Algorithms for distributed solution of the Optimal Power Flow problem

Modern power networks often have partitioned structures, with disjoint parts of the network being operated by competing agents. It is therefore of significant interest to be able to solve the Optimal Power Flow (OPF) problem for the entire network in a distributed manner without requiring significant exchange of sensitive operational information between rival operators. For networks whose regions are interconnected over a tree structure, we consider a comparison of two potential distributed schemes for solving the OPF problem. For the augmented algorithm, with incorporated higher-order dynamics, we prove a result of guaranteed convergence to the set of solutions of the global problem. By contrast, for classical unregularized dual decompositions, we demonstrate that there exist network scenarios in which convergence breaks down and the algorithm fails to give a solution of the OPF problem.