Distribution load flows: a brief review

With distribution automation, many applications functions are coming up requiring a robust an efficient power flow solution method. The Newton Raphson and fast decoupled load flow solution technique and a host of their derivatives have efficiently solved the well behaved power systems for a long time. However, the distribution networks, because of the some of the following special features, fail in the category of ill-conditioned power systems for generic Newton Raphson and fast decoupled load flow methods: radial or near radial structure (weakly meshed); high R/X ratios; multi-phase, unbalanced operation; unbalanced distributed load; and dispersed generation. Hence the need for special techniques for solving distribution networks which exploit their radial nature have long been identified.