An Extended Model for Ecological Robustness to Capture Power System Resilience

The long-term resilient property of ecosystems has been quantified as ecological robustness $(\mathrm{R}_{\mathrm{E}\mathrm{C}\mathrm{O}})$ in terms of the energy transfer over food webs. The $\mathrm{R}_{\mathrm{E}\mathrm{C}\mathrm{O}}$ of resilient ecosystems favors a balance of food webs’ network efficiency and redundancy. By integrating $\mathrm{R}_{\mathrm{E}\mathrm{C}\mathrm{O}}$ with power system constraints, the authors are able to optimize power systems’ inherent resilience as ecosystems through network design and system operation. A previous model used on real power flows and aggregated redundant components for a rigorous mapping between ecosystems and power systems. However, the reactive power flows also determine power systems resilience; and the power components’ redundancy is part of the global network redundancy. These characteristics should be considered for $\mathrm{R}_{\mathrm{E}\mathrm{C}\mathrm{O}}$-oriented evaluation and optimization for power systems. Thus, this paper extends the model for quantifying $\mathrm{R}_{\mathrm{E}\mathrm{C}\mathrm{O}}$ in power systems using real, reactive, and apparent power flows with the consideration of redundant placement of generators. Recalling the performance of $\mathrm{R}_{\mathrm{E}\mathrm{C}\mathrm{O}}$-oriented optimal power flows under N-x contingencies, the analyses suggest reactive power flows and redundant components should be included for $\mathrm{R}_{\mathrm{E}\mathrm{C}\mathrm{O}}$ to capture power systems’ inherent resilience.