Current challenges and future trends in the field of communication architectures for microgrids

[EN] The concept of microgrid has emerged as a feasible answer to cope with the increasing number of distributed renewable energy sources which are being introduced into the electrical grid. The microgrid communication network should guarantee a complete and bidirectional connectivity among the microgrid resources, a high reliability and a feasible interoperability. This is in a contrast to the current electrical grid structure which is characterized by the lack of connectivity, being a centralized-unidirectional system. In this paper a review of the microgrids information and communication technologies (ICT) is shown. In addition, a guideline for the transition from the current communication systems to the future generation of microgrid communications is provided. This paper contains a systematic review of the most suitable communication network topologies, technologies and protocols for smart microgrids. It is concluded that a new generation of peer-to-peer communication systems is required towards a dynamic smart microgrid. Potential future research about communications of the next microgrid generation is also identified.This work is supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under Grant ENE2015-64087-C2-2. This work is supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) under grant BES-2013-064539.Marzal-Romeu, S.; Salas-Puente, RA.; González Medina, R.; Garcerá, G.; Figueres Amorós, E. (2018). Current challenges and future trends in the field of communication architectures for microgrids. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 82(2):3610-3622. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2017.10.101S3610362282

The role of communication systems in smart grids: Architectures, technical solutions and research challenges

The purpose of this survey is to present a critical overview of smart grid concepts, with a special focus on the role that communication, networking and middleware technologies will have in the transformation of existing electric power systems into smart grids. First of all we elaborate on the key technological, economical and societal drivers for the development of smart grids. By adopting a data-centric perspective we present a conceptual model of communication systems for smart grids, and we identify functional components, technologies, network topologies and communication services that are needed to support smart grid communications. Then, we introduce the fundamental research challenges in this field including communication reliability and timeliness, QoS support, data management services, and autonomic behaviors. Finally, we discuss the main solutions proposed in the literature for each of them, and we identify possible future research directions

Ubiquity of Client Access in Heterogeneous Access Environment, Journal of Telecommunications and Information Technology, 2014, nr 3

With popularization of mobile computing and diverse offer of mobile devices providing functionality comparable to personal computers, the necessity of providing network access for such users cannot be disputed. The requirement is further reinforced by emergence of general purpose mobile operating systems which provide their full functionality only with network connectivity available and popular XaaS (Everything as a Service) approach. In this situation and combined with the fact that most Internet-based services are able to function efficiently even in best effort environment, requirement of ubiquity of network access becomes one of the most important elements of today’s computing environment. This paper presents a general overview of the the vast group of mechanisms and technologies utilized in modern attempts to efficiently provide ubiquity on network access in heterogeneous environment of today’s access systems. It starts with division of users interested in ubiquitous network access into broad groups of common interest, complete with their basic requirements and access characteristics, followed by a survey of both already popular and new wireless technologies suitable to provide such access. Then a general discussion of most important challenges which must be addressed while attempting to fulfill the above goal is provided, addressing topics such as handover control and mobility management

Smart Grid Metering Networks: A Survey on Security, Privacy and Open Research Issues

Smart grid (SG) networks are newly upgraded networks of connected objects that greatly improve reliability, efficiency and sustainability of the traditional energy infrastructure. In this respect, the smart metering infrastructure (SMI) plays an important role in controlling, monitoring and managing multiple domains in the SG. Despite the salient features of SMI, security and privacy issues have been under debate because of the large number of heterogeneous devices that are anticipated to be coordinated through public communication networks. This survey paper shows a brief overview of real cyber attack incidents in traditional energy networks and those targeting the smart metering network. Specifically, we present a threat taxonomy considering: (i) threats in system-level security, (ii) threats and/or theft of services, and (iii) threats to privacy. Based on the presented threats, we derive a set of security and privacy requirements for SG metering networks. Furthermore, we discuss various schemes that have been proposed to address these threats, considering the pros and cons of each. Finally, we investigate the open research issues to shed new light on future research directions in smart grid metering networks

