  Real active distribution networks with associated smart meter (SM) data are
critical for power researchers. However, it is practically difficult for
researchers to obtain such comprehensive datasets from utilities due to privacy
concerns. To bridge this gap, an implicit generative model with Wasserstein GAN
objectives, namely unbalanced graph generative adversarial network (UG-GAN), is
designed to generate synthetic three-phase unbalanced active distribution
system connectivity. The basic idea is to learn the distribution of random
walks both over a real-world system and across each phase of line segments,
capturing the underlying local properties of an individual real-world
distribution network and generating specific synthetic networks accordingly.
Then, to create a comprehensive synthetic test case, a network correction and
extension process is proposed to obtain time-series nodal demands and standard
distribution grid components with realistic parameters, including distributed
energy resources (DERs) and capacity banks. A Midwest distribution system with
1-year SM data has been utilized to validate the performance of our method.
Case studies with several power applications demonstrate that synthetic active
networks generated by the proposed framework can mimic almost all features of
real-world networks while avoiding the disclosure of confidential information.
