Topology identification method of low-voltage distribution network based on measurement data of IoT devices

Abstract

Accurate network topology information serves as the foundation for the operation of active control and active management, which have become indispensable requirements for the development of distribution networks with the growth of intelligence and information technology. The access of user-side Internet of Things (IoT) devices makes the topology of distribution network increasingly complex. IoT devices provide a considerable amount of information, which serves as the data basis for identifying the distribution network’s structure. The cyber–physical distribution system (CPDS) and the entire IoT distribution architecture are initially introduced in this study. Next, we enumerate the communication requirements of certain IoT services to illustrate the feasibility of IoT devices acquiring measurement data. Then, based on the measurement data that can be collected in real time by the user-side IoT devices, a data-driven low-voltage (LV) distribution network topology identification method is proposed through the similarity analysis of the measurement data. Finally, a real LV distribution network is used to validate the effectiveness and practicability of the proposed method, and the case study proves that the topology identification scheme is accurate and efficient. The method can provide correct physical connection information of LV distribution network, solving the problems of inflexibility and inefficiency of existing LV distribution network topology identification methods.