Integration of unidirectional technologies into wireless back-haul architecture

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Docter of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.Back-haul infrastructures of today's wireless operators must support the triple-play services demanded by the market or regulatory bodies. To cope with increasing capacity demand, the EU FP7 project CARMEN has developed a cost-effective heterogeneous multi-radio wireless back-haul architecture, which may also leverage the native multicast capabilities of broadcast technologies such as DVB-T to off-load high-bandwidth broadcast content delivery. However, the integration of such unidirectional technologies into a packet-switched architecture requires careful considerations. The contribution of this thesis is the investigation, design and evaluation of protocols and mechanisms facilitating the integration of such unidirectional technologies into the wireless back-haul architecture so that they can be configured and utilized by the spectrum and capacity optimization modules. This integration mainly concerns the control plane and, in particular, the aspects related to resource and capability descriptions, neighborhood, link and Multi Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) Label-Switched Path (LSP) monitoring, unicast and multicast LSP signalling as well as topology forming and maintenance. During the course of this study we have analyzed the problem space, proposed solutions to the resulting research questions and evaluated our approach. Our results show that the now Unidirectional Technology (UDT)-aware architecture can readily consider Unidirectional Technologies (UDTs) to distribute, for example, broadcast content

From MANET to people-centric networking: Milestones and open research challenges

In this paper, we discuss the state of the art of (mobile) multi-hop ad hoc networking with the aim to present the current status of the research activities and identify the consolidated research areas, with limited research opportunities, and the hot and emerging research areas for which further research is required. We start by briefly discussing the MANET paradigm, and why the research on MANET protocols is now a cold research topic. Then we analyze the active research areas. Specifically, after discussing the wireless-network technologies, we analyze four successful ad hoc networking paradigms, mesh networks, opportunistic networks, vehicular networks, and sensor networks that emerged from the MANET world. We also present an emerging research direction in the multi-hop ad hoc networking field: people centric networking, triggered by the increasing penetration of the smartphones in everyday life, which is generating a people-centric revolution in computing and communications

Secure and efficient routing in highly dynamic WLAN mesh networks

Recent advances in embedded systems, energy storage, and communication interfaces, accompanied by the falling prices of WLAN routers and a considerable increase in the throughput of a WLAN (IEEE 802.11), have facilitated the proliferation of WLAN Mesh Network (WMN) applications. In addition to their current deployments in less dynamic community networks, WMNs have become a key solution in various highly dynamic scenarios. For instance, WMNs are intended to interconnect self-organized, cooperative, and small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in a wide range of applications, such as emergency response, environmental monitoring, and ad-hoc network provisioning. Nevertheless, WMNs still face major security challenges as they are prone to routing attacks. Consequently, the network can be sabotaged and, in the case of UAV-WMN-supported missions, the attacker might manipulate payload data or even hijack UAVs. Contemporary security standards, such as the IEEE 802.11i and the security mechanisms of the IEEE 802.11s mesh standard, are vulnerable to routing attacks, as experimentally shown in this research. Therefore, a secure routing protocol is indispensable for making feasible the deployment of WMNs in critical scenarios, such as UAV-WMN-assisted applications. As far as the author of this thesis knows, none of the existing research approaches for secure routing in WMNs have gained acceptance in practice due to their high overhead or strong assumptions. In this research, a new approach, which is called Position-Aware, Secure, and Efficient mesh Routing (PASER), is proposed. This new proposal defeats more attacks than the IEEE 802.11s/i security mechanisms and the well-known, secure routing protocol Authenticated Routing for Ad-hoc Networks (ARAN), without making restrictive assumptions. It is shown that PASER achieves —in realistic UAV-WMN scenarios— similar performance results as the well-established, nonsecure routing protocols Hybrid Wireless Mesh Protocol (HWMP) combined with the IEEE 802.11s security mechanisms. Two representative scenarios are considered: (1) on-demand ubiquitous network access and (2) efficient exploration of sizable areas in disaster relief. The performance evaluation results are produced using an experimentally validated simulation model of WMNs, realistic mobility patterns of UAVs, and an experimentally derived channel model for the air-to-air WMN link between UAVs. The findings of this evaluation are justified by the route discovery delay and the message overhead of the considered solutions

Wireless network architecture for future smart grid machine to machine communications

