Assessing the vulnerability of power network accounting for demand diversity among urban functional zones

Abstract

This paper proposes a method for assessing power network vulnerability considering demand diversity among urban functional zones. By simulating various demand entities across urban functional zones based on Point of Interest (POI) data, a power demand model is developed based on load density indicators. Additionally, a power network model is developed, and cascading failure mechanisms are defined to represent the dynamic behavior of the power network. A comprehensive vulnerability assessment model is then built, considering both structural and functional aspects. Finally, a case study is conducted to assess the power network's vulnerability under various demand settings and failure scenarios. The case study reveals that node failures affect not only neighboring nodes but also non-adjacent ones. Also, structural vulnerability (SV) and functional vulnerability (FV) reflect different aspects of power network performance, and SV is generally higher than FV. As expected, both SV and FV are found to increase with rising demand, and the vulnerability growth trends vary across different demand growth scenarios. Based on the influence of demand growth on system vulnerability, power network nodes are categorized into three types: inherently vulnerable, demand-sensitive and stable. Finally, this study evaluates the effectiveness of energy storage deployment and edge capacity expansion strategies in mitigating power network vulnerability under demand growth scenarios.