Tie‐line planning for resilience enhancement in unbalanced distribution networks

Abstract

Abstract Over the past decades, there has been a dramatic increase in the frequency of natural disasters, which are the leading causes of large‐scale power outages. This paper, therefore, assesses the significance and role of optimal tie‐line construction in improving the service restoration performance of unbalanced power distribution systems in the aftermath of high‐impact low‐probability incidents. In doing so, a restoration process aware stochastic mixed‐integer linear programming model is developed to find the optimal locations for new tie‐line construction in unbalanced three‐phase distribution systems. In particular, the restoration process of distribution systems, including the fault isolation and system reconfiguration, is contemplated to place tie‐lines in the most proper locations to enhance the manoeuvring capability of distribution systems and reducing the customer interruption time. Furthermore, the model is a stochastic one wherein uncertainty associated with potential damages alongside demand uncertainty is captured via a set of likely scenarios. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed stochastic mixed‐integer linear programming model, it is tested and verified on the IEEE 13‐ and 123‐bus test systems.