Database-assisted load flow simulation for low voltage grids using a model reduction approach

Steady-state load flow simulation is an essential tool to evaluate the impact of distributed generation, demand side management or traditional grid expansion. As these developments mostly affect the low voltage grid, it is worth having a look at the distinctive characteristics of load flow simulation in these grids. This paper presents a database-driven approach to significantly speed up big simulation tasks by exploiting the special topology of low-voltage grids. This is achieved by separating and reducing grids into smaller, uniform grids, which share a topology and differ only in impedances and consumed power. These values can be stored in a database together with the calculated solutions, so that similar grids can be looked up in the future. The algorithm is particularly suitable for speeding up extensive Monte Carlo simulations of low voltage grids.