Implementation of the power system weighted least absolute value state estimator using an improved l1 linear approximation algorithm

Power system states can be estimated using the weighted least absolute value (WLAV) estimation technique. The estimation procedure is carried out iteratively by solving an l₁-linear approximation problem at each iteration. While the approximation problem can be solved by the standard simplex method, the special structure of the system equations makes further improvements in the algorithm possible. Such a procedure is developed using an algorithm originally suggested by L. Barrodale and F.D.K. Roberts (1973). The adaptation of this algorithm to the solution of the power system states in a WLAV estimator is carried out, and the problem size is considerably reduced, exploiting the characteristics of the measurement equations. Implementation details of the developed program together with some numerical results of running it on realistic size power systems are presented