Cybersecurity and Protection Strategies for Inverter-Based Resource Integration

There is a need for new cybersecurity and protection techniques to ensure the reliability of power systems with inverter-based resources (IBR). Communication-based control techniques enhance the performance of IBR-dominated power systems, but they increase the risk of cyberattacks. Moreover, the unconventional fault behavior of IBRs can cause traditional protection schemes to misoperate. These difficulties are compounded by the black-box nature of IBR controllers, which makes it challenging to develop comprehensive cybersecurity and protection strategies. In this work, an algorithm is developed to detect and mitigate cyberattacks on coordinated inverter control without accessing internal IBR parameters. Additionally, an adaptive fault detection algorithm is developed based on the standardized fault ride through (FRT) behavior of IBRs and the steady state behavior of IBR controllers. To enable the algorithms to be validated on realistic communication and protection devices, a real-time simulation model of a generic IBR controller is developed.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Electrical Engineering

Department dc:contributor.department

Electrical Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Larsen, Caroline Elisabeth

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Mehrizi-Sani, Ali

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Centeno, Virgilio A.
• Mili, Lamine M.

• cybersecurity
• inverter
• microgrid
• protection
• real-time simulation

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Dc Identifier Other

vt_gsexam:43711

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/134942