Artificial Intelligence Assisted Power Flow Control, Fault Classification, and Adaptive Protection in Utility-Scale Electrical Power Grids

Abstract

The increasing penetration of renewable energy resources, power electronics-based devices, and distributed generation has significantly increased the operational complexity of utility-scale electrical power grids. Conventional power flow control, fault detection, and protection schemes that rely on static models and fixed thresholds are often insufficient for managing the nonlinear, dynamic, and data-intensive behavior of modern power systems. This study examines the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques to enhance power flow control, fault classification, and adaptive protection in utility-scale grids. Machine learning and deep learning models are utilized to support real-time grid monitoring, predictive power flow optimization, and rapid fault identification under diverse operating conditions. The proposed AI-assisted framework leverages historical and real-time measurements obtained from phasor measurement units, intelligent electronic devices, and supervisory control and data acquisition systems to improve situational awareness and decision-making. In addition, adaptive protection strategies are designed to dynamically adjust relay settings in response to changes in network topology, load profiles, and fault characteristics, thereby improving system reliability, selectivity, and resilience. Simulation-based results indicate that AI-driven approaches achieve higher fault classification accuracy, faster response times, and greater robustness under uncertainty compared to conventional protection methods. The findings demonstrate the effectiveness of AI-assisted control and protection solutions in supporting secure and efficient operation of future utility-scale electrical power grids.