Abstract
Grid-tied power electronic converters are key enabling technologies for interfacing renewable energy sources, energy storage, electrical vehicles, microgrids, and high-voltage dc transmission lines with the electrical power grid. As the number of power converters in modern grids continually increases, their monitoring and coordinated control in a way to support the grid have become topics of increased practical and research interest. In connection with this, latest standards have also defined a mandatory set of control parameters for grid-tied converters, which should be adjustable by a remote entity that sends commands through a communication network. While such a remote control capability allows many new control functions in grid-tied converters, it also renders them vulnerable to cyber-attacks. The aim of this article is first to shed light on the portions of the power converter control systems that are vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Next, typical cyber-attacks are overviewed by considering different applications of the grid-tied converters. Further, the impact of different types of cyber-attacks on grid support functions is studied. Finally, this article is concluded with summary and recommendation for further research.
Highlights
O NE of the most important global technological goals in this century is to realize carbon-neutral electrical power systems
Since the focus of this paper is based only on evaluating different control principles for voltage source converters (VSCs) in the presence of cyber attacks, each attack scenario is carried out considering the system and control parameters from the paper(s), which are consistently highlighted in the caption of results of the respective case study
The challenges and vulnerabilities associated with the control of modern grid-tied power converters due to cyber attacks have been analyzed from the system standpoint
Summary
O NE of the most important global technological goals in this century is to realize carbon-neutral electrical power systems. The reliability factor involved with deep integration of the communication layers to achieve coordination play a vital role in new security concerns Such threats ranging from thefts, cyber attacks may result in system shutdown, cascaded failure, damage to the consumer loads, endangered energy market operation, etc. Intelligently modeled cyber attacks with plentiful system information creates disparity in securing the electric grid as they bypass the model verification tests [8] It emanates additional vulnerabilities in the smart grid from a control systems perspective, albeit the newly IT secure verification methods. For the purpose of better understanding of security problems in power electronics based cyber-physical systems, this paper discuss the following: 1) control and operational challenges faced by the VSCs used in different applications due to cyber attacks.
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