at different hours of the day, pointed out the same places to make the changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determining contingency aware dispatch decisions by solving a security-constrained optimal power flow (SCOPF) is challenging for real-world power systems, as the high problem dimensionality often leads to impractical computational requirements. This problem becomes more severe when the SCOPF has to be solved not only for a single instance, but for multiple periods, e.g. in the context of electricity market analyses. This paper proposes an algorithm that identifies the minimal set of constraints that exactly define the space of feasible nodal injections for a given network and contingency scenarios. By internalizing the technical limits of the nodal injections and enforcing a minimal worst-case impact of contingencies to line flows, computational effort can be further improved. The case study applies and analyzes the methods on the IEEE 118 and A&M 2000 bus systems, as well as the German and European transmission systems. In all tested cases the proposed algorithm identifies at least 95% of the network and security constraints as redundant, leading to significant SCOPF solve time reductions. Scalability and practical implementation are explicitly discussed. The code and input data of the case study is published supplementary to the paper under an open-source license. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nonlinear programming (NLP) problem to solve distribution-level optimal power flow (D-OPF) poses convergence issues and does not scale well for unbalanced distribution systems. The existing scalable D-OPF algorithms either use approximations that are not valid for an unbalanced power distribution system, or apply relaxation techniques to the nonlinear power flow equations that do not guarantee a feasible power flow solution. In this paper, we propose scalable D-OPF algorithms that simultaneously achieve optimal and feasible solutions by solving multiple iterations of approximate, or relaxed, D-OPF subproblems of low complexity. The first algorithm is based on a successive linear approximation of the nonlinear power flow equations around the current operating point, where the D-OPF solution is obtained by solving multiple iterations of a linear programming (LP) problem. The second algorithm is based on the relaxation of the nonlinear power flow equations as conic constraints together with directional constraints, which achieves optimal and feasible solutions over multiple iterations of a second-order cone programming (SOCP) problem. It is demonstrated that the proposed algorithms are able to reach an optimal and feasible solution while significantly reducing the computation time as compared to an equivalent NLP D-OPF model for the same distribution system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern mixed-integer quadratic solvers generally handle binary variables more efficiently than nonlinear mixed-integer solvers. This is relevant to the power system operation models as the unit commitment formulations typically contain a large number of binary variables. This paper investigates how to achieve the accuracy level close to the one of the exact nonlinear models, but by utilising convex models and solvers. The presented unit commitment model is based on a Taylor-series expansion where both the voltage magnitude and angle are quadratically constrained. To achieve high accuracy, the model takes advantage of the meshed transmission network structure that enables replacement of the quadratic inequality constraints that cause constraint relaxation errors with the linear equality constraints. Quadratic constraints to be replaced as well as the operating point parameters are determined based on the presolve. The first presented case study validates the model's accuracy and the convergence of the iterative algorithm, while the second is a non-iterative full unit commitment problem. Unit commitment results show superior accuracy and similar computation times to the existing quadratic formulations on one hand and faster computation times than the exact nonlinear polar formulation on the other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dramatic increase of cyber-attacks onenergy systems can cause huge losses, which has drawn extensive attention due to the fast integration of information communication technologies (ICTs). This issue is becoming worse with the integration of electricity and gas systems (IEGS), facilitated by gas generation and new coupling technologies. This paper investigates the risk and mitigation strategies for IEGS under false data injection attacks (FDIA) in a hierarchical two-stage framework. The FDIA on both electricity and gas systems are modelled through injecting falsified data by adversaries. To mitigate the adverse impacts, a novel two-stage distributionally robust optimization (DRO) is proposed: i) day-ahead operationto determine initial operationscheme and ii) real-time corrective operation with the realization of FDIA and renewable generation uncertainties. A semidefinite programming is formulated for the original problemand it is then solved by a convex optimization-based algorithm. A typical IEGS is used fordemonstration, which shows that the proposed model is effective in mitigating the risks caused by potential FDIAand renewable uncertainties, by optimal coordinating energy infrastructures and load shedding.This work provides system operators with a powerful toolto operate the IEGS with enhanced security against malicious