Constraint Clustering Based Islanding Scheme For Power Networks

Abstract: Controlled islanding, which splits the whole power system into islands, is an effective strategy against rolling blackout during severe disturbances. Finding the islanding solutions in a real-time manner is complicated because of the combinatorial explosion of the solution space occurs for a large power network. In this work, a computationally efficient controlled islanding algorithm is proposed that uses constrained spectral clustering while addressing the generator coherency problem. The objective function used in this controlled islanding algorithm is the minimal power-flow disruption. The sole constraint applied to this solution is related to generator coherency. An undirected edge-weighted graph is created based on absolute values of apparent power flow and constraints related to transmission line availability and coherent generator groups are included by altering the edge weights of the graph and using a subspace projection. Spectral clustering is then applied to the constrained solution subspace to find the islanding solution. The methodology is tested on an IEEE-39 test system with a fully dynamic model. Simulation results demonstrate the efficacy of our approach.