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A study of cascading failures in real and synthetic power grid topologies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 August 2018

RUSSELL SPIEWAK Open the ORCID record for RUSSELL SPIEWAK [Opens in a new window] ,
SALEH SOLTAN Open the ORCID record for SALEH SOLTAN [Opens in a new window] ,
YAKIR FORMAN ,
SERGEY V. BULDYREV  and
GIL ZUSSMAN Open the ORCID record for GIL ZUSSMAN [Opens in a new window]
RUSSELL SPIEWAK
Affiliation:
Yeshiva University, New York, NY, USA (e-mail: russell.spiewak@mail.yu.edu)
SALEH SOLTAN
Affiliation:
Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA (e-mail: ssoltan@princeton.edu)
YAKIR FORMAN
Affiliation:
Yeshiva University, New York, NY, USA (e-mail: yakir.forman@mail.yu.edu, buldyrev@yu.edu)
SERGEY V. BULDYREV
Affiliation:
Yeshiva University, New York, NY, USA (e-mail: yakir.forman@mail.yu.edu, buldyrev@yu.edu)
GIL ZUSSMAN
Affiliation:
Columbia University, New York, NY, USA (e-mail: gil@ee.columbia.edu)
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Abstract

Using the direct current power flow model, we study cascading failures and their spatial and temporal properties in the U.S. Western Interconnection (USWI) power grid. We show that yield (the fraction of demand satisfied after the cascade) has a bimodal distribution typical of a first-order transition. The single line failure leads either to an insignificant power loss or to a cascade which causes a major blackout with yield less than 0.8. The former occurs with high probability if line tolerance α (the ratio of the maximal load a line can carry to its initial load) is greater than 2, while a major blackout occurs with high probability in a broad range of 1 < α < 2. We also show that major blackouts begin with a latent period (with duration proportional to α) during which few lines overload and yield remains high. The existence of the latent period suggests that intervention during early stages of a cascade can significantly reduce the risk of a major blackout. Finally, we introduce the preferential Degree And Distance Attachment model to generate random networks with similar degree, resistance, and flow distributions to the USWI. Moreover, we show that the Degree And Distance Attachment model behaves similarly to the USWI against failures.

Keywords

power gridscascading failuresline failuressynthetic power grids
Type
Research Article
Information
Network Science , Volume 6 , Issue 4 , December 2018 , pp. 448 - 468
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

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