Mixed-integer exponential conic optimization for reliability enhancement of power distribution systems

This paper develops an optimization model for determining the placement of switches, tie lines, and underground cables in order to enhance the reliability of an electric power distribution system. A central novelty in the model is the inclusion of nodal reliability constraints, which consider network topology and are important in practice. The model can be reformulated either as a mixed-integer exponential conic optimization problem or as a mixed-integer linear program. We demonstrate both theoretically and empirically that the judicious application of partial linearization is key to rendering a practically tractable formulation. Computational studies indicate that realistic instances can indeed be solved in a reasonable amount of time on standard hardware.