cyber-attacks while accommodating increasing renewable energy. The method can also be easily extended to operatingIEGS against other natural attacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution network restoration problem is by nature a mixed integer and non-linear optimization problem due to the switching decisions and Optimal Power Flow (OPF) constraints, respectively. The link between these two parts involves logical implications modelled through big-M coefficients. The presence of these coefficients makes the relaxation of the mixed-integer problem using branch-and-bound method very poor in terms of computation burden. Moreover, this link inhibits the use of classical Benders algorithm in decomposing the problem because the resulting cuts will still depend on the big-M coefficients. In this paper, a novel decomposition approach is proposed for the restoration problem named Modified Combinatorial Benders (MCB). In this regard, the reconfiguration problem and the OPF problem are decomposed into master and sub problems, which are solved through successive iterations. In the case of a large outage area, the numerical results show that the MCB provides, within a short time (after a few iterations), a restoration solution with a quality that is close to the proven optimality when it can be exhibited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Topology design is a critical task for the reliability, economic operation, and resilience of distribution systems. This paper proposes a distributionally robust optimization (DRO) model for designing the topology of a new distribution system facing random contingencies (e.g., imposed by natural disasters). The proposed DRO model optimally configures the network topology and integrates distributed generation to effectively meet the loads. Moreover, we take into account the uncertainty of contingency. Using the moment information of distribution line failures, we construct an ambiguity set of the contingency probability distribution, and minimize the expected amount of load shedding with regard to the worst-case distribution within the ambiguity set. As compared with a classical robust optimization model, the DRO model explicitly considers the contingency uncertainty and so provides a less conservative configuration, yielding a better out-of-sample performance. We recast the proposed model to facilitate the column-and-constraint generation algorithm. We demonstrate the out-of-sample performance of the proposed approach in numerical case studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a decentralized solution algorithm for network-constrained unit commitment (NCUC) in multiregional power systems. The proposed algorithm is based on our previous work in which a local NCUC was formulated for each control entity (i.e., region) and an analytical target cascading (ATC) based distributed but partially parallelized algorithm requiring a central coordinator was presented. The primary objective of this paper is to present a decentralized approach that relaxes the need for any form of central coordinator in ATC and allows fully parallelized solutions of the local NCUCs. To achieve this objective, we formulate a bilevel optimization problem for each control entity. While the upper level solves the NCUC problem of the control entity, the lower level seeks to coordinate the control entity with its neighboring regions. The lower level is a convex optimization, which can be further replaced in the upper level problem by the Karush–Kuhn–Tucker conditions. The control entities communicate directly with each other and synchronously solve their local NCUCs. Having no need for any form of central coordinator, the proposed algorithm is potentially less vulnerable to cyber-attacks and communication failures than the distributed methods utilizing a coordinator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the restructured power industry, bulk energy storage may play a crucial role to provide the flexibility required by system operators to cater for the unprecedented levels of uncertainty. Within the context of co-optimized electricity markets for energy and reserves under wind uncertainty, this paper addresses the incorporation of bulk energy storage units in day-ahead network-constrained energy and reserve scheduling. A novel two-stage robust optimization approach is presented whereby the nonconvex and time-coupled operation of storage devices is precisely modeled while accounting for the anticipativity of the two-stage setting. The resulting robust counterpart is cast as a mixed-integer trilevel program with lower-level binary variables. In order to address the nonconvexity of the recourse problem, this paper proposes the application of an exact nested column-and-constraint generation algorithm. Numerical results illustrate the effective performance of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Confronted with considerable intermittence and variability of wind power, prediction intervals (PIs) serve as a crucial tool to assist power system decision-making under uncertainties. Conventional PIs rely on predetermining the lower and upper quantile proportions and therefore suffer from conservative interval width. This paper innovatively develops a chance constrained extreme learning machine (CCELM) model to generate quality nonparametric proportion-free PIs of wind power generation, which minimizes the expected interval width subject to the PI coverage probability constraint. Due to the independency on the preset PI bounds proportions, the proposed