Phase shifter placement in large-scale systems via mixed integer linear programming

This paper makes use of recent advances in mixed integer linear programming (MILP) to conduct a preliminary design study on the combinatorial optimal placement of thyristor controlled phase shifter transformers (TCPSTs) in large-scale power systems. The procedure finds the number, network location, and settings of phase shifters that maximize system loadability under the dc load flow model, subject to limits on the installation investment or total number of TCPSTs. It also accounts for active flow and generation limits, and phase shifter constraints. Simulation results are presented for the IEEE 24-, 118-, and 300-bus systems, as well as a 904-bus network. The principal characteristics of our approach are compared with those of other published flexible ac system transmission (FACTS) allocation methods.