Distribution System Optimization on Graphics Processing Unit

Power distribution networks operate in a radial topology, but also include extra tie switches to allow for their reconfiguration in case of scheduled maintenance or unexpected failure. With the implementation of the smart grid and the development of fast high power switching devices, it is now possible to automatize this reconfiguration to also adjust to demand fluctuation and always operate the network in the optimal topology, minimizing power transmission losses. This automation requires the development of highly efficient and powerful optimization algorithms that can compute the optimal configuration with minimum delay. This paper presents a parallel genetic algorithm on graphics processing unit for distribution feeder reconfiguration. By exploiting the massively parallel architecture of graphics processors, the execution time of the solver is reduced by a factor of 66.2×, resulting in a very fast solver. Moreover, the metaheuristic uses a unique solution encoding based on the minimum spanning tree to maintain the radial structure of the candidate topologies. This novel encoding drastically improves the effectiveness of the genetic algorithm and allows for the optimal reconfiguration of networks up to 4400 buses; five times larger than any of the references surveyed.