Identification of the topology of power system networks via mixed integer inequalities

A new approach is presented for the estimation of the topological state of power system networks. The quantities to be estimated include Boolean variables, indicating the existence or absence of connection, as well as real variables. The method is based on transforming the nonlinear constraints into linear inequalities. An L₁ cost function is used, which contributes to the robustness of the estimator to outliers. The final problem is solved by a branch-and-bound algorithm. Results obtained on IEEE networks up to 300 buses are presented.