Service restoration framework for distribution networks incorporating switching crew routing

Here, an optimization framework is proposed for the service restoration (SR) problem in distribution networks based on mixed-integer second-order cone programming (MISOCP). The objective function is to minimize (i) curtailed loads, (ii) the number of switching operations, (iii) crew dispatching cost, and (iv) operational cost. A novel approach is developed for the optimal switching crew routing (SCR) to perform the manual switching operations in a short time. Self-healing actions including (i) network reconfiguration, (ii) load shedding, (iii) adjusting the output power of the dispatchable distributed generations (DGs), and (iv) the optimal tap setting of the voltage regulation devices are adopted in the SR strategy. Both the voltage dependency and the uncertainty nature of loads are modelled. Besides, the switch failure scenario is considered in the proposed model to deal with real operating conditions. Hence, the developed optimization framework offers the most robust SR solution. The simulation studies are performed on an actual 87-bus system in MATLAB/Yalmip environment by adopting Gurobi solver. The obtained results verify that the proposed model enhances quality of the solution in terms of SR process time compared to the other existing models.