Melissa Caracciolo

Student(s): Melissa Caracciolo

Project: Electric Power Grid Optimization | View Poster (PDF)

Major(s): Industrial and Systems Engineering (Computer Science and Economics minor)

Advisor(s): Luis Zuluaga

Abstract

Electric power grid systems are susceptible to physical attacks that can compromise a nation’s security and economy. Various techniques have been proposed to analyze the resilience of power grids against such disruptions. This research implements the solution proposed by Javier Salmeron, Kevin Wood, and Ross Baldick in their 2004 research paper which uses a bilevel optimization technique to identify critical power grid components by determining maximally disruptive attack plans. This research implements the solution using the optimization software AMPL to test its feasibility and evaluate its impact on mitigating grid disruptions. The solution involves an algorithm that transitions from solving an optimization problem with an objective to minimize costs associated with delivery and demand curtailment costs under a specific interdiction plan to an optimization problem that maximizes costs with a fixed generation pattern based on the minimization formulation. The result is a power flow under which minimum costs are maximized, representing an optimal attack plan. The implementation process involves obtaining data from MATPOWER, manipulating it using MATLAB, and applying the algorithm using AMPL to evaluate its performance across various grid instances. This research also explores an alternative technique that determines delivery patterns with the objective of minimizing expected costs across all possible attack scenarios. The findings suggest that the original authors’ algorithm effectively identifies critical grid components whose hardening will mitigate disruption, while the alternative approach provides a power flow robust to all possible attacks. This research contributes to improving power grid security, thereby strengthening national security and economic resilience.