Complex Systems Track
A complex system may be large or small in scale. A characteristic, however, is that such a system exhibits a behavior under stress that is difficult to predict. This may be because models are not well understood (i.e. load models in electric power systems, behavioral models in social and economic systems). It may be because the number of variables is so large that it is beyond simulation capabilities of current computers, or because the relation between a large number of variables is so complex that current mathematics or simulation methods are inadequate. The electric power system is a worthy example of such a system.
This track seeks to explore methods at the frontier of understanding complex system phenomena. Of special interest is the use of the electric power systems as a context for this exploration.
Track Chair
Prof. Robert J. Thomas
School of Electrical Engineering
428 Phillips Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York 14853
rjt1@cornell.edu
Tel: (607) 255-5083
Fax: (607) 255-8871
Critical Infrastructure Systems
Critical infrastructures such as transportation systems, communication networks, and electric power grids provide rich examples of hybrid systems. These systems contain interactive sub-systems of continuous-time dynamics, discrete-time events, continuous-time controllers, and discrete-time event controllers. Such systems are characterized by complex nonlinear behavior, and experience uncertainty both in their internal description and in external disturbances/environments. The design, analysis and survivability of such infrastructures present many analytical and computational challenges. In this minitrack, we will address issues at two levels:
- Towards the development of robust and survivable systems, we will consider basic characterization of how such interacting systems are likely to fail or degrade, and how local (sub-system level) dynamics interact and evolve towards a global behavior of the overall system.
- From the point of view of practical implementation of prescriptive (control) procedures, we will consider computational issues associated with such highly constrained and multi-objective problems.
Minitrack Chairs:
Dr. Jagdish Chandra
The George Washington University
707 22nd St., NW
Washington, DC 20052
Tel: 202-994-0179
Fax: 202-994-4606
jchandra@seas.gwu.edu |
Information Management and Visualization in Electric Power Systems
As the electricity industry becomes increasingly competitive, knowledge concerning the capacity, constraints and reliability of the electric system will become a commodity of great value. Electricity markets can be fast changing; understanding the implications of these changes before others can give an important competitive advantage. Electric power systems, however, are characterized by extremely large sets of data that cover spatial, temporal and contingent dimensions. Converting these data into usable information requires the cooperative effort of numerous specialized applications, from multiple vendors, running on a variety of different platforms.
Suitable papers for this session should present techniques for integrating, processing and visualizing large-scale models that may be distributed across multiple operating authorities. Papers that cover both distribution and transmission network applications are invited.
Minitrack Chairs:
Prof. Thomas J. Overbye
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering.
University of Illinois
1406 W. Green Street
Urbana, IL 61801
Tel: 217-333-4463
Fax: 217-333-1162
overbye@ece.uiuc.edu |
Dr. Marck R. Robinson
PowerData Corporation
15193 S E 54th Pl
Bellevue, WA 98006
Tel: 425-957-7988 ext 11
Cell: 425-785-4210
marck@powerdata.com |
Security and Reliability
This mini-track focuses on topics related to the ability of complex systems such as power systems to survive disturbances with minimal impact on performance. Specific topics include: steady-state and dynamic security assessment where the impacts of pre-specified contingencies are analyzed; Available Transfer Capability (ATC) which quantifies the ability of the interconnected system to accept increases in power transfers; and related technologies.
Minitrack Chairs:
Prof. Peter W. Sauer
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering.
University of Illinois
1406 W. Green St.
Urbana, IL 61801
Tel: 217-333-0394
Fax: 217-333-1162
sauer@ece.uiuc.edu |
Self-Organizing Criticality
Complex Systems with characteristics of Self-Organizing Criticality (SOC) or Highly-Optimized Tolerance (HOT) exhibit events of all sizes, typically with a frequency of occurence described by a heavy-tailed distribution. Some large physical systems, such as the electric power grid, have failure statistics consistent with event statistics of SOC and HOT systems. This suggests that large-scale failures are not anomalies but should be
expected as infrequent, dramatic events. Papers are sought which examine network properties, such as topology and dynamics, which contribute to SOC and HOT behavior, and further the evidence for and the characterization of such behavior in large networks.
Minitrack Chairs:
Bernie Lesieutre
MIT
Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Rm 10-091
Cambridge, MA 02139-4307
Tel: (617) 253-3934
Fax: (617) 258-6774
bcl@mit.edu |
Markets and Regulation
Reliance on market mechanisms and decentralized decisions as alternatives to central planning and government regulation of critical infrastructure enterprises has gained momentum worldwide over the last decade. Within many nations this trend is manifested through the sale of government owned and operated monopolies in energy (electricity, gas and oil), in water and in public transportation. In nations such as the United States where independent ownership was frequently the case, increased dependence on market mechanism is replacing governmental price regulation in the same industries. Whether under the title of privatization, deregulation or restructuring, the outcome is much the same, the testing of competitive market forces setting prices for commodities that in the past were actively controlled through direct government ownership or regulation.
The theme of the Markets and Regulation Mini Track is to solicit analytical papers that focus on the experience in multiple national settings of restructuring of, primarily, the energy sectors. Specific attention should be given to the interactions between the commercial market and the complexities of the physical systems for producing and delivering energy. Topics of specific interest include but are not limited to:
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- Market response to new (and changing) market operating rules.
- The reemergence of regulation as a major influence in energy markets.
- The physical and economic integration of distributed technologies into the electric power system.
- Design of markets, exchanges, and auction formats
- Property rights, congestion management and hedging in transmission systems
- Provision of reliability through markets
- Market based capacity expansion for generation and transmission
- Financial Engineering and Real Options approaches to asset valuation an risk management
- Load as a resource and the design of contracts for load response.
- Experimental analysis of both producer and consumer behavior in response to volatile or variable commodity prices.
Minitrack Chairs
Professor Shmuel Oren
University of California at Berkeley
IOER Dept. Etchevery Hall 4119
Berkeley, CA 94705
OREN@IEOR.Berkeley.edu |
Richard D. Tabors
Massachusetts Institute of Technology and
Tabors Caramanis & Associates
50 Church Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
tabors@tca-us.com |