A Comparison of Malicious Interdiction Strategies Against Electrical Networks

A Topological Sorting Approach to Identify Coherent Cut-Sets Within Power Grids

“…Graph theory can be a useful approach to assess power systems operation [8], [10], [11]. Power networks could be considered as complex networks and therefore, graph theory has been applied to analyze them in different aspects such as topological vulnerabilities [12]- [15]. To analyze topological vulnerabilities within power grids, power flow directions can be used to model the networks as a directed acyclic graph [12].…”

“…Power networks could be considered as complex networks and therefore, graph theory has been applied to analyze them in different aspects such as topological vulnerabilities [12]- [15]. To analyze topological vulnerabilities within power grids, power flow directions can be used to model the networks as a directed acyclic graph [12]. A directed acyclic graph refers to a directed graph which has no cycles e.g paths connecting any node back to itself [16]- [18].…”

“…However, purely graph-based methods may lead to misleading results in terms of finding the most dangerous sets of branches for power grids and this is often due to the complex behaviors of power flows during emergencies like cascading failures [13]. In [12], [13] the authors investigate the abilities of the methods based on graph theory to assess cascading failure risk in electrical networks. Broadly speaking, the results given in [12], [13] show that purely graph-based methods embody real deficiencies for understanding emergency power flow behaviour in electrical networks.…”

A deterministic approach to locating series flow-controllers within transmission systems to alleviate congestion

“…In common with previous works on congestion alleviation (e.g [40]), for the present validation these test system were artificially weakened to induce congestion (as most common test power systems are generously specified, branch thermal limits do not tend to constrain generator schedules, except perhaps in the (N-1) sense) Firstly, branch thermal limits were reduced to 50% of their rated values. Then, to allow the two systems to be compared in an even-handed way, their loadings were normalized, by running an optimal power flow whose sole objective was maximising their total demands by uniformly scaling all loads in the system (as in [41]). By creating substantial congestion costs, it is easier to appraise the ability of flow-controllers to improve the optimality of generation schedules.…”

“…To gauge the efficacy of the flow controllers over the full gamut of operational situations that may arise on each system, a scenario creation approach from [41] was adapted. This technique was used to produce 100 representative snapshots of potential generator dispatch profiles on each system.…”