A sparse eigenvalue-based approach for partitioning power networks

The authors propose a network partitioning algorithm based on the electrical distances among the buses of a system, using a sparse eigenvalue-based approach. The technique clusters interdependent buses together while weakly connected buses are placed in different clusters. The partitioning technique is independent of the system´s operating condition. Small- and medium-sized power systems have been partitioned employing the proposed technique. An example of an application is demonstrated using a corrective control program for alleviating thermal overloads, and comparing the results of the partitioned networks with those obtained with a full network model