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Abstract: Power grids have been studied as a typical example of real-world complex networks. Different from previous methods, this paper proposes a hybrid approach for structural vulnerability analysis of power transmission networks, in which a DC power flow model with hidden failures is embedded into the traditional error and attack tolerance methodology to form a new scheme for power grids vulnerability assessment and modeling. The new approach embodies some important characteristics of power transmission networks. Furthermore, the simulation on the standard IEEE 118 bus system demonstrates that a critical region might exist and when the power grid operates in the region, it is vulnerable to both random and intentional attacks. Finally, a brief theoretical analysis is presented to explain the new phenomena. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Electric power networks have been studied as a typical example of real-world complex networks. Traditional models for structural vulnerability analysis appear to be all based on physical topological structure. In this paper, we depict a typical power network as a weighted graph based on electrical topology by introducing its bus admittance matrix, which embodies the important characteristics of power networks in a much more realistic structure. Furthermore, the numerical simulation for both the traditional dynamical model and the proposed electrical topological model are investigated based on the IEEE 300 bus system respectively. The comparison demonstrates that the improved model is more precise and highly efficient for the analysis of structural vulnerability of power networks. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

When a single failure occurs in a vulnerable part of a power system, this may cause a large area cascading event. Therefore, an advanced method that can assess the risks during cascading events is needed. In this paper, an improved complex network model for power system risk assessment is proposed. Risk is defined by consequence and probability of the failures in this model, which are affected by both power factors and network structure. Compared with existing risk assessment models, the proposed one can evaluate the risk of the system comprehensively during a cascading event by combining the topological and electrical information. A new cascading event simulation module is adopted to identify the power grid cascading chain from a system-level view. In addition, simulations are investigated on the IEEE 14 bus system and IEEE 39 bus system respectively to illustrate the performance of the proposed module. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method is effective in a power grid risk assessment during cascading event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An innovative model which considers power flow, one of the most important characteristics in a power system, is proposed for the analysis of power grid vulnerability. Moreover, based on the complex network theory and the Max-Flow theorem, a new vulnerability index is presented to identify the vulnerable lines in a power grid. In addition, comparative simulations between the power flow based model and existing models are investigated on the IEEE 118-bus system. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed model and the index are more effective in power grid vulnerability analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]