Restoration management

A method for controlling an operation of devices in a power distribution network, said network including at least two power sources, a plurality of feeders and a plurality of switching devices positioned along the feeders and being in communications with each other, said network being represented by a plurality of teams where each team includes one side of adjacent switching devices and loads and power line sections therebetween, where a plurality of teams define divisions in the network and one of the switching devices in each division is assigned as being a leader device, said method comprising:

• initiating a power restoration process to control the open and closed status of the switching devices to restore power to one or more of the divisions;
• performing the power restoration process by the leader device in the division that has lost power that includes opening and closing switching devices so that power is provided as many teams as possible;
• reconfiguring the divisions based on which switching devices are now open;
• and
• selecting new leader devices based on the reconfiguration of the divisions.

A system for controlling an operation of devices in a power distribution network, said network including at least two power sources, a plurality of feeders and a plurality of switching devices positioned along the feeders and being in communications with each other, said network being represented by a plurality of teams where each team includes one side of adjacent switching devices and loads and power line sections therebetween, where a plurality of teams define divisions in the network and one of the switching devices in each division is assigned as being a leader device, said system comprising:

• means for determining that there is a power loss in the network and one or more of the teams is not receiving power;
• means for performing a switching process in one of the switching devices to prevent current from flowing to the power loss;
• means for initiating a power restoration process to control the open and closed status of the switching devices to isolate the power loss;
• means for performing the power restoration process by the leader device in the division that the power loss is occurring that includes opening and closing switching devices so that power is provided to all of the teams except the team that the power loss is in;
• means for reconfiguring the divisions based on which switching devices are now open;
• and
• means for selecting new leader devices based on the reconfiguration of the divisions.