IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v12y2019i4p682-d207626.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Survey on Power System Blackout and Cascading Events: Research Motivations and Challenges

Author

Listed:
  • Hassan Haes Alhelou

    (Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111, Iran
    Department of Electrical Power Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Tishreen University, Lattakia 2230, Syria)

  • Mohamad Esmail Hamedani-Golshan

    (Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111, Iran)

  • Takawira Cuthbert Njenda

    (Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111, Iran)

  • Pierluigi Siano

    (Department of Management & Innovation Systems, University of Salerno, 84084 Salerno, Italy)

Abstract

Power systems are the most complex systems and have great importance in modern life. They have direct impacts on the modernization, economic, political and social aspects. To operate such systems in a stable mode, several control and protection techniques are required. However, modern systems are equipped with several protection schemes with the aim of avoiding the unpredicted events and power outages, power systems are still encountering emergency and mal-operation situations. The most severe emergencies put the whole or at least a part of the system in danger. If the emergency is not well managed, the power system is likely to have cascading failures that might lead to a blackout. Due to the consequences, many countries around the world have research and expert teams who work to avoid blackouts on their systems. In this paper, a comprehensive review on the major blackouts and cascading events that have occurred in the last decade are introduced. A particular focus is given on the US power system outages and their causes since it is one of the leading power producers in the world and it is also due to the ready availability of data for the past events. The paper also highlights the root causes of different blackouts around the globe. Furthermore, blackout and cascading analysis methods and the consequences of blackouts are surveyed. Moreover, the challenges in the existing protective schemes and research gaps in the topic of power system blackout and cascading events are marked out. Research directions and issues to be considered in future power system blackout studies are also proposed.

