Cascading Failure Analysis for Ocean Energy Turbine Generator Arrays

• Main Authors: Cardei, Ionut, Pardonner, Davy
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Subjects: cascade failure; Couplings; Generators; interdependent networks; Load modeling; ocean power generator; Oceans; Power system faults; Power system protection; Turbines
• ISSN: 2472-9647
• DOI: 10.1109/SYSCON.2019.8836773

Underwater ocean turbines are an emerging technology for renewable energy production that taps fast-moving ocean currents, like the Gulf Stream, to alleviate the need for clean energy. Realistic installations with underwater turbines will involve large arrays with thousands of devices interconnected in an interdependent multi-layer network topology. The complexity of the design of such systems comes from a high risk of device failure operating in a dynamic environment and a high connectivity via power, data, and mooring lines. Dealing with this complexity requires a scalable solution for investigating the conditions in which cascading failures can occur and the magnitude of such failures. In this paper we describe a simulation framework for a multi-layer interdependent network and we look into cascading failures for ocean turbine arrays in scenarios with different initial conditions, power/data network topologies, and mooring configurations. Simulation results indicate a higher sensitivity of the cascade growth to initial load parameters near the lower bound and also point out that increased connectivity makes cascade failures more certain.