Efficient Relaxations for Joint Chance Constrained AC Optimal Power Flow

Abstract: Evolving power systems with increasing levels of stochasticity call for a need to solve optimal power flow problems with large quantities of random variables. Weather forecasts, electricity prices, and shifting load patterns introduce higher levels of uncertainty and can yield optimization problems that are difficult to solve in an efficient manner. Efficient solution methods for single chance constraints in optimal power flow problems have been considered in the literature; however, joint chance constraints have predominantly been solved via scenario-based approaches or by utilizing the overly conservative Boole's inequality as an upper bound. In this paper, joint chance constraints are used to solve an AC optimal power flow problem which maintain desired levels of voltage magnitude in distribution grids under high penetrations of photovoltaic systems. A tighter version of Boole's inequality is derived and used to provide a new upper bound on the joint chance constraint, and simulation results are shown demonstrating the benefit of the proposed upper bound.