Software Defined Networks based Smart Grid Communication: A Comprehensive Survey

The current power grid is no longer a feasible solution due to ever-increasing user demand of electricity, old infrastructure, and reliability issues and thus require transformation to a better grid a.k.a., smart grid (SG). The key features that distinguish SG from the conventional electrical power grid are its capability to perform two-way communication, demand side management, and real time pricing. Despite all these advantages that SG will bring, there are certain issues which are specific to SG communication system. For instance, network management of current SG systems is complex, time consuming, and done manually. Moreover, SG communication (SGC) system is built on different vendor specific devices and protocols. Therefore, the current SG systems are not protocol independent, thus leading to interoperability issue. Software defined network (SDN) has been proposed to monitor and manage the communication networks globally. This article serves as a comprehensive survey on SDN-based SGC. In this article, we first discuss taxonomy of advantages of SDNbased SGC.We then discuss SDN-based SGC architectures, along with case studies. Our article provides an in-depth discussion on routing schemes for SDN-based SGC. We also provide detailed survey of security and privacy schemes applied to SDN-based SGC. We furthermore present challenges, open issues, and future research directions related to SDN-based SGC.Comment: Accepte

Internet of Things-aided Smart Grid: Technologies, Architectures, Applications, Prototypes, and Future Research Directions

Traditional power grids are being transformed into Smart Grids (SGs) to address the issues in existing power system due to uni-directional information flow, energy wastage, growing energy demand, reliability and security. SGs offer bi-directional energy flow between service providers and consumers, involving power generation, transmission, distribution and utilization systems. SGs employ various devices for the monitoring, analysis and control of the grid, deployed at power plants, distribution centers and in consumers' premises in a very large number. Hence, an SG requires connectivity, automation and the tracking of such devices. This is achieved with the help of Internet of Things (IoT). IoT helps SG systems to support various network functions throughout the generation, transmission, distribution and consumption of energy by incorporating IoT devices (such as sensors, actuators and smart meters), as well as by providing the connectivity, automation and tracking for such devices. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive survey on IoT-aided SG systems, which includes the existing architectures, applications and prototypes of IoT-aided SG systems. This survey also highlights the open issues, challenges and future research directions for IoT-aided SG systems

Latency Optimization in Smart Meter Networks

In this thesis, we consider the problem of smart meter networks with data collection to a central point within acceptable delay and least consumed energy. In smart metering applications, transferring and collecting data within delay constraints is crucial. IoT devices are usually resource-constrained and need reliable and energy-efficient routing protocol. Furthermore, meters deployed in lossy networks often lead to packet loss and congestion. In smart grid communication, low latency and low energy consumption are usually the main system targets. Considering these constraints, we propose an enhancement in RPL to ensure link reliability and low latency. The proposed new additive composite metric is Delay-Aware RPL (DA-RPL). Moreover, we propose a repeaters’ placement algorithm to meet the latency requirements. The performance of a realistic RF network is simulated and evaluated. On top of the routing solution, new asynchronous ordered transmission algorithms of UDP data packets are proposed to further enhance the overall network latency performance and mitigate the whole system congestion and interference. Experimental results show that the performance of DA-RPL is promising in terms of end-to-end delay and energy consumption. Furthermore, the ordered asynchronous transmission of data packets resulted in significant latency reduction using just a single routing metric

Spectrum Sharing, Latency, and Security in 5G Networks with Application to IoT and Smart Grid

The surge of mobile devices, such as smartphones, and tables, demands additional capacity. On the other hand, Internet-of-Things (IoT) and smart grid, which connects numerous sensors, devices, and machines require ubiquitous connectivity and data security. Additionally, some use cases, such as automated manufacturing process, automated transportation, and smart grid, require latency as low as 1 ms, and reliability as high as 99.99\%. To enhance throughput and support massive connectivity, sharing of the unlicensed spectrum (3.5 GHz, 5GHz, and mmWave) is a potential solution. On the other hand, to address the latency, drastic changes in the network architecture is required. The fifth generation (5G) cellular networks will embrace the spectrum sharing and network architecture modifications to address the throughput enhancement, massive connectivity, and low latency. To utilize the unlicensed spectrum, we propose a fixed duty cycle based coexistence of LTE and WiFi, in which the duty cycle of LTE transmission can be adjusted based on the amount of data. In the second approach, a multi-arm bandit learning based coexistence of LTE and WiFi has been developed. The duty cycle of transmission and downlink power are adapted through the exploration and exploitation. This approach improves the aggregated capacity by 33\%, along with cell edge and energy efficiency enhancement. We also investigate the performance of LTE and ZigBee coexistence using smart grid as a scenario. In case of low latency, we summarize the existing works into three domains in the context of 5G networks: core, radio and caching networks. Along with this, fundamental constraints for achieving low latency are identified followed by a general overview of exemplary 5G networks. Besides that, a loop-free, low latency and local-decision based routing protocol is derived in the context of smart grid. This approach ensures low latency and reliable data communication for stationary devices. To address data security in wireless communication, we introduce a geo-location based data encryption, along with node authentication by k-nearest neighbor algorithm. In the second approach, node authentication by the support vector machine, along with public-private key management, is proposed. Both approaches ensure data security without increasing the packet overhead compared to the existing approaches

Planeación y despliegue de la red de sensores inalámbricos requerida para la medición inteligente de energía eléctrica usando restricciones de capacidad y cobertura

