Identification of Weak Links in Transmission Networks Based on Line Flexibility Evaluation (CICED 2024)

To identify the bottlenecks of insufficient flexibility in existing transmission networks, this paper proposes a method for identifying weak links in transmission networks based on line flexibility evaluation. Firstly, the flexibility supply and demand at nodes are quantitatively analyzed and converted into the flexibility supply and demand of transmission lines. Secondly, the definitions of line flexibility resource supply, line flexibility carrying capacity, and line flexibility margin are introduced to identify the causes of insufficient grid flexibility. Furthermore, an optimal economic operation model of the grid is established, and an 8760-hour sequential operation simulation is conducted to obtain the flexibility evaluation indicators of each line, thereby locating the weak links in the transmission network. Finally, the Garver 6-bus system is used as a simulation example to verify that the proposed method can effectively identify the bottlenecks of flexibility in existing transmission networks.