Dynamic reconfiguration of distribution network systems: A key flexibility option for RES integration

The growing trend of variable energy source integration in power systems (especially at a distribution level) is leading to an increased need for flexibility in all levels of the energy flows in such systems: the supply, the network and the demand sides. This paper focuses on a viable flexibility option that can be provided by means of a dynamic network reconfiguration (DNR), an automatic changing of line statuses in response to operational conditions in the system. The ultimate aim is to assess the impacts of such flexibility on the utilization levels of variable power sources (mainly, solar and wind) integrated at a distribution level. To perform this analysis, a stochastic mixed integer linear programming (S-MILP) operational model is developed in this work. The objective of the optimization problem is to minimize the sum of the most relevant cost terms while meeting a number of model constraints. The proposed model dynamically finds an optimal configuration of an existing network system in accordance with the system's operational conditions. The operation scale in the current work is one day, but with the possibility of an hourly reconfiguration. The standard IEEE 41-bus system is employed to test the proposed model and perform the analysis. Numerical results generally show that DNR leads to a more efficient utilization of renewable type DGs integrated in the system, reduced costs and losses, and a substantially improved system performance especially the voltage profile in the system.