The Vulnerability of the Power Grid Structure: A System Analysis Based on Complex Network Theory

Abstract

The safety and reliability of the power grid are related to national power security, economic development and people’s daily life. The occurrence of extreme weather changes the external environment greatly. Including generators and transmission lines, many power grid units cannot resist such a huge attack and get damaged easily, which forces units to quit from the power grid running system for a while. Furthermore, if the number of influenced units is high enough, the whole power system will be destroyed by cascading failure caused by extreme weather. Aiming at dealing with the cascading failure emergencies, this paper is trying to improve the traditional power structural vulnerability model so that it can be used to discuss extreme weather and propose a theoretical topological model to help scholars measure the damage caused by extreme cases. Based on previous research in this field, this paper utilizes complex network knowledge to build the power grid topology model. Then, considering extreme cases and the three attack modes simulation process, this paper makes use of the characteristic parameters of the power grid topology model and designs an algorithm, according to the realistic situation of the propagation mechanism of cascading failure of the power grid model as well as extreme weather research. Finally, taking IEEE-30 and IEEE-118 node bus system as examples, which shows that the structural vulnerability method proposed in this paper can properly address the mechanism of unbalanced load of cascading failure of power grid units under extreme conditions and can provide theoretical reference for preventing and reducing the impact of extreme cases on power grid which improves the reliability of the power grid.