CCELM model merits high adaptivity and taps the latent potentialities for PI shortening. The convexity of extreme learning machine renders the sample average approximation counterpart of stochastic CCELM model equivalent to a parameter searching task in parametric optimization problem with polyhedral feasible region. A novel difference of convex functions optimization based bisection search (DCBS) algorithm is proposed to efficiently construct the CCELM model, which successfully realizes machine learning by means of solving linear programming problems sequentially. Comprehensive numerical experiments based on actual wind farm data demonstrate the significant effectiveness and efficiency of the developed CCELM model and DCBS algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimal power flow (OPF) is a fundamental problem in power system operating and planning. The need for distributed solutions is rapidly growing in distribution systems with radial networks, discrete equipments and many distributed generation units. Typically the model is difficult to solve due to the highly non-convexity and even non-continuity of the arising OPF problem. In this paper, we address these challenges by developing a penalty dual decomposition (PDD) based algorithm to obtain distributed solutions. The proposed PDD based algorithm mainly consists of two loops: in the outer loop we update the dual variables and the penalty parameter according to the constraint violation, while in the inner loop we divide the primal variables into several blocks and employ the block successive upper-bound minimization (BSUM) method to iteratively optimize each block variables with fixed penalty parameter and dual variables. Each subproblem in the proposed PDD based algorithm can be solved either in closed-form or by the bisection method and every limit point generated by the proposed algorithm is guaranteed to be a stationary point of the OPF problem. Simulation results, and comparison with centralized PDD and concave-convex procedure (CCCP) based algorithms are presented to validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extreme weather events pose a serious threat to energy distribution systems. We propose a distributionally robust optimization model for the resilient operation of the integrated electricity and heat energy distribution systems in extreme weather events. We develop a strengthened ambiguity set that incorporates both moment and Wasserstein metric information of uncertain contingencies, which provides a more accurate characterization of the true probability distribution. We first recast the proposed model into an equivalent framework which is similar to a conventional two-stage robust model and then utilize a modified column-and-constraint generation algorithm to solve the recast model. Numerical results from three test systems validate the enhanced resilience of the distributionally robust approach, the reduced conservatism of the strengthened ambiguity set, and the computational efficiency of the proposed solution algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The feeder reconfiguration problem chooses the on/off status of the switches in a distribution network in order to minimize a certain cost such as power loss. It is a mixed-integer nonlinear program and, hence, hard to solve. In this paper, we propose a heuristic algorithm that is based on the recently developed convex relaxation of the ac optimal power flow problem. The algorithm is computationally efficient and scales linearly with the number of redundant lines. It requires neither parameter tuning nor initialization for different networks. It successfully computes an optimal configuration on all four networks we have tested. Moreover, we have proved that the algorithm solves the feeder reconfiguration problem optimally under certain conditions for the case where only a single redundant line needs to be opened. We also propose a more computationally efficient algorithm and show that it incurs a loss in optimality of less than 3% on the four test networks. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Residual demand curves (RDCs) can be used to represent the strategic interaction of participants in electricity markets. RDCs relate the energy that an agent can buy or sell in one hour with the clearing market price that would be obtained in such hour, assuming the market is organized as simple bid independent auctions. Despite the fact that they have been widely used in the literature, the existence of time and/or spatial constraints in the market clearing algorithm makes the RDCs not directly applicable. This paper tries to overcome these difficulties by extending the concept of RDCs to zonal pricing markets where complex offering conditions and transmission constraints are taken into account. Therefore, the RDCs are redefined in order to capture such effects, which are usually neglected or oversimplified. A new method for computing the redefined RDCs is established and its application to the Iberian electricity market is presented. The results show that modeling complex conditions and transmission constraints in RDCs can have a significant effect when compared to the standard approach found in the literature. Therefore, the method presented in this paper modeling the effect of firm's decisions on market prices in a more accurate way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distributed generators are integrated into microgrids or geographically distributed subsystems in active distribution networks and may belong to various