Dynamical heterogeneity and universality of power-grids

Electric power systems during transient states are extensively investigated using variations of the Kuramoto model to analyze their dynamic behavior. However, the majority of current models fail to capture the physics of power flows and the heterogeneity of the grids under study. This study addresses this gap by comparing the levels of heterogeneity in continent-sized power grids in Europe and North America to reveal the underlying universality and heterogeneity of grid frequencies, electrical parameters, and topological structures. Empirical data analysis of grid frequencies from the Hungarian grid indicates that q-Gaussian distributions best fit simulations, with spatio-temporally correlated noise evident in the frequency spectrum. Comparing European and North American power grids reveals that employing homogeneous transmission capacities to represent power lines can lead to misleading results on stability, and nodal behavior is heterogeneous. Community structures of the continent-sized grids are detected, demonstrating that Chimera states are more likely to occur when studying only subsystems. A topographical analysis of the grids is presented to assist in selecting such subsystems. Finally, synchronization calculations are provided to illustrate the occurrence of Chimera states. The findings underscore the necessity of heterogeneous grid models for dynamic stability analysis of power systems.