Improving Performance of Multi-Area State Estimation Using Spectral Clustering

This paper investigates the problem of dividing a large power system into several areas to be solved by a state estimator which coordinates locally obtained decentralized estimates. By applying automatic partitioning to the utility system, the performance of the distributed state estimator can be improved as compared to the pre-defined utility control areas. The presented approach utilizes the spectral properties of the un-directed graph formed by assigning a vertex to every bus and an edge to every pair of buses connected by a line. The graph Laplacian matrix and associated eigenvectors and eigenvalues are used to cluster the graph vertices in such a way that each area has a large number of internal connections, but a small number of external connections. This approach is demonstrated using the IEEE 118 bus system.