Coordinated-Decentralized Optimal Reactive Power Flow in Multi-Area Electric Power Systems

Abstract

This paper presents a novel methodology to solve the problem of Optimal Reactive Power Flow (ORPF) in interconnected multi-area power systems. The main contribution of this paper is the use of a coordinated-decentralized strategy that allows keeping autonomy and confidentiality in the operating processes of each area. In the proposed model of multiarea ORPF the Transmission System Operators (TSOs) of each area operate independently, and do not need explicit information regarding neighbor areas, being only necessary to exchange border information related to the interconnection lines between areas. The proposed methodology is based on the application of Successive Linear Programming (SLP) and the decomposition scheme by areas is developed through the Dantzing-Wolfe method. To show the robustness and efficiency of the proposed approach a three-area system is used, in which each area corresponds to an IEEE118-bus test system. The problem is solved in a centralized and decentralized fashion obtaining identical results.