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Center for Nonlinear Studies |
Optimal Transmission Switching for electric power networks is a research topic of great interest for both researchers and electric power engineers. Transmission switching is commonly considered a corrective mechanism tool for overloaded networks; however in recent years it has been sought as a means to reduce power loss in the network. Ultimately the objective of this analysis is to provide smart tools for power and economic dispatch planning, allowing utilities and engineers to utilize existing infrastructure as a means of automatic control. The optimization problem is a complex multi-objective search including criteria such as system power loss, equality/non-equality constraints, islanding management, and radial topology configuration in the case of distribution networks. Many optimization methods have been adopted for the transmission switching problem in past years using various heuristic search algorithms. The scope of methodology extends from tried and true methods such as simulated annealing to more modern methods like neural network optimization. Solution benchmarks under consideration commonly include solution state accuracy, computational burden and solution time. The objective of this presentation is to provide a comprehensive account of development in transmission switching methodologies. Benchmarking and testing strategies will be discussed as well as application of the Transmission Expansion Planning Tool in finding transmission switching solutions. Limited Discrepancy Search (LDS) and Probe Discrepancy Search (PDS) Algorithms are compared with more classic optimization strategies, as seen in defining literature and publications in this research field.
Host: Misha Chertkov, chertkov@lanl.gov, 665-8119