BIO
Mudasser Hassan is a PhD candidate at the University of Tasmania, affiliated with the Centre for Renewable Energy and Power Systems and the ARC Future Grids Training Centre. With a background in electrical engineering and five years of academic teaching experience, his research focuses on controlled islanding to prevent cascading failures in power systems with high renewable penetration, aiming to improve grid reliability and sustainability.
PROJECT TITLE
Controlled Islanding to Mitigate Cascading Fault Events in Power Systems under High Renewable Penetration
SUPERVISORY TEAM
Prof. Michael Negnevitsky
Dr. Waqas Hassan
Assoc. Prof. Evan Franklin
Dr. Pooyan Alinaghi Hosseinabadi
Tony Field (Hydro Tasmania)
PROJECT SUMMARY
This research addresses the critical issue of cascading failures in modern power grids, particularly in systems with a high penetration of renewable energy sources (RESs). While RESs are essential for achieving sustainable energy goals, they introduce variability and unpredictability that challenge traditional stability mechanisms and increase the risk of widespread blackouts. This project proposes Controlled Islanding (CI) as a key strategy to mitigate such failures by intelligently partitioning the grid into self-sustaining islands that remain stable and operational during major disturbances. The study focuses on key CI challenges: determining when to initiate islanding, where to split the grid, and what actions to take post-islanding. A novel hierarchical graph spectral clustering algorithm is proposed to address these challenges. This algorithm integrates both static and dynamic constraint data into a weighted graph model, enabling dynamic and accurate island identification even under high-RES variability. The outcomes aim to provide a more advanced solution for grid operators, ensuring that islanding decisions can adapt effectively to real-time grid conditions.