Optimal Design and Cascading Failure Evaluation of Remedial Action Schemes

TL;DR

This paper introduces an optimization framework for designing remedial action schemes in power systems, aiming to reduce costs and prevent cascading failures during contingencies.

Contribution

It proposes a mixed integer quadratic programming approach for automated RAS design, improving adaptability and system resilience compared to traditional fixed-parameter schemes.

Findings

RAS-SCOPF reduces operational costs.

Inclusion of RAS prevents cascading blackouts.

Framework validated on RTS-96 24-bus network.

Abstract

Remedial action schemes (RAS) are often seen as an alternative to building new transmission infrastructure to relieve congestion in the system. Consequently, there has been a rapid growth in the number of RAS in electric power systems across the world. However, most RAS rely on fixed parameters and hence cannot adapt to the rapidly evolving nature of the electric grid. In this paper, an optimization framework (RAS-SCOPF) to automate the RAS design procedure is proposed. The proposed framework is a mixed integer quadratic program (MIQP) that chooses a set of optimal RAS actions and minimizes load shed when a contingency occurs. The cost of operation of the RAS-SCOPF is compared against those of standard OPF and SCOPF formulations. Moreover, the risk of cascading failure for the different formulations are evaluated using a DC power flow based cascading failure simulator (CFS). The proposed framework is applied to the RTS-96 24-bus network. The inclusion of RAS allows the system to be operated at a lower cost while preventing any contingency from evolving into cascading blackouts.