A practical GIS-based decision-making support system for urban distribution network expansion planning

The computer-supported decision-making system has become an essential tool for the sustainable growth and expansion planning of modern urban power distribution network. Current packages with planning functions are independent packages, which are limited in the academic research. Presently, in Shanghai Municipal Electric Power Company and its subordinate units, a geographic information system(GIS)-based production management system(PMS) has been applied successfully as the working platform in most departments, which makes the further research on the computer-aided decision-making system possible and feasible. Taking the PMS as the graphics supporting platform, this paper studies and develops a practical GIS-based decision-making support system for urban distribution network expansion planning, which establishes a primary foundation for information-based planning, daily-frequent planning and elaborate planning. Firstly, the physical structure of the system is designed with a four-layer hierarchical architecture, including the data layer, platform layer, application layer and performance layer, which is suitable for object-oriented development to ensure the security and stability of the system. Secondly, to satisfy the requirements of distribution expansion planning, the main functions of the system are divided into seven modules according to the planning process abstracted in the computer, including the module of current situation analysis, load forecasting, substation locating and sizing, network planning, cable channel planning, economic evaluation of planning and so on. There is at least one or one set of practical mathematical models and methods for planning adopted in each module to ensure the accuracy and reasonableness of the final planning results. Finally, an actual planning of Shanghai, China is accomplished with the expansion planning system. The practical application achievements show that the system can not only optimize the expansion planning results of urban power distribution network, but also reduce the workload of computation, analysis and graphics drawing dramatically.