Paradigms and performance of distributed cyber-enabled control schemes for the smart grid

This paper investigates and compares distributed control approaches for transient stability in power systems. We consider a simple feedback linearization-based local control technique and the use of spectral clustering to identify control areas. The following distributed control scenarios are considered: 1) distributed control of all area generators, 2) distributed control only at the largest inertia generator of an area, and 3) hierarchical control that entails a combination of centralized (tier-2) and distributed (tier-1) control. We compare the performance of the three control approaches against various faults in the system and we investigate the effect of area clustering outcomes. Numerical results show the effectiveness of the proposed controller schemes against disturbances in the New England power system.