Suggested Citation

  • Hassan Haes Alhelou & Mohamad Esmail Hamedani-Golshan & Takawira Cuthbert Njenda & Pierluigi Siano, 2019. "A Survey on Power System Blackout and Cascading Events: Research Motivations and Challenges," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-28, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:12:y:2019:i:4:p:682-:d:207626
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/12/4/682/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/12/4/682/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Miranda, Victor A.P. & Oliveira, Alessandro V.M., 2018. "Airport slots and the internalization of congestion by airlines: An empirical model of integrated flight disruption management in Brazil," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 201-219.
    2. Ouyang, Min & Zhao, Lijing & Hong, Liu & Pan, Zhezhe, 2014. "Comparisons of complex network based models and real train flow model to analyze Chinese railway vulnerability," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 38-46.
    3. Hunt., Julian David & Stilpen, Daniel & de Freitas, Marcos Aurélio Vasconcelos, 2018. "A review of the causes, impacts and solutions for electricity supply crises in Brazil," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 208-222.
    4. Reza Zamani & Mohamad-Esmail Hamedani-Golshan & Hassan Haes Alhelou & Pierluigi Siano & Hemanshu R. Pota, 2018. "Islanding Detection of Synchronous Distributed Generator Based on the Active and Reactive Power Control Loops," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-15, October.
    5. Hines, Paul & Apt, Jay & Talukdar, Sarosh, 2009. "Large blackouts in North America: Historical trends and policy implications," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(12), pages 5249-5259, December.
    6. Miguel, Edward & Wolfram, Catherine & Lee, Kenneth, 2016. "Experimental Evidence on the Demand for and Costs of Rural Electrification," Department of Economics, Working Paper Series qt1s55t761, Department of Economics, Institute for Business and Economic Research, UC Berkeley.
    7. Hassan Haes Alhelou & Mohamad-Esmail Hamedani-Golshan & Reza Zamani & Ehsan Heydarian-Forushani & Pierluigi Siano, 2018. "Challenges and Opportunities of Load Frequency Control in Conventional, Modern and Future Smart Power Systems: A Comprehensive Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-35, September.
    8. Nikolakakis, Thomas & Chattopadhyay, Deb & Bazilian, Morgan, 2017. "A review of renewable investment and power system operational issues in Bangladesh," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 68(P1), pages 650-658.
    9. Arindam Nandi & Sumit Mazumdar & Jere R. Behrman, 2018. "The effect of natural disaster on fertility, birth spacing, and child sex ratio: evidence from a major earthquake in India," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 31(1), pages 267-293, January.
    10. Faza, Ayman, 2018. "A probabilistic model for estimating the effects of photovoltaic sources on the power systems reliability," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 171(C), pages 67-77.
    11. Jamie J Kirkham & Doug G Altman & Paula R Williamson, 2010. "Bias Due to Changes in Specified Outcomes during the Systematic Review Process," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 5(3), pages 1-5, March.
    12. Chassin, David P. & Posse, Christian, 2005. "Evaluating North American electric grid reliability using the Barabási–Albert network model," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 355(2), pages 667-677.
    13. Adam Rose & Gbadebo Oladosu & Shu‐Yi Liao, 2007. "Business Interruption Impacts of a Terrorist Attack on the Electric Power System of Los Angeles: Customer Resilience to a Total Blackout," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(3), pages 513-531, June.
    14. Ouyang, Min & Zhao, Lijing & Pan, Zhezhe & Hong, Liu, 2014. "Comparisons of complex network based models and direct current power flow model to analyze power grid vulnerability under intentional attacks," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 403(C), pages 45-53.
    15. Pagani, Giuliano Andrea & Aiello, Marco, 2013. "The Power Grid as a complex network: A survey," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 392(11), pages 2688-2700.
    16. Oecd, 2009. "Climate Change and Africa," OECD Journal: General Papers, OECD Publishing, vol. 2009(1), pages 5-35.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Xiaoxiao Guo & Yanghong Tan & Feng Wang, 2020. "Modeling and Fault Propagation Analysis of Cyber–Physical Power System," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-22, January.
    2. Abedi, Amin & Gaudard, Ludovic & Romerio, Franco, 2019. "Review of major approaches to analyze vulnerability in power system," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 153-172.
    3. Andrea Garcia Tapia & Mildred Suarez & Jose E. Ramirez‐Marquez & Kash Barker, 2019. "Evaluating and Visualizing the Economic Impact of Commercial Districts Due to an Electric Power Network Disruption," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 39(9), pages 2032-2053, September.
    4. Ahmad, Nasir & Derrible, Sybil, 2018. "An information theory based robustness analysis of energy mix in US States," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 167-174.
    5. Pablo E. Achurra-Gonzalez & Panagiotis Angeloudis & Nils Goldbeck & Daniel J. Graham & Konstantinos Zavitsas & Marc E. J. Stettler, 2019. "Evaluation of port disruption impacts in the global liner shipping network," Journal of Shipping and Trade, Springer, vol. 4(1), pages 1-21, December.
    6. Nicholson, Charles D. & Barker, Kash & Ramirez-Marquez, Jose E., 2016. "Flow-based vulnerability measures for network component importance: Experimentation with preparedness planning," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 62-73.
    7. Wang, Shuliang & Stanley, H. Eugene & Gao, Yachun, 2018. "A methodological framework for vulnerability analysis of interdependent infrastructure systems under deliberate attacks," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 21-29.
    8. Kim, Dong Hwan & Eisenberg, Daniel A. & Chun, Yeong Han & Park, Jeryang, 2017. "Network topology and resilience analysis of South Korean power grid," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 465(C), pages 13-24.
    9. Ying Wang & Xiangmei Li & Jiangfeng Li & Zhengdong Huang & Renbin Xiao, 2018. "Impact of Rapid Urbanization on Vulnerability of Land System from Complex Networks View: A Methodological Approach," Complexity, Hindawi, vol. 2018, pages 1-18, May.
    10. Nie, Yan & Zhang, Guoxing & Duan, Hongbo, 2020. "An interconnected panorama of future cross-regional power grid: A complex network approach," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    11. Ouyang, Min & Wang, Zhenghua, 2015. "Resilience assessment of interdependent infrastructure systems: With a focus on joint restoration modeling and analysis," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 74-82.
    12. Giuliano Andrea Pagani & Marco Aiello, 2015. "A complex network approach for identifying vulnerabilities of the medium and low voltage grid," International Journal of Critical Infrastructures, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 11(1), pages 36-61.
    13. Lucas Cuadra & Sancho Salcedo-Sanz & Javier Del Ser & Silvia Jiménez-Fernández & Zong Woo Geem, 2015. "A Critical Review of Robustness in Power Grids Using Complex Networks Concepts," Energies, MDPI, vol. 8(9), pages 1-55, August.
    14. Carlo Bianca, 2022. "On the Modeling of Energy-Multisource Networks by the Thermostatted Kinetic Theory Approach: A Review with Research Perspectives," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(21), pages 1-22, October.
    15. Xinglong Wang & Shangfei Miao & Junqing Tang, 2020. "Vulnerability and Resilience Analysis of the Air Traffic Control Sector Network in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-18, May.
    16. Lucas Cuadra & Miguel Del Pino & José Carlos Nieto-Borge & Sancho Salcedo-Sanz, 2017. "Optimizing the Structure of Distribution Smart Grids with Renewable Generation against Abnormal Conditions: A Complex Networks Approach with Evolutionary Algorithms," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-31, July.
    17. Wang, Shuliang & Zhang, Jianhua & Zhao, Mingwei & Min, Xu, 2017. "Vulnerability analysis and critical areas identification of the power systems under terrorist attacks," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 473(C), pages 156-165.
    18. Wang, Zhaojing & Jia, Limin & Ma, Xiaoping & Sun, Xuehui & Tang, Qianxue & Qian, Sina, 2022. "Accessibility-oriented performance evaluation of high-speed railways using a three-layer network model," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 222(C).
    19. Abeysinghe, Sathsara & Wu, Jianzhong & Sooriyabandara, Mahesh & Abeysekera, Muditha & Xu, Tao & Wang, Chengshan, 2018. "Topological properties of medium voltage electricity distribution networks," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 210(C), pages 1101-1112.
    20. Adriana Mar & Pedro Pereira & João F. Martins, 2019. "A Survey on Power Grid Faults and Their Origins: A Contribution to Improving Power Grid Resilience," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-21, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:12:y:2019:i:4:p:682-:d:207626. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.