How modular structure determines operational resilience of power grids

TL;DR

This paper introduces new measures to assess operational resilience in power grids by analyzing partial synchronization, highlighting the influence of modular structure and current flow on stability.

Contribution

It presents novel measures for operational resilience, incorporating partial synchronization analysis, and demonstrates their effectiveness on real and benchmark power grid models.

Findings

Modular structure influences resilience distribution.

Unidirectional current flow affects node stability.

Measures are validated on real and benchmark networks.

Abstract

The synchronization stability has been analyzed as one of the important dynamical characteristics of power grids. In this study, we bring the operational perspective to the synchronization stability analysis by counting not only full but also partial synchronization between nodes. To do so, we introduce two distinct measures that estimate the operational resilience of power-grid nodes: functional stability and functional resistance. We demonstrate the practical applicability of the measures in a model network motif and an IEEE test power grid. As a case study of German power grid, we reveal that the modular structure of a power grid and particular unidirectional current flow determine the distribution of the operational resilience of power-grid nodes. Reproducing our finding on clustered benchmark networks, we validate the modular effect on power grid stability and confirm that our measures can be the insightful tools to understand the power grids' synchronization dynamics.