A Subzone Formation Strategy for Load Restoration in Resilient Distribution Systems

China has experienced a surge in rainstorms, typhoons, and extreme weather events, emphasizing the need to bolster power grid resilience and minimize losses. Service restoration for distribution systems is of paramount importance in this context. With the rapid development of distributed resources within distribution systems, distributed energy resources have emerged as a viable option for load restoration following outages. Traditional approaches in distribution system restoration often treat partitioning and restoration as distinct decision-making processes, which may result in a lack of synergy between the two phases. In this research, this paper propose a novel model that integrates parallel restoration and subzone formation for distribution systems. This model optimally coordinates the topology of the distribution system and partition formation, ensuring the safe and reliable operation of partitions while adhering to restoration constraints. This paper formulate this model as a mixed-integer second-order cone program, guaranteeing compliance with restoration requirements. This paper validate the effectiveness of the method proposed in this paper using a modified PG&E 69-bus test system. This paper's findings highlight the potential for improved distribution system resilience in the face of extreme weather events through the simultaneous consideration of partitioning and restoration processes.