Service Restoration of Distribution Networks Considering Switching Operation Costs and Actual Status of the Switching Equipment

Minimization of the de-energized consumers load and reduction of the service restoration costs are considered in the proposed heuristic graph-based approach for finding the solution of the service restoration in distributed networks. The approach is based on the logic of the modified Prim's algorithm that finds the minimum spanning trees (i.e., a forest). Operation costs including an actual status (“open” or “close”) of the switching equipment in a de-energized area is represented by the switching cost coefficients. The cost coefficients are assigned to all branches in a de-energized area. The switching action is performed by switching equipment with minimal switching costs coefficient in each iteration of the algorithm. The results confirm that the service restoration costs are decreased by the consideration of the actual status of the switching equipment.