entities. Centralized solutions cannot meet future requirements such as high resilience and privacy protection. Therefore, fully distributed economic dispatch (ED) methods are needed and most existing algorithms exhibit linear or sublinear convergence. This paper introduces an efficient fully distributed dynamic ED solution for minimizing photovoltaic power curtailment, based on a parallel primal-dual interior-point algorithm with a quasi-Newton technique. In this method, each area optimizes its own problem with limited information exchanged with its neighbors, and no central coordinator is needed. Based on a peer-to-peer communication paradigm, this method can achieve a global optimum while the privacy of each area is obliquely protected. Numerical tests demonstrated that the algorithm outperforms gradient-based methods such as ADMM and maintains stability under a partial communication failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generating units, participating in the secondary frequency control of a control area, are usually spinning units already connected to the network and operating outside their range of optimal performance. This paper deals with an alternative method of providing secondary frequency control called Rapid-Start (RS). It consists in assigning a regulation band to several off-line units (RS units) which are capable of being started and connected rapidly, therefore allowing the online units to operate closer to their nominal power. As RS operation may have economic benefits, an appropriate algorithm to start up an RS unit needs to be developed. This paper proposes a methodology to evaluate, compare, and choose the most appropriate RS algorithm among the ones developed for a certain AGC control area. An optimization model provides a reference by determining the hypothetically ideal start-ups and shut-downs of RS units. In addition, the definition of performance indexes to evaluate, compare, and choose the different RS algorithms is proposed. The proposed methodology is illustrated for a secondary frequency control zone within the Spanish power system by using real data signals. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The solution to an optimal power flow (OPF) problem provides a minimum cost operating point for an electric power system. The performance of OPF solution techniques strongly depends on the problem's feasible space. This paper presents an algorithm that is guaranteed to compute the entire feasible spaces of small OPF problems to within a specified discretization tolerance. Specifically, the feasible space is computed by discretizing certain of the OPF problem's inequality constraints to obtain a set of power flow equations. All solutions to the power flow equations at each discretization point are obtained using the Numerical Polynomial Homotopy Continuation algorithm. To improve computational tractability, “bound tightening” and “grid pruning” algorithms use convex relaxations to preclude consideration of many discretization points that are infeasible for the OPF problem. The proposed algorithm is used to generate the feasible spaces of two small test cases. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper seeks to improve the computational time needed to solve transmission switching problems. Transmission switching provides an effective way to reduce operating costs in power system operations by altering the topology of the transmission network. However, determining the optimal set of lines to switch creates an enormous computational burden. Transmission switching formulations add binary decision variables for many transmission lines in the system to indicate if they are switched. This creates a very weak formulation that is difficult to solve. Altering the transmission topology by switching lines can affect the reliability of the network, for instance, by creating islands. Additional reliability constraints need to be added to the problem formulation. These constraints can potentially make an already difficult problem even harder. This paper takes a different approach to the transmission switching problem. Rather than preventing islanding by using constraints in the problem formulation, we look at how they can be used to improve the solution process. Specifically, we develop a cutting plane algorithm to generate valid inequalities and fix variables based on the fact that optimal solutions to the transmission switching problem that do not contain islands exist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to propose a distributed electric vehicle (EV) coordination mechanism, which enables the management of the charging/discharging operation of an EV fleet, offering V2G regulation services to support system operation based on a day-ahead scheduling profile generated by an EV aggregator. Initially, a decentralized iterative algorithm is introduced to manage EV charging/discharging schedule aiming to meet the daily mobility energy requirement of an EV fleet with respect to the day-ahead schedule of the EV aggregator. Then, a droop-based control and a novel distributed regulation dispatch algorithm are developed aiming to meet the regulation dispatch signals send to the EV aggregator by the system. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, we propose a method to optimally set the reactive power contributions of distributed energy resources (DERs) present in distribution systems with the goal of regulating bus voltages. For the case when the network is balanced, we use the branch power flow modeling approach for radial power systems to formulate an optimal power flow (OPF) problem. Then, we leverage properties of the system operating conditions to relax certain nonlinear terms of this OPF, which results in a convex quadratic program (QP). To efficiently solve this QP, we propose a distributed algorithm based on the Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers (ADMM). Furthermore, we include the unbalanced three-phase formulation to extend the ideas introduced for the balanced network case. We present several case studies to demonstrate the method in unbalanced three-phase distribution systems. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

