Detect and Identify Topology Change in Power Distribution Systems Using Graph Signal Processing

The proliferation of smart meters has led to the development of data-driven control algorithms in power distribution systems. However, many of these algorithms rely on accurate topological data. Network reconfiguration can change the topology of the system. It is critical for the system operators to quickly identify the updated topology and take appropriate control actions accordingly. This paper develops an algorithm based on graph signal processing to detect changes in the topology and to identify the new topology after reconfiguration using smart meter voltage magnitude measurements by comparing the smoothness of the signal on the possible topologies. The algorithm is fast, online, and requires only voltage magnitude measurements. Numerical results are presented on 16, 33, and 70-bus test cases. The algorithm achieves good performance for both detecting changes and identifying topology across all test cases.