Robust quadratic-based BFS power flow method for multi-phase distribution systems

This study presents an efficient power flow method for analysing distribution systems. The proposed method utilises efficient quadratic-based (QB) models for various components of distribution systems. The power flow problem is formulated and solved by a backward/forward sweep (BFS) algorithm. The proposed QBBFS method accommodates multi-phase laterals, different load types, capacitors, distribution transformers, and distributed generation. The advantageous feature of the proposed method is robust convergence characteristics against ill conditions, guaranteeing lower iteration numbers than the existing BFS methods. The proposed method is tested and validated on several distribution test systems. The accuracy is verified using OpenDSS. Comparisons are made with other commonly used BFS methods. The results confirm the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed QBBFS at different conditions.