2019 IEEE General Meeting 8/7 Panel Presentation: Optimization Methods for Unbalanced Power Distribution Systems

The proliferation of distributed energy resources and the deployment of advanced sensing and control technologies in electric power distribution systems calls for coordinated management of the grid�s resources. This has led to a growing interest in academia and industry alike on optimization methods for the large-scale unbalanced power distribution systems. This panel will present state-of-the-art optimization methods for unbalanced power distribution systems and discuss the associated scalability/optimality/accuracy concerns due to nonlinear power flow models, discrete decisions variables, and inter-temporal constraints. The talks will also encompass different applications of optimization methods as applied to distribution systems including multi-period optimal power flow for voltage optimization and market applications, and mixed-integer formulations for restoration and reconfiguration problems. Specifically, the panel of experts from academia and industry will address the following two questions:
1. What are the associated challenges of model-based optimization methods when applied to the real-world distribution systems?
2. How can some of the existing distribution system applications benefit from large-scale optimization methods?