Power flow (PF) analysis is a foundational computational method to study the flow of power in an electrical network. This analysis involves solving a set of non-linear and non-convex differential-algebraic equations. State-of-the-art solvers for PF analysis, therefore, face challenges with scalability and convergence, specifically for large-scale and/or ill-conditioned cases characterized by high penetration of renewable energy sources, among others. The adiabatic quantum computing paradigm has been proven to efficiently find solutions for combinatorial problems in the noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) era, and it can potentially address the limitations posed by state-of-the-art PF solvers. For the first time, we propose a novel adiabatic quantum computing approach for efficient PF analysis. Our key contributions are (i) a combinatorial PF algorithm and a modified version that aligns with the principles of PF analysis, termed the adiabatic quantum PF algorithm (AQPF), both of which use Quadratic Unconstrained Binary Optimization (QUBO) and Ising model formulations; (ii) a scalability study of the AQPF algorithm; and (iii) an extension of the AQPF algorithm to handle larger problem sizes using a partitioned approach. Numerical experiments are conducted using different test system sizes on D-Wave’s Advantage™ quantum annealer, Fujitsu’s digital annealer V3, D-Wave’s quantum-classical hybrid annealer, and two simulated annealers running on classical computer hardware. The reported results demonstrate the effectiveness and high accuracy of the proposed AQPF algorithm and its potential to speed up the PF analysis process while handling ill-conditioned cases using quantum and quantum-inspired algorithms.@en

Power flow (PF) analysis is a foundational computational method to study the flow of power in an electrical network. This analysis involves solving a set of non-linear and non-convex differential-algebraic equations. State-of-the-art solvers for PF analysis, therefore, face challenges with scalability and convergence, specifically for large-scale and/or ill-conditioned cases characterized by high penetration of renewable energy sources, among others. The adiabatic quantum computing paradigm has been proven to efficiently find solutions for combinatorial problems in the noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) era, and it can potentially address the limitations posed by state-of-the-art PF solvers. For the first time, we propose a novel adiabatic quantum computing approach for efficient PF analysis. Our key contributions are (i) a combinatorial PF algorithm and (ii) an adiabatic quantum PF algorithm (AQPF), both of which use Quadratic Unconstrained Binary Optimization (QUBO) and Ising model formulations; (iii) a scalability study of the AQPF algorithm; and (iv) an extension of the AQPF algorithm for larger problem sizes using a partitioned approach. Numerical experiments are conducted using different test system sizes on D-Wave’s Advantage™ quantum annealer, Fujitsu’s digital annealer V3, D-Wave’s quantum-classical hybrid annealer, and two simulated annealers running on classical computer hardware. The reported results demonstrate the effectiveness and high accuracy of the proposed AQPF algorithm and its potential to speed up the PF analysis process while handling ill-conditioned cases using quantum and quantum-inspired algorithms.@en

This paper explores the potential application of quantum and hybrid quantum–classical neural networks in power flow analysis. Experiments are conducted using two datasets based on 4-bus and 33-bus test systems. A systematic performance comparison is also conducted among quantum, hybrid quantum–classical, and classical neural networks. The comparison is based on (i) generalization ability, (ii) robustness, (iii) training dataset size needed, (iv) training error, and (v) training process stability. The results show that the developed hybrid quantum–classical neural network outperforms both quantum and classical neural networks, and hence can improve deep learning-based power flow analysis in the noisy-intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) and fault-tolerant quantum (FTQ) era.@en

This paper investigates the impact of adaptive activation functions on deep learning-based power flow analysis. Specifically, it compares four adaptive activation functions with state-of-the-art activation functions, i.e., ReLU, LeakyReLU, Sigmoid, and Tanh, in terms of loss function error, convergence speed, and learning process stability, using a real-world distribution network dataset. Results indicate that the proposed adaptive activation functions improve learning capability over state-of-the-art activation functions. Notably, adaptive ReLU activation shows the most improved learning process, with convergence speed up to twice as fast as ReLU. Adaptive Sigmoid and Tanh activation functions exhibit superior performance in terms of loss function error, outperforming ReLU and LeakyReLU by up to two orders of magnitude. Furthermore, the proposed adaptive activation functions lead to smoother and more stable learning processes, especially during early training, improving convergence. The practical implications of this study include the potential application of these adaptive activation functions in distribution network modeling, forecasting, and control, leading to more accurate and reliable power system operation.

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Urban morphology can significantly impact urban wind conditions. Finding an optimum morphology to improve the wind conditions for a given urban area can be very challenging as it depends on a wide range of parameters. In this perspective, meta-heuristic algorithms can be useful to reach/approximate optimum solutions. While the satisfactory performance of meta-heuristic algorithms has been shown for different complex engineering problems, a detailed evaluation of these algorithms has not yet been performed for urban wind conditions. Therefore, this study aims to systematically evaluate the performance of meta-heuristic algorithms for CFD-based optimization of urban wind conditions at street scale. Three algorithms are considered: (i) Genetic algorithm (GA), (ii) Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), and (iii) a hybrid algorithm of PSO and GA. The focus is on a compact generic urban area, while the height of the involved buildings is considered as the optimization variable. In total, 714 high-resolution 3D steady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) CFD simulations are performed in combination with the standard k-ε turbulence model. The results show that the hybrid algorithm is superior as it can improve the wind conditions by about 425% and 100%, compared with GA and PSO, respectively.@en

Metamodels are developed and used for aerodynamic optimization of a ducted opening integrated into a high-rise building to maximize the amplification factor within the duct. The duct consists of a nozzle, a throat, and a diffuser. 211 high-resolution 3D RANS CFD simulations are performed to generate training and testing datasets. The space-filling design and Genetic algorithm are used for data sampling and optimization, respectively. The performance of five commonly-used metamodels is systematically investigated: Response Surface Methodology (RSM), Kriging (KG), Neural Network (NN), Support Vector Regression (SVR), and Genetic Aggregation Response Surface (GARS). The investigation is based on (i) detailed in-sample and out-of-sample evaluations of the metamodels, (ii) annual available power in the wind (P_available), and (iii) annual energy production (AEP) for a 3-bladed horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT) installed in the mid-throat for the optimum designs obtained by the metamodels. The results show that converging-diverging ducted openings can magnify the experienced wind speed by the turbine and enhance the available wind power. In addition, the use of different metamodels can lead to a variation of up to 153% in the estimated P_available. For a small dataset, crude yet still acceptable accuracy can be achieved for Genetic Aggregation Response Surface and Kriging at a very low computational time.

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