Distribution System Topology Detection Using Consumer Load and Line Flow Measurements

We present a topology detection method combining smart meter sensor information and sparse line measurements. The problem is formulated as a spanning tree identification problem over a graph given partial nodal and edge power flow information. In the deterministic case of known nodal power consumption and edge power flow we provide sensor placement criterion which guarantees correct identification of all spanning trees. We then present a detection method which is polynomial in complexity to the size of the graph. In the stochastic case where loads are given by forecasts derived from delayed smart meter data, we provide a combinatorial complexity MAP detector and a polynomial complexity approximate MAP detector which is shown to work near optimum in all numerical cases.