Survivability Schemes for the Power Distribution Network in the Smart Grid Era

The Smart Grid concept introduces an updated architecture and new elements to the traditional power grid. As a result, existing survivability schemes that have been designed with a centralized architecture in mind are either inefficient or no longer applicable. In this paper, we review several solutions that have been suggested in the literature in order to ensure the proper operation of the power distribution network within the Smart Grid context. Their applications range from decentralized voltage regulation, to blackout prevention, or quick restoration of supply in case a failure is unavoidable. Keywords—smart grid, survivability, reliability, self-healing, restoration, reconfiguration, multiagent systems, distribution systems, power distribution network, protection, microgrids