To meet the diverse operational requirements of microgrids with multi-uncertainties, a tri-level two-stage mixed-integer robust optimization model is proposed to solve the optimal scheduling problem with source-load power and unit N-1 uncertainties. In the first stage, the optimal goal is to obtain robust scheduling plans that can be applied effectively in satisfying the operation and adjustment constraints, as well as to find the minimal operating cost in the basic scenario. Considering the system may concern a specific operating factor (e.g., load satisfaction rate) under a N-1 contingency, the second stage of the model minimizes the total energy of load shedding and renewable energy abandonment in the worst scenario. As the proposed robust model is a multi-level coupled mixed-integer optimization problem, which is difficult to address by either the duality method or the Karush–Kuhn–Tucker (KKT) method, a novel nested reformulation-and-decomposition (R&D) algorithm is proposed to handle this complex problem. Numerical simulations and tests have verified the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed robust model and the solution algorithm. Furthermore, the robust optimal schemes satisfy the engineering application more reasonably. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work reported in this paper aims at developing a practical and efficient tool for utility transmission planners to protect critical transmission assets from potential physical attacks. A trilevel min–max–min optimization model is proposed to represent actions of a planner, an attacker, and an operator. These three agents share a common objective function, which is the system load shedding. The strong duality theorem is used to merge the middle- and lower-level problems into a single-level one. The resulting mixed-integer bilevel model is solved by a Benders decomposition technique using primal cuts. Two case studies are presented as applications of this novel technique. Additionally, the proposed technique is compared with an implicit enumeration algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to optimize hydro power plants generator scheduling according to 24-h system demand, a parallel self-adaptive differential evolution algorithm has been applied. The proposed algorithm presents a novel approach to considering the multi-population and utilization of the preselection step for the improvements of the algorithm's global search capabilities. A preselection step with the best, middle, and worst populations' individuals establishes the new trial vectors. This algorithm has been verified on two different models. The first one consists of eight power plants with real parameters, and the second one consists of four power plants, mostly used as a test model in scientific papers. The main goal of the optimization process is to satisfy system demand for 24 h with a decreased usage of water quantity per electrical energy unit. The initial and final states of the reservoirs must also be satisfied. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a generic strategy for short-term load forecasting (STLF) based on the support vector regression machines (SVR). Two important improvements to the SVR based load forecasting method are introduced, i.e., procedure for generation of model inputs and subsequent model input selection using feature selection algorithms. One of the objectives of the proposed strategy is to reduce the operator interaction in the model-building procedure. The proposed use of feature selection algorithms for automatic model input selection and the use of the particle swarm global optimization based technique for the optimization of SVR hyper-parameters reduces the operator interaction. To confirm the effectiveness of the proposed modeling strategy, the model has been trained and tested on two publicly available and well-known load forecasting data sets and compared to the state-of-the-art STLF algorithms yielding improved accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper proposes a new distance-based distributionally robust unit commitment (DB-DRUC) model via Kullback–Leibler (KL) divergence, considering volatile wind power generation. The objective function of the DB-DRUC model is to minimize the expected cost under the worst case wind distributions restricted in an ambiguity set. The ambiguity set is a family of distributions within a fixed distance from a nominal distribution. The distance between two distributions is measured by KL divergence. The DB-DRUC model is a “min-max-min” programming model; thus, it is intractable to solve. Applying reformulation methods and stochastic programming technologies, we reformulate this “min-max-min” DB-DRUC model into a one-level model, referred to as the reformulated DB-DRUC (RDB-DRUC) model. Using the generalized Benders decomposition, we then propose a two-level decomposition method and an iterative algorithm to