The electrical energy measurement (EEM), seeks to provide quality services without neglecting the reliability of the system. Therefore, a quality service must be closely linked to the wireless communication technologies, to technify the EEM, not only reading, but also cuts, reconnections, and other additional services that the intelligent measurement infrastructure provides through wireless technologies Such as cell or WiFi, increasingly common because of the reliability they provide in real-time data transmission. Wireless infrastructures allow us to provide coverage to the fixed terminals, determined by the electric meter, and in turn manage and plan the optimal deployment of wireless sensors (SI) in finite areas, whether urban, rural or suburban. This article proposes an optimal model for planning and deploying SI for the EEM in order to guarantee reliable wireless communication links at the lowest implementation cost. Therefore, the proposed algorithm gives global solutions within a finite scenario, making this a scalable model in time able to manage the use of available links. The SIs for the EEM are inserted into the Neighborhood Area Networks (NANs) covered by the mobile communications network.La medición de energía eléctrica (MEE), busca proporcionar servicios de calidad sin descuidar la confiabilidad del sistema. Por lo tanto, un servicio de calidad debe ir estrechamente ligada a las tecnologías de comunicación inalámbrica, para tecnificar la MEE, no solo lectura, sino también cortes, reconexiones, y otros servicios adicionales que la infraestructura de medición inteligente provee a través de tecnologías inalámbricas como celular o WiFi, cada vez más comunes debido a la confiabilidad que estas brindan en la transmisión de datos en tiempo real [1]. Las infraestructuras inalámbricas nos permiten brindar cobertura a los terminales fijos, determinados por el medidor eléctrico, y a su vez gestionar y planificar el óptimo despliegue de sensores inalámbricos (SI) en áreas finitas, ya sean, urbanas, rurales o suburbanas. Este artículo propone un modelo óptimo de planeación y despliegue de SI para la MEE con la finalidad de garantizar enlaces de comunicación inalámbricos confiables al menor costo de implementación. Por lo tanto, el algoritmo propuesto da soluciones globales dentro de un escenario finito, haciendo de este un modelo escalable en el tiempo capaz de gestionar el uso de enlaces disponibles. Los SI para la MEE, son insertados en las Redes de Área Vecindaria (NAN) cubiertas por la red de comunicaciones móviles

Advanced Metering Infrastructure Based on Smart Meters in Smart Grid

Due to lack of situational awareness, automated analysis, poor visibility, and mechanical switches, today\u27s electric power grid has been aging and ill‐suited to the demand for electricity, which has gradually increased, in the twenty‐first century. Besides, the global climate change and the greenhouse gas emissions on the Earth caused by the electricity industries, the growing population, one‐way communication, equipment failures, energy storage problems, the capacity limitations of electricity generation, decrease in fossil fuels, and resilience problems put more stress on the existing power grid. Consequently, the smart grid (SG) has emerged to address these challenges. To realize the SG, an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) based on smart meters is the most important key

Energy efficient multi channel packet forwarding mechanism for wireless sensor networks in smart grid applications

Multichannel Wireless Sensor Networks (MWSNs) paradigm provides an opportunity for the Power Grid (PG) to be upgraded into an intelligent power grid known as the Smart Grid (SG) for efficiently managing the continuously growing energy demand of the 21st century. However, the nature of the intelligent grid environments is affected by the equipment noise, electromagnetic interference, and multipath effects, which pose significant challenges in existing schemes to find optimal vacant channels for MWSNs-based SG applications. This research proposed three schemes to address these issues. The first scheme was an Energy Efficient Routing (ERM) scheme to select the best-optimized route to increase the network performance between the source and the sink in the MWSNs. Secondly, an Efficient Channel Detection (ECD) scheme to detect vacant channels for the Primary Users (PUs) with improved channel detection probability and low probability of missed detection and false alarms in the MWSNs. Finally, a Dynamic Channel Assignment (DCA) scheme that dealt with channel scarcities by dynamically switching between different channels that provided higher data rate channels with longer idle probability to Secondary Users (SUs) at extremely low interference in the MWSNs. These three schemes were integrated as the Energy Efficient Multichannel Packet Forwarding Mechanism (CARP) for Wireless Sensor Networks in Smart Grid Applications. The extensive simulation studies were carried through an EstiNet software version 9.0. The obtained experimental simulation facts exhibited that the proposed schemes in the CARP mechanism achieved improved network performance in terms of packets delivery ratio (26%), congestion management (15%), throughput (23%), probability of channel detection (21%), reduces packet error rate (22%), end-to-end delay (25%), probability of channel missed-detection (25%), probability of false alarms (23.3%), and energy consumption (17%); as compared to the relevant schemes in both EQSHC and G-RPL mechanisms. To conclude, the proposed mechanism significantly improves the Quality of Service (QoS) data delivery performance for MWSNs in SG

A Comprehensive Analysis of Literature Reported Mac and Phy Enhancements of Zigbee and its Alliances

Wireless communication is one of the most required technologies by the common man. The strength of this technology is rigorously progressing towards several novel directions in establishing personal wireless networks mounted over on low power consuming systems. The cutting-edge communication technologies like bluetooth, WIFI and ZigBee significantly play a prime role to cater the basic needs of any individual. ZigBee is one such evolutionary technology steadily getting its popularity in establishing personal wireless networks which is built on small and low-power digital radios. Zigbee defines the physical and MAC layers built on IEEE standard. This paper presents a comprehensive survey of literature reported MAC and PHY enhancements of ZigBee and its contemporary technologies with respect to performance, power consumption, scheduling, resource management and timing and address binding. The work also discusses on the areas of ZigBee MAC and PHY towards their design for specific applications