GICoupled

Gicoupled is a term used in electrical engineering and geophysics to describe systems, models, or analyses in which geomagnetically induced currents (GIC) are coupled to the electrical network or other conductive systems. The term is a portmanteau of GIC and coupled, and is sometimes written as GICoupled or GIC-coupled. It is most commonly encountered in discussions of space weather impacts on power grids, where GICs flowing in transformers and conductors can affect voltage stability and protection schemes.

In practice, gicoupled modeling involves integrating geophysical inputs, such as time-varying geoelectric fields, with network equations that represent transmission lines, transformers, grounding, and loads. Approaches range from DC approximations for steady-state GICs to fully time-domain simulations that account for transformer saturation and nonlinear interactions. Tools and platforms used in this area include specialized power system simulators and generalized impedance methodologies, sometimes integrated with geophysical data processing.

Applications of gicoupled analyses include risk assessment, mitigation planning, and grid design. They help engineers evaluate equipment stress, protection settings, and potential cascading outages during geomagnetic storms, informing strategies to limit adverse impacts on reliability and safety.

Challenges in the field include scarcity of measurements, uncertainty in geoelectric field predictions, nonlinearity of transformer behavior, and the complexity of coupling with other dynamic phenomena in the grid. The term remains primarily used in academic and professional literature and may be encountered alongside related concepts such as geomagnetically induced currents, space weather, and coupled network modeling.