Transformation of the conventional power grid into an efficient power delivery network is an important advance that will benefit consumers, business and the environment by providing improved integration of renewable energy, including solar and wind. A reliable, low latency communication system is a fundamental requirement for smart power grids. To achieve bidirectional energy distribution capability and to support diverse Smart Grid (SG) applications, the modern SG requires the capacity to handle the traffic generated by machine to machine (M2M) communication infrastructure. Successful integration of numerous SG applications, renewable energy sources and Electric Vehicles (EVs) into a conventional power grid would not be possible without a communication network that has been designed to support the needs of the new and innovative renewable power generation, distribution and storage technologies. While the legacy communication infrastructure, utilized to support the existing power network, fails to support all of the SG functionalities, Software Defined Networking (SDN), based on wireless communication systems, has the potential to provide an effective solution. SDN offers a range of features that fulfill the unique requirements of the SG applications. Being a new networking paradigm, SDN remains to be implemented for SG M2M communication scenarios and there remain a number of challenges that need to be overcome. M2M communication protocols and standards provide a starting point for the broader development of SG communication networks that can be enhanced by abstracting high-level network functionalities. The aim of this research was to carry out an in-depth study on the future SG communication networks and to propose solutions to identified limitations of existing communication networks. Keeping this intention in mind, the study first focuses on the SG application modeling techniques based on the traffic requirements and power supply load profiles. To address the dynamicity of the traffic model and demand load curve, a series of analytical models and smart algorithms were developed. SG application models were developed and evaluated using a range of scenarios reflecting typical usage. Heterogenous network architectures and efficient traffic models were developed to identify an appropriate wireless communication technology and to maximize the network performance for major SG applications. However, a careful observation of the communication networks ability to manage and control the diverse M2M communications reveals that the inadequate dynamic communication network configuration capability would be a problem for future SG applications. M2M communication protocols and standards provide a starting point for the broader development of SG communication networks that can be enhanced by abstracting high-level network functionalities. To realize the full potential of the SGs and deployment scenarios it is essential to analyze the major applications and key requirements to develop those applications. Also, it might be necessary to select an appropriate communication technology for each of the power system domains. The study first focuses on the SG application modeling techniques based on the traffic requirement and load supply profiles of the power system. To address dynamicity of the traffic model and demand load curve, a series of analytical models and smart algorithms were developed. The developed SG application models were further evaluated using simulation scenarios and a test bed model. The challenge of selecting an appropriate wireless communication technology and maximizing network performance for major SG applications was handled by developing multiple heterogenous network architectures and efficient traffic models. A comprehensive literature review of the state of the art of SG applications and standards was carried out to develop robust network models utilizing diverse communication technologies. The literature survey immensely helped to develop two novel SG application models, Zigbee based Pilot protection scheme for a smart distribution grid and Vehicle to Grid (V2G) smart load management scheme. Application modelling included detail traffic modelling, developing smart algorithms, analytical models, user load profile analysis, simulation models and test bed setups. Furthermore, a novel WiMax Ranging scheme is presented to improve the random-access mechanism for various periodic M2M applications supported by extensive simulation based performance analysis. Future SGs will be overwhelmed by an excessive number of sensor devices that collect various data related to the power system. In a SG Neighborhood Area Network (NAN), wireless sensor networks (WSNs) will play a key role in the development of major SG applications. The application centric WSNs require complex configurations such as well-defined access techniques, transmission and security protocols. Challenges also include development of appropriate routing protocols to tackle resource limitations and delay caused by decentralized WSNs and ad hoc based packet forwarding techniques. A careful observation of manageability and controllability of the diverse M2M network reveals that the inadequate dynamic network configuration capability of the existing SG communication network would be a key bottleneck for future SG. Thus, a novel WSN based communication framework is presented exploiting the emerging SDN networking paradigm. SDN would be beneficial for SGs in many ways. By decoupling the control plane and data forwarding plane, SDN facilitates real-time control and integration of network services and applications that can reach down into the network through the controller hierarchy. A higher degree of control over the overall SG communication network would be achievable via the dynamic programmability provided by SDN. The SDN based WSN network must be robust enough to support the adaptive energy dispatching capacity of the modern power system. The proposed communication framework incorporates novel communication features to separate the control plane and data forwarding plane within the SG communication network. This includes detailed modeling of the control and data plane communication parameters to support both delay sensitive and delay tolerant SG applications. The unique SDN features offers a platform to accommodate maximum number of SG applications with highest controllability and manageability. The performance of the SDN based future SG network is evaluated using a simulation scenario that considers realistic user load profiles, wireless standards, the SG premises geographical area and the state of the art of the SG standards. Although the control plane enables a global view of the data plane and provides a centralized platform to control and deploy new services, physically a single controller in the controller would not be practical for SG networks. The challenges arise in terms of scalability, security and reliability, particularly in a SG environment. To increase the efficiency of the proposed SDN based WSNs for the SG NAN, the study proposed distributed controllers with a comprehensive analytical model that optimizes the number of distributed controllers to enhance performance of the proposed communication framework in the NAN domain. The proposed framework along with the analytical model derive several solutions, such as the minimum number of controllers to support the switches and M2M devices, accommodate SG applications and a differentiated flow processing technique to support all traffic types within the network. Lastly, the study focuses on developing SDN-based application specific traffic models for the smart distribution grid. The thesis focuses on three major issues while developing a future SG communication system. Firstly, its identifies major applications and their traffic requirements at different domains of the SG. Appropriate traffic models were developed by designing robust wireless communication network models. Also, application centric smart optimization techniques are adopted to achieve maximum performance and presented with simulation results, statistical analysis and a test bed result analysis. Secondly, to facilitate the centralized controllability and programmability for supporting diverse SG applications within the SG, a novel WSNs communication framework is presented exploiting the next generation SDN paradigm. Both delay sensitive and delay tolerant SG applications were considered based on the traffic requirement to develop the SDN based WSN communication framework in the SG NAN. Smart algorithms were developed at the SDN based WSN application layer to accommodate a large number of SG applications. The framework feasibility is demonstrated by the simulations carried out to verify the model and provide a statistical analysis. Thirdly, the thesis focuses on developing a novel analytical model that can be used to determine the optimal number of distributed controllers and switches in a SG NAN domain. The proposed application centric traffic modelling techniques, SDN based wireless communication framework and analytical models in this thesis can be adapted for research into other communication networks, particularly those that are begin developed for the Internet of Things and other forms of M2M communications. Also, due to the technology agonistic characteristics of the analytical and traffic models, they can be used in the development of various wireless networks, particularly those that focus on wireless sensor networks, more generally than the broader Internet of Things

