Determining the Damage State of the Electrical Distribution System Following an Earthquake

Abstract

Natural disasters are unpredictable in when and how strong they will be when they occur. This unpredictability makes determining how a system will react to the undesired input difficult. In addition, when a natural disaster strikes a populated area, the lifelines which support the area, water, electricity, etc., are all affected. These effects intertwine and affect the local populace, causing hardship and harm. The goal of this research was to attempt to reduce the harm done to the affected populace in the wake of a natural disaster. This research specifically looked at the natural disaster of earthquakes and how earthquakes can affect the electrical power distribution system. An algorithm was made, which creates an abstract graph of the electrical distribution system, relating the various components of the distribution system with the probability of damage state the component is in.