Abstract:Structural properties of the grid on a macro level and electrical characteristicsof the components on a micro level together determine the risk of catastrophic failures. As a dynamic development process, the catastrophic failure not only needs to consider its direct risk but also the potential risks. Unlike the direct exposure of direct risk, potential risks are spread and hidden along with the inherent properties of network connection. When the risk spreads, the inherent properties of the grid affects the diffusion mechanism of catastrophic failure. Based on uncertainty risk analysis theory and contact number theory, and considering direct risk and potential risk comprehensively, the uncertain correlation coefficient between direct risk and potential risk is quantitatively characterized by degree and clustering coefficient of node. Taking the grid contains small-world effect and scale-free topology into account, the Apollonius power grid is established to demonstrate the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method, and to verify its rationality by a real power grid in western region. The results prove that the proposed method can meet the practical needs of engineering and describe the comprehensive risk of catastrophic accident in power system more completely.