Securing power grids in face of attacks using network flow models

Electricity plays a vital role in the economy. The consumption of electricity has exponentially increased beyond the capacity of the existing power grids. Possible attacks from terrorists have made matters worse and raised concerns for electricity operations. Terrorists are expected to plan attacks on a set of lines or nodes in power grids such that the maximum disruption is inflicted and recovery is difficult. The approach of the defender to secure and recover the affected lines or nodes within the power grid must consider the attackers intention. The security of power grid in the event of disruptions due to planned attacks was studied in this research. The objective was to identify the lines vulnerable to attacks and the response of the defender using a network flow model. Network flow models are used to investigate the optimal power generation and transmission so that the loss due to disruption is minimized. A comparative analysis also was carried out to identify the best approach that can be used to secure a power grid. The recovery of disrupted power grids was evaluated by hardening the disrupted power grid lines. The results provide insights for power grid security and operation