Enhancing System Resilience: MILP Application for Efficient Load Reduction in Islanded Multi-Area Distribution Networks

Power utilities have prioritized the integration of Distributed Generation (DG), particularly from renewable energy sources. The decentralized control approach has allowed utilities to operate the DGs in islanding mode in order to maximize energy potential. Nevertheless, the operation of an islanding system presents substantial obstacles to system stability, necessitating the implementation of additional load management (load shedding) controls to preserve the energy balance. Load shedding techniques are implemented to alleviate this issue and stabilize the system. Traditional methods (often sequential) fail to account for load priority and extreme contingencies, resulting in either excessive/inadequate reduction or the potential disconnection of critical loads. This paper proposes a load reduction strategy that is effective for islanded multi-area distribution systems. It utilizes Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) optimization to ascertain the optimal load combination for shedding, taking into account load priorities (vital, non-vital, and semi-vital). The efficacy of the proposed method is verified through simulations on a modified multi-area system that consists of three identical IEEE 13 bus systems. The approach demonstrates superior performance in rapidly stabilizing the system by ensuring power supply for critical loads. This methodology improves the sustainability of the system by decreasing the number of load sheds, optimizing the power supply for critical loads, and surpassing the efficacy of current adaptive techniques.