A study on resilient and cost-based design in power distribution network against severe hurricane

Abstract

Vulnerability mitigation is the solution for creating resilient distribution networks aims to prevent the uncontrollable outage propagation. This paper presents a new resilience index as a powerful tool to enhance the resilience of distribution systems against extreme hurricane events. The suggested framework provides a comparative study for optimal feeder routing problem and HV substation placement from the cost and resilience viewpoints. Once, the network is planned based on cost minimization, and then the proposed resilience index is calculated for the planned network. Finally, the network is planned based on resilience enhancement and afterward the planned network's cost is calculated. In case of resilient-based planning, the studied area is divided into small sites with different wind speed to evaluate the geospatial characteristics of hurricane and a fragility index is calculated for each distribution network component located at each sites. Both cost- and resilient- based networks are planned using deterministic and probabilistic approaches. In deterministic approach, network planning is done according to the worst prediction, the highest wind speed. But in probabilistic one, some scenarios with specified probability are defined for wind speed. Results show that, fragility index is high when considering worst prediction, so this less probable scenario needs higher investments. In this regards, scenario based planning, can lead to the best compromised solution considering cost and resilience which the obtained results validate the accuracy of the modellings and efficiency of the proposed method.