Modern network reconfiguration techniques for service restoration in distribution systems: A step to a smarter grid

This paper presents state of the art reconfiguration techniques used for service restoration in distribution systems under different practical considerations. The different formulations of the problem together with the different solution methods are presented to show the advantages and disadvantages of each formulation and each solution. Other aspects that enhance the solution practicability such as load variations, load priority, cold load pickup, network connectivity representation, and existence of distributed generation are considered with directions for future research to convert current distribution system into an automatic self-healing system, which is the main pillar of the smart grid. The control method and the communication techniques used in the execution of the reconfiguration problem solution are highlighted and the new research directions in each issue are emphasized. The conclusion about the reconfiguration problem the formulation, the solution method, and the guidelines about unexplored research areas in this topic are presented at the end of the paper. Keywords: Distributed generation, IEC 61850, Network reconfiguration, Restoration, Smart gri