Stochastic optimal power flow in distribution grids under uncertainty from state estimation

Abstract

The increasing amount of controllable generation and consumption in distribution grids poses a severe challenge in keeping voltage values within admissible ranges. Existing approaches have considered different optimal power flow formulations to regulate distributed generation and other controllable elements. Nevertheless, distribution grids are characterized by an insufficient number of sensors, and state estimation algorithms are required to monitor the grid status. We consider in this paper the combined problem of optimal power flow under state estimation, where the estimation uncertainty results into stochastic constraints for the voltage magnitude levels instead of deterministic ones. To solve the given problem efficiently and to bypass the lack of load measurements, we use a linear approximation of the power flow equations. Moreover, we derive a transformation of the stochastic constraints to make them tractable without being too conservative. A case study shows the success of our approach at keeping voltage within limits, and also shows how ignoring the uncertainty in the estimation can lead to voltage level violations.