Abstract: Abstract： With the rapid development of artificial intelligence technology and the Internet of Things， the distribution network is gradually becoming intelligent. However， massive data faces cloud computing face problems such as longer delay， network congestion， and privacy leakage. As a new computing paradigm， edge computing can handle network edge nodes and effectively solve the above problems， and is increasingly used in smart distribution networks. This paper reviews the edge computing technology of smart distribution networks in recent years. Firstly， it summarizes the characteristics of smart distribution network and the definition and architecture of edge computing in this application scenario. Secondly， it summarizes typical applications from different dimensions， including fault diagnosis and detection， data analysis， optimal scheduling， and data security and protection.. The research challenges in grid scenarios are summarized and prospected in three aspects， refinement management of data， modular sharing of resources and edge security maintenance.

Key words: Key words： internet of things, edge computing, cloud computing, smart distribution networks