Contribution to the traffc engineering in wireless mesh networks

Nowadays, we live in a modern society in which people and devices are interconnected anywhere and anytime. Under this premise, both the infrastructure and the services offered have evolved and diversified in a drastic way. In fact, many of these services are transported in decentralized networks. Among them, Wireless mesh networks are decentralized networks that have been widely studied in different research areas such as community networks, public safety and surveillance. Wireless mesh networks have been also studied and evaluated in the Smart Grid scenario. Smart Grids are a new paradigm in which the electricity network is no longer focused only on the generation, distribution and transport of electricity to subscribers. Now, it is a robust network that includes a data communication network. The associated data network is divided in different subnetworks. This thesis is mainly focused on the improvement of the performance of one of those subnetworks, the so-called Smart Grid Neighborhood Area Network. Several applications are transmitted between the users and the control center. In general, upstream communication involves tasks such as meter reading, billing data or electricity consumption, while downstream communication allows the smart grid to take actions in different network situations such as power peaks or emergency situations. In the first part, the work is focused on improving the routing mechanism. To do this, a multipath routing mechanism is proposed, where the traffics that are most important are transmitted over the best communication links. In order to improve even more the benefits obtained, a multichannel scheme is proposed to separate both control traffic and data traffic, and use the less congested channels to transmit the most priority traffic types.Smart Grids offer many services and some of them are very demanding in terms of QoS. Besides, infrastructure failures, attacks and high congestion situations can greatly reduce the network performance. Therefore, the network must be able to offer a minimum QoS to the most priority applications handling some traffic control techniques. With this goal in mind, in this thesis some congestion control mechanisms are also proposed. In the first of these mechanisms, the decision of whether a packet should be retransmitted or not is made in a distributed and independent way by each one of the network nodes, depending on the network conditions that the node itself is observing. This mechanism considers again the existence of traffics with different priorities, so that, less priority traffic has a higher probability of being discarded. Furthermore, an emergency system is coupled to the congestion control mechanism. With this strategy, the NAN is able to take global actions (in a short time) to face anomalous situations.In a Smart grid scenario, the nodes are static and each of them transmits upstream data flows to the data concentrator. Therefore, depending on their geographical location, some nodes may be more favored than others. Besides, some nodes can monopolize the network resources if they are not regulated. For this reason, in this thesis another distributed solution is proposed that runs in each node. The objective here is to provide a fair distribution of network resources regardless of the geographical position and the transmission rate. The last contribution is focused on the application of machine learning techniques to obtain again a better performance of the data networks under study. In this sense, a new congestion control mechanism is proposed, which, like the previous ones, provides different quality of service to data flows with different priorities. For this, a complete framework is proposed, including the generation, preprocessing and evaluation of the data necessary for the training of the machine learning algorithms that will be used. The proposal is also implemented and evaluated in the Smart Grid NANs environmentAvui dia, vivim en una societat en què les persones i els dispositius estan interconnectats en qualsevol lloc i en qualsevol moment. Sota aquesta premissa, la infraestructura com els serveis oferts han evolucionat i diversificat de manera dràstica. De fet, molts d'aquests serveis s'envien