Distribution Network Reconfiguration under Modeling of AC Optimal Power Flow Equations: A Mixed-Integer Programming Approach

One of the most common applications of the AC optimal power flow (ACOPF) in distribution systems is the network reconfiguration problem, which consists of altering the topology of the network in order to optimize a given objective function - usually, minimizing ohmic losses. We propose a mixed-integer linear programming reformulation of the network reconfiguration problem for distribution systems, under full modeling of the ACOPF equations. The proposed formulation captures the non-linear behavior of the electrical network via approximations of arbitrary accuracy, allows the representation of discrete decisions via integer decision variables, and can be solved to global optimality with commercially available optimization solvers. The applicability of the proposed formulation is indicated with help of case studies.