Distributed online voltage control in active distribution networks considering PV curtailment

Abstract

In this paper, we propose a distributed online voltage control algorithm for distribution networks with multiple photovoltaic (PV) systems based on dual-ascent method. Conventional distributed algorithms implement voltage control only when the algorithms converge. However, our proposed algorithm is able to carry out voltage control immediately. In particular, we derive a closed-form solution for PV controllers to locally update the active and reactive power set points aiming at minimizing the total loss and maintaining bus voltages within the acceptable ranges. The optimality is guaranteed and the convergence is established analytically. Moreover, our proposed algorithm only requires the information exchange between neighboring PV systems, thus reducing communication complexity. Finally, numerical tests on IEEE 37-bus distribution system verify the effectiveness and robustness of our proposed algorithm.