Optimization Methods for Optimal Power Flow Problems in Distribution Networks: A Brief Review

The increasing use of distributed generators (DGs) in distribution networks has led to the development of various methods for optimal power flow (OPF) analysis. OPF is a technique that aims to control the generation and consumption of power sources and loads in a network to optimize certain objectives, such as minimizing generation cost, network losses, voltage deviation, or environmental impact. Different methods have different assumptions, formulations, algorithms, and solutions for the OPF problem involving DGs. This paper provides a brief review of these methods and analyze the strengths and weaknesses of these methods. It also compares their performance and applicability based on previous works in the literature. The paper concludes with some suggestions for future research directions in this field, such as incorporating uncertainty, reliability, security, and stability issues into the OPF analysis.