Improved moment method for network reconfiguration with time-varying load in distribution systems

Network reconfiguration with time-varying load in distribution systems is investigated in this paper. The aim is to determine optimal network configuration according to load variation over a specified time period. To reduce the times of modulating network topology, a time-interval based strategy is adopted that decomposes a daily load forecast curve into several sequential load levels. The objective function of the presented dynamic network reconfiguration algorithm is to maximize income during a period of time. Constraint of operation numbers of all switches can be incorporated into the objective function. In the application of poised apparent accurate moment method (PAAM), its physical meanings are considered. The effective heuristic rule is introduced, it is used for deciding which sectionalizing switch is opened after a single loop is formed after a tie switch is closed. The presented heuristic rule is effective for accelerating the reconfiguration process because it reduces the searching space reasonably. To demonstrate the validity and effectiveness of the proposed strategy, two test systems with different sizes are studied. The numerical results prove that the proposed method is promising.