24-10-2012, 12:17 PM
Electrical Substation Reliability Evaluation with Emphasis on Evolving Interdependence on Communication Infrastructure
ABSTRACT
The objective of this study is to develop a methodology for a probabilistic assessment of the reliability and security of
electrical energy distribution networks. This includes consideration of the future grid system, which will rely heavily on the
existing digitally based communication infrastructure for monitoring and protection. Another important objective of this study
is to provide information and insights from this research to Consolidated Edison Company (Con Edison) that could be useful
in the design of the new network segment to be installed in the area of theWorld Trade Center in lower Manhattan. Our method
is microscopic in nature and relies heavily on the specific design of the portion of the grid being analyzed. It extensively
models the types of faults that a grid could potentially experience, the response of the grid, and the specific design of the
protection schemes. We demonstrate that the existing technology can be extended and applied to the electrical grid and to the
supporting communication network. A small subsection of a hypothetical grid based on the existing New York City electrical
grid system of Con Edison is used to demonstrate the methods. Sensitivity studies show that in the current design the
frequency for the loss of the main station is sensitive to the communication network reliability. The reliability of the
communication network could become a more important contributor to the electrical grid reliability as the utilization of the
communication network significantly increases in the near future to support ‘smart’ transmission and/or distributed generation.
The identification of potential failure modes and their likelihood can support decisions on potential modifications to the
network including hardware, monitoring instrumentation, and protection systems.