Fast Identification of Saturated Cut-sets using Graph Search Techniques

Abstract: When multiple outages occur in rapid succession, it is important to know quickly if the power transfer capability of different interconnections (or cut-sets) of the power network are limited. The algorithm developed in this paper identifies such limited cut-sets very fast, thereby enhancing the real-time situational awareness of power system operators. The significance of the proposed approach is described using the IEEE 39-bus test system, while its computational benefits are demonstrated using relatively large test-cases containing thousands of buses. The results indicate that the proposed network analysis can estimate the impact of an outage on any cut-set of the system and screen out the cut-set that gets saturated by the largest margin, very quickly.