Process to reduce the probability of large cascading failures in a transmission network

• US 10,691,154 B1
• Filed: 04/25/2017
• Issued: 06/23/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.)
• Original Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.)
• Inventors: Hoffmann, Heiko, Lu, Tsai-Ching
• Primary Examiner(s): Azad, Md
• Application Number:
  US15/496,791
• Time in Patent Office: 1,155 Days
• Field of Search: 700292
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/086 in power transmission or distribution networks, i.e. with interconnected conductors
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/001 Methods to deal with contingencies, e.g. abnormalities, faults or failures
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/52 Outage or fault management, e.g. fault detection or location

Abstract

Described is a system for decreasing the frequency of large cascading failures in a transmission network. Based on sensors distributed throughout the transmission network, the system determines if a cascading failure is present in a transmission network. Following determination of the cascading failure, the system activates at least one switch of a plurality of switches distributed in the transmission network in order to switch transmission lines, thereby altering connectivity in the transmission network.

Claims

1. A system for reducing large cascading failures in a transmission network, the system comprising:

one or more processors and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having executable instructions encoded thereon such that when executed, the one or more processors perform operations of;

determining if a cascading failure is present in a transmission network having transmission lines; and

following determination of the cascading failure, switching between transmission lines in the transmission network through activation of at least one switch of a plurality of switches distributed in the transmission network, whereby connectivity in the transmission network is altered,

wherein altering connectivity in the transmission network prevents the accumulation of a cluster of transmission lines that are vulnerable to a cascading failure,

wherein a frequency of non-cascading failures in the transmission network is increased when connectivity in the transmission network is altered.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein a plurality of sensors distributed throughout the transmission network monitor occurrence of cascading failures by identifying tripped or broken transmission lines.

3. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the one or more processors further perform an operation of activating a subset of the plurality of switches following determination of the cascading failure.

4. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the one or more processors further perform an operation of gradually activating each of the plurality of switches individually following determination of the cascading failure.

5. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the one or more processors further perform an operation of gradually activating subsets of the plurality of switches, each subset at a time, following determination of the cascading failure.

6. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the transmission network is a smart grid used by electrical vehicles.

7. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the transmission network comprises at least one set of a plurality of buses, wherein the plurality of buses in the set are connected in series by transmission lines and consecutively numbered, such that a first bus is not directly connected with a last bus, wherein for each set, a switch is installed at one of the first or the last bus in the set and a transmission line is installed connecting the switch and the other of the first or the last bus, such that a switch setting can alternate between two connectivity configurations.

8. A computer implemented method for reducing large cascading failures in a transmission network, the method comprising an act of:

causing one or more processors to execute instructions encoded on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such that upon execution, the one or more processors perform operations of;

determining if a cascading failure is present in a transmission network having transmission lines; and

following determination of the cascading failure, switching between transmission lines in the transmission network through activation of at least one switch of a plurality of switches distributed in the transmission network whereby connectivity in the transmission network is altered,

wherein altering connectivity in the transmission network prevents the accumulation of a cluster of transmission lines that are vulnerable to a cascading failure,

wherein a frequency of non-cascading failures in the transmission network is increased when connectivity in the transmisison network is altered.

9. The method as set forth in claim 8, wherein a plurality of sensors distributed throughout the transmission network monitor occurrence of cascading failures by identifying tripped or broken transmission lines.

10. The method as set forth in claim 8, wherein the one or more processors further perform an operation of activating a subset of the plurality of switches following determination of the cascading failure.

11. The method as set forth in claim 8, wherein the one or more processors further perform an operation of gradually activating each of the plurality of switches individually following determination of the cascading failure.

12. The method as set forth in claim 8, wherein the one or more processors further perform an operation of gradually activating subsets of the plurality of switches, each subset at a time, following determination of the cascading failure.

13. The method as set forth in claim 8, wherein the transmission network is a smart grid used by electrical vehicles.

14. A computer program product for reducing large cascading failures in a transmission network, the computer program product comprising:

computer-readable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by a computer having one or more processors for causing the processor to perform operations of;

determining if a cascading failure is present in a transmission network having transmission lines; and

following determination of the cascading failure, switching between transmission lines in the transmission network through activation of at least one switch of a plurality of switches distributed in the transmission network whereby connectivity in the transmission network is altered,

wherein altering connectivity in the transmission network prevents the accumulation of a cluster of transmission lines that are vulnerable to a cascading failure,

wherein a frequency of non-cascading failures in the transmisison network is increased when connectivity in the transmission network is altered.

15. The computer program product as set forth in claim 14, wherein a plurality of sensors distributed throughout the transmission network monitor occurrence of cascading failures by identifying tripped or broken transmission lines.

16. The computer program product as set forth in claim 14, further comprising instructions for causing the one or more processors to further perform an operation of activating a subset of the plurality of switches following determination of the cascading failure.

17. The computer program product as set forth in claim 14, further comprising instructions for causing the one or more processors to further perform an operation of gradually activating each of the plurality of switches individually following determination of the cascading failure.

18. The computer program product as set forth in claim 14, further comprising instructions for causing the one or more processors to further perform an operation of gradually activating subsets of the plurality of switches, each subset at a time, following determination of the cascading failure.

19. The computer program product as set forth in claim 14, wherein the transmission network is a smart grid used by electrical vehicles.