Dynamic reconfiguration of three-phase imbalanced distribution networks considering soft open points

The characteristics of three-phase imbalances are present in medium- and low-voltage distribution networks. Integrating single-phase distributed generation (DG) exacerbates network imbalances, resulting in increased power losses and potential safety hazards. To address these issues, a dynamic reconfiguration strategy (DNR) for three-phase imbalanced distribution networks, considering soft open points (SOP), has been proposed. The objective is to alleviate the three-phase imbalance and minimize the operational costs of the distribution network. Within the reconfiguration strategy, the constraints of DG current imbalance in practical system operations are considered. A three-phase imbalanced DNR model that simultaneously considers the constraints of the SOP and DG current imbalances is introduced. This model aims to optimize the operation of all devices, including the SOP, to address the overall imbalance of the distribution network. This enables the authors to transform the non-linear model into a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model, significantly improving the solution efficiency. To validate the proposed strategy, simulations of a modified IEEE 34-node distribution system and an actual 78-node distribution system were conducted. The results demonstrate that this strategy offers significant economic benefits and ensures the security of the distribution network.