Mathematical Models for Optimal Allocation of Sectionalizing Switches

The allocation of switches in power distribution networks is a critical combinatorial optimization problem related to the reliability of electric systems. In this work, we consider a set of sectionalizing switches and a radial network, with the goal of identifying the best lines (edges) on which to place the switches in order to minimize the amount of undelivered energy. We present an Integer Linear Programming (PLI) model to solve the sectionalizing switch allocation problem. Our approach is compared to the PLI model from the literature proposed by [Galias, 2019] for the same problem. Computational experiments using real distribution networks show that the PLI model proposed in this work scales better than the approach found in the literature.