Data-Driven Control and Cybersecurity in Modern Distribution Networks.

Abstract

Traditionally, power system dynamics have been studied through models based on differential equations. However, with the advent of data-driven methods, control theory is experiencing a paradigm shift. This talk will explore the principles of data-driven control and its critical applications in modern power systems, energy distribution networks, and power electronics. By focusing on how measurement data replaces traditional models, we will demonstrate how numerical methods can now be used to achieve stability and control design.

A key aspect of this evolution is the need to design control systems that are resilient to cyber threats. As power grids incorporate technologies such as Distribution Phasor Measurement Units (D-PMUs) and Distributed Energy Resources (DERs), the risk of cyberattacks has increased. This talk will integrate concepts of control theory, such as stability, with data analytics techniques to detect and mitigate cyber threats in real time. We will examine how the same data-driven approaches used for system control can also be employed to detect anomalies, identify potential attacks, and deploy effective countermeasures, ensuring system stability even under malicious interference.

Examples of how these integrated control and cybersecurity frameworks can be applied will be presented, focusing on resilience against threats like false-data injection and denial-of-service attacks. By combining control theory with robust cybersecurity measures, this approach underscores the importance of designing systems that are secure by design, capable of maintaining both stability and security in increasingly complex and interconnected power distribution networks.

Bio

Jonathan C. Mayo-Maldonado received the B.S. and M.Eng. degrees in electrical engineering from Tecnologico Nacional de Mexico, Ciudad Madero, Mexico, in 2008 and 2010, respectively, and the Ph.D. degree in electrical and electronic engineering from the University of Southampton, Southampton, U.K., in 2015. From 2015 to 2021, he was a Faculty Member with the Department of Electrical Engineering, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico. Since 2021 he is a Lecturer in electrical machines and drives with The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, U.K. He was a recipient of the Doctoral Control and Automation Dissertation Prize by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), in 2015, for his thesis titled Switched Linear Differential Systems. He is a senior member of the IEEE since 2022. His research interests include system and control theory, power electronics, and smart grid technologies.