Improving the robustness of Newton-based power flow methods to cope with poor initial points

Solving power flow problems is essential for the reliable and efficient operation of a power network. However, current software for solving these problems have questionable robustness due to the limitations of the solution methods used, which are typically based on the Newton-Raphson method. One limitation is that a “good” initial point is usually required to obtain a solution. We explore homotopy-based techniques to mitigate this limitation. These techniques have been tested on large power flow test cases with poor initial points and it can be seen that they can lead to methods that are much more robust than traditional methods.