A Framework for Resiliency Assessment of Power Communication Networks

Modern societies are strongly dependent on the continuous and efficient operation of electric power systems as a critical infrastructure. Besides, information and communication systems play a crucial role in the resiliency enhancement of the power system. As power communication systems are vulnerable against physical and cyber attack, these systems themselves can be an internal source of threat for power grids. Therefore, there is a need to identify and study the threats and weaknesses of power communication systems using a comprehensive framework. This framework helps power communication network planners evaluate all challenges and their numerous effects on the system, as a very important step towards designing such systems. In the present paper, we propose such a framework by introducing the concept of the 'resiliency matrix'. In this regard, the resiliency of two alternative network plans, both of which are the solutions of a multi objective optimal design problem, is evaluated and compared using the proposed framework. The results reveal that the defined framework is capable of enhancing network resiliency and, thus, can be used as a complementary step towards designing optimal and robust power communication networks. (C) 2014 Sharif University of Technology. All rights reserved.