Abstract
With the increased complexity of power systems stemming from the connection of high-proportion renewable energy sources, coupled with the escalating volatility and uncertainty, the key transmission sections that serve as indicators of the power grid’s security status are also subject to frequent changes, posing challenges to grid monitoring. The search method for key transmission sections based on an improved spectral clustering algorithm is proposed in this paper. A branch weight model, considering the impact of node voltage and power flow factors, is initially established to comprehensively reflect the electrical connectivity between nodes. Subsequently, a weighted graph model is constructed based on spectral graph theory, and an improved spectral clustering algorithm is employed to partition the power grid. Finally, a safety risk indicator is utilized to identify whether the partitioned sections are key transmission sections. Results from case studies on the IEEE39-node system and actual power grid examples demonstrate that the proposed method accurately and effectively searches for all key transmission sections of the system and identifies their security risks. The application in real power grid scenarios validates its ability to screen out some previously unrecognized key transmission sections.