2012 International Conference on Control Engineering and Communication Technology

An improved power flow algorithm for

distribution networks based on
Zbus algorithm and forward /backward
sweep method


Zhang Qin2, Zhao Yang-chun1ˈLiu Jin-hua3

1 2
He Jun , Zhou Bu-xiang
2. School of Electrical Engineering and
1. Electricity Power Bureau of Cheng Du
Information
Sichuan Electric Power Corporation
Sichuan University
Cheng Du, China
Chengdu, China
hiway_scu@126.com
3. Ertan Hydropower Development Company
Chengdu, China
Abstract—This paper presents a new method: economic analysis, network reconfiguration and
Zbus algorithm combined with the forward and fault treatment. The structure of the distribution
backward algorithm to deal with power flow network is significantly different from
calculation of the distribution network with transmission grid: it is generally closed-loop
ring-net. The topological structure of the network design, but open-loop operation; the resistance
can be analyzed by decomposing the branch and reactance ratio is larger. These
network into radial parts and ring-net parts throu characteristics make the flow calculation of
gh the forward path which is the concept of the transmission grid distribution network a big
signal flow graph, using forward and backward difference.
algorithm on radial parts, calculation speed can be In recent years, there are many scholars study
greatly improved by adopting parallel calculation; the calculation of power flow calculation of the
Zbus algorithm is used on ring-net parts, then the distribution network. For example: forward
[3-4]
voltage and power of the boundary nodes will be /backward sweep method , loop impedance
[5-6] [7]
corrected with the two parts calculation result to method , improved Newton method , Zbus
[12]
keep the whole network calculation in consistency. method . Because the forward and backward
Finally, a practical example analysis shows that the method does not require matrix operations], and
method can not only processes the ring network needs small memory. It is a more commonly
problems very well, but also improves the used with the power flow calculation. There are
calculation speed. many of the improved methods for power flow
Key Words—Distribution network˗Flow current calculation.
computation ˗ Forward path ˗ Forward and In this article, it is based on the stronger
backward algorithm˗Zbus algorithm branch processing ability and and the
I. INTRODUCTION convergence rate close to Newton's law of Zbus
Distribution power flow calculation is the method, as well as the advantages to process the
basis of power system analysis. It plays an radial network of forward and backward method.
important role in the power system security, So that the method of Zbus algorithm combined

 $26.00 © 2012 IEEE

978-0-7695-4881-4/12 1
DOI 10.1109/ICCECT.2012.8
 

with the forward and backward algorithm to deal corresponding slip road is the ring network. To
with power flow calculation of the distribution the distribution network in Figure 1, From node
network with ring-net is used in this paper. 3,it can get up the ring network node is 2,3,6, the
II. NETWORK TOPOLOGY ANALYSIS slip is 2,5,6.The ring structure is shown in Figure
3.
A. THE FORWARD PATH.
To the distribution network which the ring
network is include, it needs to use different
algorithms for the ring network and the radial
networks. First, you need to analysis network
topological and make the network with the ring
network and radial networks. Fig.3 The ring-net structure entity

C. RADIAL STRUCTURE ENTITY

Forming the former path which include the

only nodes of the ring network. It is that remove
the other node and retain only one node. As the
example of network 6,it removes up the other
Fig.1 The structure of the distribution network
two nodes which is node 2 and 3
For the numbers of the nodes and branches, it
It can form the path 6-7-8-9 and 6-7-10 that
does not require special handling, making
contains the node 6 .As the method of above the
numbers from the root to the end. According to
path can inform the path which is shown in
the method of depth search, it starts from the
Figure 4.
root to the terminal node in turn search until all
nodes in the graph to be searched. To the
distribution network in Figure 1, the formation
of the signal flow graph shown in Figure 2.
1 2 3 4 5
Fig.4 The forward path of the radial structure entity
1 2 6 3 4 5 In figure 4, The nodes and branches which has
1 2 6 7 8 9 the nodes of the rings network as the starting
node constitute the structure 3.The other nodes
1 2 6 7 10
and path form the structure 1.
Fig.2 The forward path of the distribution network
After the above analysis, the distribution
network is divided into three structures.
B. FORMATION OF RING STRUCTURE
It needs to calculate the related former nodes
III. POWER FLOW ALGORITHM
of each node. The number of nodes which the
former point greater than one is the cyclized A. CALCULATION COORDINATION OF
point. In Figure 2, we can get that the former DIFFERENT STRUCTURE
nodes of node3 is number 2,so that point node 3
is the cyclized point of the network. For the entire network flow calculation, the
From the closing loop points traced along, you ring network can be considered as a whole, and
can get up the ring network node, the then use the forward and backward sweep

 2
 

method to calculate. Through correct the connected downstream slip 8 and 10 the
boundary data to achieve the purpose of calculation is finished or not. If unfinished,
coordination of the entire network computing. need to wait until the state turning 1. Other
First, for the forward calculation, first nodes and slip calculation is similar. For back
initialize the voltage of each node, then study the substitution calculations, the calculation process
calculation from the structure 3. is similar with the former calculation, so just
I j S j / V j  ¦ Id
(k ) (k ) ( k 1) (k ) computing the order contrary with the forward
dD calculation.
˄1˅ C. LOAD FLOW CALCULATION OF THE

I j is the injection current of node j ˗ S j is

RING STRUCTURE ENTITY
This article takes the Zbus calculation to

j ˗ V j is the
calculate the ring network. The bus voltage can
the injection power of node
be seen as the superposition of the root node
voltage of node. voltage of the voltage and the equivalent
According to the revised current ,using Zbus injection current. The root node voltage can be
to calculate power flow of structure 2. And then calculated separately; voltage generated by the
take the forward calculation of the structure 1. equivalent injection current is fixed according to
The back calculation study from the entity1. It the data in the radial structure.
correct current of the node 2 according to the Voltage generated by the source node :

U s 
data obtained. And then correct the voltage of
boundary nodes 3 and 6 .Finally,it needs to U c Z 0, j
Z ¦
calculate the power flow of entity3 that make
them as the root nodes. ˄2˅

B. CALCULATION METHOD OF THE RADIAL

U s is the voltage of root node˗ Z ¦ is the
STRUCTURE
equivalent impedance; Z 0, j is the impedance of
To the calculation method of the radial
network structures 1 and 3, we can use the unknown node.
parallel computing method. But it does not Voltage generated by the equivalent injection
require the special treatment. For the structure in current:
figure 4, first, calculation the degree of each
node. The degree of node which is greater than 2 U cc ZI
is the T-node. The node which the degree 1 is ˄3˅
the end node (except the root node). 1 and 0 Voltage of the node:
represent the slip of the state, and 1 means flow
calculation is completed, 0 said that calculation U U c  U cc
has not yet completed. This calculation from the ˄4˅
end node, when the count is greater than 2, It IV. EXAMPLE ANALYSIS
needs to detect the calculation is finished or not Using Matlab programming language to
of all branches. If all were 1,then calculate from calculate the power flow calculation of 33-node
this node. system. The calculated results shown in Table 1.
Tab.1 Comparison of the computing capablities
For the structure3, calculation the first slip
by the end nodes 5,9, 10.When calculation to the different Algorithm The number of Convergence
T-node of node 7, First, detecting their

 3
 

Bering Scheme on Distribution System Power Flow

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