An Interval Arithmetic-Based State Estimation Framework for Power Distribution Networks

An enormous challenge for state estimation (SE) in power distribution networks with high penetration of photovoltaic generators lies in how to deal with measurement uncertainty. Driven by this motivation, an interval arithmetic (IA) based SE is proposed in this paper, which considers interval modeling for measurement uncertainty. The proposed SE is formulated as two interval optimization models based on the unknown-but-bounded theory, and solution bounds of state variables are obtained using a two-stage linear programming approach. In particular, the proposed SE is extended to realistic power distribution networks with mixed microphasor measurement units (μPMU), voltage magnitude, smart meters and feeder terminal units. Case studies and results are illustrated and discussed to demonstrate the performance of the proposed IA-based SE. It could provide the operators intuitive and effective bounds of system states for advanced power industrial applications under consideration of uncertainty.