A power flow based model for the analysis of vulnerability in power networks

• A new model for the analysis of power system vulnerability is proposed.
• A new vulnerability index is presented to identify the vulnerable lines.
• The proposed model can have a closer approximation to a real power grid.
• Simulations show the proposed model is more effective in vulnerability analysis.

An innovative model which considers power flow, one of the most important characteristics in a power system, is proposed for the analysis of power grid vulnerability. Moreover, based on the complex network theory and the Max-Flow theorem, a new vulnerability index is presented to identify the vulnerable lines in a power grid. In addition, comparative simulations between the power flow based model and existing models are investigated on the IEEE 118-bus system. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed model and the index are more effective in power grid vulnerability analysis.