A Graph-Theoretic Approach for Modelling and Resiliency Analysis of Synchrophasor Communication Networks

In recent years, the Smart Grid (SG) has been conceptualized as a burgeoning technology for improvising power systems. The core of the communication infrastructure in SGs is the Synchrophasor Communication Network (SCN). Using the SCN, synchrophasor data communication is facilitated between the Phasor Measurement Unit (PMU) and Phasor Data Concentrator (PDC). However, the SCN is subjected to many challenges. As a result, the components, such as the links, PMUs, PDCs, nodes, etc., of the SCN are subjected to failure. Such failure affects the operation of the SCN and results in the performance degradation of the SG. The performance degradation of the smart grid is observed either temporarily or permanently due to packet loss. To avoid dire consequences, such as a power blackout, the SCN must be resilient to such failures. This paper presents a novel analytical method for the resiliency analysis of SCNs. A graph-theoretic approach was used to model SCN from the resiliency analysis perspective. Furthermore, we proposed a simulation framework for validating the analytical method using the Network Simulator-3 (ns-3) software. The proposed non-intrusive simulation framework can also be extended to design and analyse the resiliency of generic communication networks.

Automated summary

The Smart Grid is a burgeoning technology for improving power systems, with the Synchrophasor Communication Network (SCN) being a crucial component. However, the SCN faces challenges such as failure in links and packet loss, which significantly impact the performance of the Smart Grid. This paper presents a novel analytical method using a graph-theoretic approach to assess the resiliency of the SCN, along with a simulation framework using Network Simulator-3 (ns-3) software to validate the method.