Join us for the free, virtual EMI Objective Resilience Committee Lecture Series, Hosted by the Durham School Distinguished Lecture.
From Structural Response to System Resilience: Multi-Scale Mechanics of Power Grids under Wind Events
Presented by:
Alice Alipour, Ph.D., P.E., F. SEI, F. ASCE
Thomas M. Murray Faculty Fellow and Associate Professor, Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, Iowa State University
Date: Friday, April 24, 2026
Time: 12:15-1:15pm CT
In person: University of Nebraska, PKI 160 (Omaha), KH A512 (Lincoln), 12:00pm boxed lunches available
Online: Please register for lunch or Zoom link by Tue. 04/21/26
Abstract: Extreme wind events represent one of the dominant drivers of power grid disruptions worldwide, frequently initiating physical failures of overhead line components and triggering cascading outages across interconnected systems. Assessing the resilience of electric power infrastructure under such hazards requires understanding the coupled behavior of structural components, power lines, and the broader network dynamics governing power system operation.
This talk presents a multi-scale mechanics-based framework for evaluating the performance and resilience of power grid infrastructure under wind-driven hazards. At the component scale, high-fidelity finite element models are developed to characterize structural response under stochastic wind loading. At larger spatial scales, these component-level fragility models are integrated into probabilistic outage models for power line segments and embedded within system-level risk assessment frameworks. By coupling hazard exposure, structural vulnerability, and power system operational constraints, the approach quantifies how localized structural failures propagate through the network and influence cascading outage risk and system security.
The resulting framework links structural mechanics, probabilistic hazard modeling, and power system reliability analysis to provide a unified perspective on grid performance during extreme wind events. The results highlight how interactions across scales, from component fragility to network dynamics, govern the resilience of electric power systems and inform risk-informed planning and mitigation strategies for climate-exposed infrastructure.
Looking ahead, the talk will also discuss emerging opportunities for integrating physics-based infrastructure models with data-driven monitoring, probabilistic forecasting of extreme hazards, and digital twins of power networks. These advances offer the potential to move from reactive failure analysis toward predictive resilience, enabling next-generation power grids capable of anticipating, adapting to, and recovering from increasingly complex climate-driven hazards.
