Distribution systems commonly operate with a radial topology, so all models of optimization problems in these distribution systems should consider radiality in their formulation. This work presents a literature review, a critical analysis, and a proposal for incorporating the radiality constraints in mathematical models of optimization problems for radial distribution systems. The objective is to show that the radiality constraints on such optimization problems can be considered in a simple and efficient way. The reconfiguration and expansion planning problems of distribution systems are used to test and verify the proposed radiality constraints. A generalization of radiality constraints is also examined.

This paper presents a mixed-integer second-order cone programing (MISOCP) model to solve the optimal operation problem of radial distribution networks (DNs) with energy storage. The control variables are the active and reactive generated power of dispatchable distributed generators (DGs), the number of switchable capacitor bank units in operation, the tap position of the voltage regulators and on-load tap-changers, and the operation state of the energy storage devices. The objective is to minimize the total cost of energy purchased from the distribution substation and the dispatchable DGs. The steady-state operation of the DN is modeled using linear and second-order cone programing. The use of an MISOCP model guarantees convergence to optimality using existing optimization software. A mixed-integer linear programing (MILP) formulation for the original model is also presented in order to show the accuracy of the proposed MISOCP model. An 11-node test system and a 42-node real system were used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed MISOCP and MILP models.

This paper presents a novel mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model for the electric vehicle charging coordination (EVCC) problem in unbalanced electrical distribution systems (EDSs). Linearization techniques are applied over a mixed-integer nonlinear programming model to obtain the proposed MILP formulation based on current injections. The expressions used to represent the steady-state operation of the EDS take into account a three-phase representation of the circuits, as well as the imbalance of the loads, leading to a more realistic model. Additionally, the proposed formulation considers the presence of distributed generators and operational constraints such as voltage and current magnitude limits. The optimal solution for the mathematical model was found using commercial MILP solvers. The proposed formulation was tested in a distribution system used in the specialized literature. The results show the efficiency and the robustness of the methodology, and also demonstrate that the model can be used in the solution of the EVCC problem in EDSs.