Lattice splitting under intermittent flows

TL;DR

This study investigates how stochastic intermittent flows cause lattice splitting, revealing the influence of flow patterns, fluctuation frequency, and link capacity on network stability, with implications for power grids with renewable energy.

Contribution

It introduces a model analyzing lattice splitting under intermittent flows, highlighting the effects of flow patterns and fluctuation frequency on network stability.

Findings

Flow decreases with number of groups following a power law.

Time to splitting is affected by flow fluctuation frequency, with a minimum at an optimal point.

Largest component size after splitting is largely unaffected by fluctuation frequency, slightly decreasing with link capacity.

Abstract

We study the splitting of regular square lattices subject to stochastic intermittent flows. Various flow patterns are produced by different groupings of the nodes, based on their random alternation between two possible states. The resulting flows on the lattices decrease with the number of groups according to a power law. By Monte Carlo simulations we reveal how the time span until the occurrence of a splitting depends on the flow patterns. Increasing the flow fluctuation frequency shortens this time span which reaches a minimum before rising again due to inertia effects incorporated in the model. The size of the largest connected component after the splitting is rather independent of the flow fluctuation frequency but slightly decreases with the link capacities. Our findings carry important implications for real-world networks, such as electric power grids with a large share of renewable intermittent energy sources.