Reliability assessment to large-scale power grid based on small-world topological model

Frequent occurrences of large-scale blackouts and the catastrophic damage have made the reliability of power grid much more concerned in the last few years. Considering the power system as an integrated unit, this paper calculates the topological characteristic parameters of the power grid, investigates the tolerance of power grid against random failures and targeted attacks, and proposes a methodology for the study of the relationship between small-world effects and the reliability of power grid. The failure simulation results of a practical large power grid show that the power grid is much robust facing random failures but becomes much vulnerable in front of attacks on selective nodes.