Merging Microgrids for Optimal Distribution Grid Restoration under Explicit Communication Constraints

Distributed generators offer the possibility for fast power grid restoration after disastrous events by forming local microgrids. Merging such microgrids increases the supply capacity for critical loads which cannot be supplied by one generator individually. This step, however, requires an active communication channel between the involved distributed generators for continued stable operation. We show in this paper how to compute optimal restoration sequences, that explicitly take into account this interdependency between the electrical and the communication network when merging local microgrids. We demonstrate our approach on a basic example and an adapted version of the IEEE 123-node test feeder, showing that our approach allows resupplying significantly more and larger loads compared to isolated microgrid operation.