Optimal network reconfiguration for congestion management by deterministic and genetic algorithms

In this paper, the problem of finding the optimal topological configuration of a power transmission system is considered with the aim of providing system operators with a tool suited for congestion management. Network reconfiguration looks particularly appealing since it allows transmission system operators to alleviate overloads by means of switching operations that may avoid costly generation or load curtailments. The techniques of corrective switching proposed in the 1980s are profitably employed to formulate the problem of network reconfiguration for the purpose of congestion management. The solution of the resulting large-scale mixed-integer programming problem is carried out both by a deterministic branch-and-bound algorithm included in the CPLEX optimization package and by a genetic algorithm. Tests were performed on a 33-bus CIGRE test system and on an actual 432-bus network of Italian origin.