Integral methodology for distribution systems reconfiguration based on optimal power flow using Benders decomposition technique

A new and efficient methodology for distribution network reconfiguration integrated with optimal power flow (OPF) based on a Benders decomposition approach is presented. The objective minimises power losses, balancing load among feeders and subject to constraints such as capacity limit of branches, minimum and maximum power limits of substations or distributed generators, minimum deviation of bus voltages and radial optimal operation of networks. A variant of the generalised Benders decomposition algorithm is applied to solve the problem. The formulation can be embedded under two stages; the first one is the master problem and is formulated as a mixed integer non-linear programming problem. This stage determines the radial topology of the distribution network. The second stage is the slave problem and is formulated as a non-linear programming problem. This stage is used to determine the feasibility of the master problem solution by means of an OPF and provides information to formulate the linear Benders cuts that connect both problems. The model is programmed in GAMS mathematical modelling language. The effectiveness of the proposal is demonstrated through two examples extracted from the specialised literature.