address the RDB-DRUC model. The iterative algorithm for the RDB-DRUC model guarantees global convergence within finite iterations. Case studies are carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness, global optimality, and finite convergence of a proposed solution strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increasing amount of distributed energy resources is being integrated into both distribution systems (DSs) and networked microgrids (MGs). The coordination among DSs and MGs becomes essential for DS operators and MG operators considering the high uncertainties of renewable energies and load demands. In this paper, we propose a decentralized energy management framework to coordinate the power exchange between DS and MGs based on the alternating direction method of multipliers algorithm in a fully decentralized fashion. The energy management model in each entity (DSs or MGs) is formulated using two-stage robust optimization to address the uncertainties of renewables and load demands. The problem is treated as a second order cone programming one based on a relaxed distflow model. Moreover, the robust model is solved by column and constraint generation algorithm, where cutting planes are introduced to ensure the exactness of second-order cone relaxation. Numerical results on a modified IEEE 33-bus system with three MGs validate the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As net-load becomes less predictable there is a lot of pressure in changing decision models for power markets such that they account explicitly for future scenarios in making commitment decisions. This paper proposes to make commitment decisions with multiple gate closures. Our proposed model also leverages a state-space formulation for the commitment variables, through which the operational constraints of generation units participating in the market are respected. We also study the problem of constructing scenario tree approximations for stochastic processes and evaluate our algorithms on scenario tree libraries derived from real net-load data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new formulation for the corrective security-constrained optimal power flow (SCOPF) problem with DC power flow constraints. The goal is to produce a generation schedule which has a minimal number of post-contingency corrections as well as a minimal amount of total MW rescheduled. In other words, the new SCOPF model effectively clears contingencies with corrective actions that have a minimal impact on system operations. The proposed SCOPF model utilizes sparse optimization techniques to achieve computational tractability for large-scale power systems. We also propose two efficient decomposition algorithms. Extensive computational experiments show the advantage of the proposed model and algorithms on several standard IEEE test systems and large-scale real-world power systems. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The paper proposes a scalable and tractable algorithm for dynamic topology optimization of power systems involving changes in branch on/off status, while respecting small-signal stability (SSS) constraints. A procedure for fast updates of the system matrices (in descriptor form) and without additional full matrix inversions is proposed. To additionally reduce the computation time, only critical eigenvalues (right-most or those in a specified damping ratio and frequency range) are calculated. A quadratic optimization approach is proposed for optimized generation re-dispatch to satisfy SSS constraints. The approach is applied to two (medium- and large-scale) real-world test power systems. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Increasing penetration of variable loads and renewable generation will cause the conventional operation strategy of the distribution system to become less certain and effective. This paper presents a method of determining the minimum loss network configuration of a distribution system with uncertain load and renewable generation. A robust optimization model is proposed wherein the optimal decisions on network configurations and losses are derived in two subsequent steps. The first step enforces the radiality constraint before knowing the actual system loads and output level of renewable generation. Power flows are computed next to achieve minimum network losses considering the worst operating conditions over the uncertainty sets. A mixed-integer two-stage robust optimization formulation and a decomposition algorithm in a master-slave structure are proposed to solve the problem. Results of an illustrative example and two test systems are presented to demonstrate the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper proposes a tractable and scalable algorithm to identify and analyze bifurcation points of a large-scale power system model, which are directly related to dynamic voltage instability problems. Different types of bifurcations are analyzed, including: saddle-node (fold), Hopf, singularity-induced and limit-induced. An algorithm that combines optimization and predictor-corrector procedure is proposed for equilibrium tracing. The algorithm is based on calculation of only critical (rightmost and closest-to-zero) eigenvalues. The proposed algorithm is extended to the case of dynamic voltage stability assessment for power systems with optimized topology (simultaneously subjected to the topology control changes and generation re-dispatch). The proposed approach is illustrated on two (medium- and large-scale real-world) test power systems. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The cross-entropy (CE) method can accelerate power system reliability evaluation effectively. An importance sampling (IS) based iterative parameter updating algorithm is usually used in CE optimization. However, the efficiency in capturing the concerned samples for parameter updating may be unsatisfactory, especially for a system with intrinsic nature of rare failure events. Besides, the stopping criterion of this iterative algorithm is usually determined subjectively, incurring insufficient or excessive parameter updating and a resultant higher computational burden of the entire simulation. To address the above two problems, a CE method based on subset simulation and minimum computational burden criterion is proposed. In CE optimization, the subset simulation combined with M-H sampling is adopted as an alternative to IS to effectively improve the efficiency of capturing desired samples for parameter updating at each iteration. Moreover, a novel quantitative stopping criterion is presented in such a way that the computational burden for the entire simulation is estimated and compared after each parameter updating iteration, and the optimal parameters corresponding to the minimum computational burden can be determined. The computational performance of the proposed method is validated by comparing the proposed approach with existing methods under several numerical tests including a realistic power system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Security-constrained unit commitment (SCUC), as one of key components in power system operation, is being widely applied in vertically integrated utilities and restructured power systems. The efficient solution framework is to implement iterations between a master problem (unit commitment) and subproblems (network security evaluations). In industrial applications, both Lagrangian relaxation and mixed-integer programming are commonly applied for the unit commitment problem, and both linear sensitivity factor and Benders cut methods are used to generate additional constraints in the phase of network security evaluations. This paper evaluates capabilities and performances of each algorithm through technical discussion and numerical testing. Special topics on the large-scale SCUC engine development are also discussed in this paper, such as input data screening, inactive constrains elimination, contingency management, infeasibility handling, parallel computing, and model simplification. This paper will benefit academic researchers, software developers, and system operators when they design, develop and assess effective models and algorithms for solving large-scale SCUC problems. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, the empirical observability Gramian calculated around the operating region of a power system is used to quantify the degree of observability of the system states under specific phasor measurement unit (PMU) placement. An optimal PMU placement method for power system dynamic state estimation is further formulated as an optimization problem which maximizes the determinant of the empirical observability Gramian and is efficiently solved by the NOMAD solver, which implements the Mesh Adaptive Direct Search algorithm. The implementation, validation, and the robustness to load fluctuations and contingencies of the proposed method are carefully discussed. The proposed method is tested on WSCC 3-machine 9-bus system and NPCC 48-machine 140-bus system by performing dynamic state estimation with square-root unscented Kalman filter. The simulation results show that the determined optimal PMU placements by the proposed method can guarantee good observability of the system states, which further leads to smaller estimation errors and larger number of convergent states for dynamic state estimation compared with random PMU placements. Under optimal PMU placements an obvious observability transition can be observed. The proposed method is also validated to be very robust to both load fluctuations and contingencies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Independent system operators (ISOs) of electricity markets solve the security-constrained unit commitment (SCUC) problem to plan a secure and economic generation schedule. However, as the size of power systems increases, the current centralized SCUC algorithm could face critical challenges ranging from modeling accuracy to calculation complexity. This paper presents a distributed SCUC (D-SCUC) algorithm to accelerate the generation scheduling of large-scale power systems. In this algorithm, a power system is decomposed into several scalable zones which are interconnected through tie lines. Each zone solves its own SCUC problem and a parallel calculation method is proposed to coordinate individual D-SCUC problems. Several power systems are studied to show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a novel approach for the transmission network expansion planning under generalized joint generation and transmission n-K security criteria. The proposed methodology identifies the optimal expansion plan while modeling the power system operation under both normal and contingency states. An adjustable robust optimization approach is presented to circumvent the tractability issues associated with conventional contingency-constrained methods relying on explicitly modeling the whole contingency set. The adjustable robust model is formulated as a trilevel programming problem. The upper-level problem aims at minimizing the investment, operation, and system power imbalance costs. The middle-level problem identifies, for a given expansion plan, the contingency state leading to maximum power imbalance if any. Finally, the lower-level problem models the operator's best reaction for a given contingency and investment plan by minimizing the system power imbalance. The resulting trilevel program is solved by a primal-dual algorithm based on Benders decomposition combined with a column-and-constraint generation procedure. The proposed approach is finitely convergent to the optimal solution and provides a measure of the distance to the optimum. Simulation results show the superiority of the proposed methodology over conventional contingency-constrained models. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a novel hybrid intelligent algorithm utilizing a data filtering technique based on wavelet transform (WT), an optimization technique based on firefly (FF) algorithm, and a soft computing model based on fuzzy ARTMAP (FA) network in order to forecast day-ahead electricity prices in the Ontario market. A comprehensive comparative analysis with other soft computing and hybrid models shows a significant improvement in forecast error by more than 40% for daily and weekly price forecasts, through the application of a proposed hybrid WT+FF+FA model. Furthermore, low values obtained for the forecast mean square error (FMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE) indicate high degree of accuracy of the proposed model. Robustness of the proposed hybrid intelligent model is measured by using the statistical index (error variance). In addition, the good forecast performance and the rapid adaptability of the proposed hybrid WT+FF+FA model are also evaluated using the PJM market data. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a new optimization algorithm, named modified teaching-learning algorithm, to solve a more practical formulation of the reserve constrained dynamic economic dispatch of thermal units considering the network losses and operating limitations of the generating units (i.e., the valve loading effect and ramp rate limits). Unlike the previous approaches, three types of the system spinning reserve requirements are explicitly modeled in the problem and a new constraint-handling is proposed to satisfy them. The proposed teaching-learning optimization algorithm is a new population-based optimization method features between the teacher and learners (students). Therefore, this algorithm searches for the global optimal solution through two main phases: 1) the “teacher phase” and 2) the “learner phase”. Nevertheless, these two phases are not adequate for learning interaction between the teacher and the learners in the entire search space. Thus, in this paper a new phase named “modified phase” based on a self-adaptive learning mechanism is added to the algorithm to improve the process of knowledge learning among the learners and accordingly generate promising candidate solutions. The proposed framework is applied to 5-, 10-, 30-, 40-, and 140-unit test systems in order to evaluate its efficiency and feasibility. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Reserve services are an essential part of a standard market design and are under development in major electricity markets. This paper presents the development of differential evolution algorithm for optimal allocation of energy and spinning reserve. The optimization is performed in an integrated market with biddable spinning reserve and sectional price offer curves while considering all security and power systems constraints in steady state and system credible contingencies. The effectiveness of the proposed method is examined by application of the proposed algorithm on the IEEE 30-bus test system. Some comparisons are made with analytical and evolutionary methods in various cases. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Based on a quantum-inspired evolutionary algorithm for unit commitment, this paper proposed ways to advance the efficiency and robustness of the algorithm so that its capacity for application in large-scale unit commitment problems can be significantly enhanced. The paper develops an advanced quantum-inspired evolutionary unit commitment algorithm by developing a new initialization method based on unit priority list and a special Q-bit expression for ensuring diversity in the initial search area for improving the efficiency of solution searching. Different techniques such as multi-observation, single-search, and group-search are also proposed for incorporation in the advanced algorithm. The advanced algorithm is tested and compared with the earlier quantum-inspired evolutionary algorithm and a number of known methods through its applications to test systems with up to 100 generator units for a 24-h scheduling horizon. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The teaching learning-based optimization (TLBO) is a population-based optimization algorithm suitable for solving complex problems. TLBO imitates the interaction between a teacher and her/his students. The global solution search process of this approach consists of two phases: the teacher- and the learner-phase. This paper proposes a multi-objective teaching learning algorithm based on decomposition (MOTLA/D) for solving a reactive power handling problem. The proposed method is validated on three test systems, and it is compared with respect to a state-of-the-art multi-objective evolutionary algorithm based on decomposition (MOEA/D). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]