A Distribution Network Islanding Strategy Based on Topological Characteristics to Improve System Resiliency

With the penetration of smart grid technologies, the reliability and stability of modern power systems could be further improved. However, large-scale power outages could still be caused when the power system is exposed to extreme conditions. The utilization of distributed generators (DGs) has risen significantly in the power system, and it plays a critical role to modernize the current power grid. The emerging smart grid technology, which attempts to enable more resilient power systems with DGs, makes a quick and efficient restoration of power systems possible. In this paper, DGs are introduced to enhance the restoration efficiency and success rate at the preliminary stage of network restoration. Then, the effect of DG's switching in points on areas of restoration islands in distribution network is investigated. Furthermore, based on the topological characteristics of scale-free networks and the discrete particle swarm optimization (DPSO) algorithm, an islanding scheme which aims to restore as many important loads as possible is proposed. The DGs are turned out to be effective resiliency resources for power system restoration. This paper will provide some useful insight into enhancing the power system resiliency in the face of extreme events such as natural or man-made disasters.