Cascade Failure in a Phase Model of Power Grids

TL;DR

This paper introduces a phase model to analyze cascade failures in power grids, demonstrating how overloads lead to synchronization loss or voltage collapse, with simulations on scale-free networks and mean-field comparisons.

Contribution

It presents a novel phase model for power grid failures, incorporating feedback control and failure mechanisms, with validation through numerical simulations.

Findings

Failure occurs when power demand exceeds a critical threshold.

Synchronization loss and voltage collapse are key failure modes.

Model matches well with mean-field approximation results.

Abstract

We propose a phase model to study cascade failure in power grids composed of generators and loads. If the power demand is below a critical value, the model system of power grids maintains the standard frequency by feedback control. On the other hand, if the power demand exceeds the critical value, an electric failure occurs via step out (loss of synchronization) or voltage collapse. The two failures are incorporated as two removal rules of generator nodes and load nodes. We perform direct numerical simulation of the phase model on a scale-free network and compare the results with a mean-field approximation.