en xarxes descentralitzades. Entre elles, les xarxes de malla sense fils són xarxes descentralitzades que han estat àmpliament estudiades en diferents àrees com xarxes comunitàries, seguretat pública i vigilància. Les xarxes de malla sense fils també s'han estudiat i avaluat en les xarxes elèctriques intel·ligents. Aquestes xarxes són un nou paradigma on la xarxa elèctrica ja no es centra només en la generació, distribució i transport d'electricitat als subscriptors. Ara, és una xarxa robusta que inclou una xarxa de comunicació de dades. La xarxa de dades associada es divideix en diferents subxarxes. Aquesta tesi se centra a millorar el rendiment d'una d'aquestes subxarxes, l'anomenada xarxa d'àrea de veïnatge de les xarxes elèctriques intel·ligents. Diverses aplicacions s'envien entre els usuaris i el centre de control. En general, la comunicació de pujada implica la lectura de mesuradors, dades de facturació o consum elèctric, mentre que la comunicació de baixada permet que la xarxa intel·ligent prengui mesures davant diferents situacions, com pics d'energia o d'emergència. La primera part de la feina es centra a millorar el mecanisme d'enrutament. Per això, es proposa un mecanisme de múltiples rutes, on els tràfics més prioritaris s'envien a través dels millors enllaços de comunicació. A més, es proposa un esquema multicanal per separar el tràfic de control del de dades, i utilitzar els canals menys congestionats per enviar les dades més prioritàries.Les xarxes elèctriques intel·ligents ofereixen molts serveis i alguns són exigents en termes de qualitat de servei (QoS). A més, les falles d'infraestructura, els atacs i les situacions d'alta congestió poden reduir el seu rendiment. Per tant, la xarxa ha d'oferir una QoS mínima a les aplicacions més prioritàries mitjançant algunes tècniques de control de tràfic. Amb aquest objectiu, en aquesta tesi també es proposen alguns mecanismes de control de congestió. En el primer d'aquests mecanismes, cada node de forma distribuïda i independent, decideix si un paquet s¿ha de retransmetre o no depenent de les condicions de la xarxa que el mateix node està observant. Aquest mecanisme considera novament tràfics amb diferents prioritats, de manera que, el tràfic menys prioritari té una major probabilitat de ser descartat. A més, un sistema d'emergència està acoblat amb el mecanisme de control de congestió. Amb això, la xarxa pot prendre accions globals (en poc temps) per enfrontar situacions anòmales.A les xarxes elèctriques intel·ligents, els nodes són fixos i cadascun envia dades a un concentrador de dades. Per tant, depenent de la seva ubicació geogràfica, alguns nodes poden ser més afavorits que altres. A més, alguns nodes poden monopolitzar els recursos de xarxa si no són regulats. A causa d'això, en aquesta tesi es proposa una altra solució distribuïda que s'executa en cada node. L'objectiu és proveir una distribució justa dels recursos de la xarxa, independent de la posició geogràfica i la velocitat de transmissió. L'última contribució es centra en l'aplicació de tècniques d'aprenentatge automàtic per obtenir de nou un millor rendiment de les xarxes de dades en estudi. En aquest sentit, es proposa un nou mecanisme de control de congestió que, a l'igual que els anteriors, proveeix diferent qualitat de servei d'acord amb la prioritat de les dades. Per això, es proposa un sistema, que inclou la generació, el processament i l'avaluació de les dades necessàries per a l'entrenament dels algoritmes d'aprenentatge que s'utilitzaran. La proposta també s'implementa i avalua a l'entorn de les xarxes elèctriques intel·ligents en l'entorn de Smart Grid NANsHoy en día, vivimos en una sociedad moderna en la que las personas y los dispositivos están interconectados en cualquier lugar y en cualquier momento. Bajo esta premisa, tanto la infraestructura como los servicios ofrecidos han evolucionado y diversificado de manera drástica. De hecho, muchos de estos servicios se transportan en diferentes tipos de redes. Las redes descentralizadas (o sin infraestructura) se están utilizando ampliamente para soportar estos servicios. Permiten una mayor accesibilidad para los usuarios debido a una gran cantidad de ventajas. Por ejemplo, la creación automática, la configuración automática, la instalación fácil en áreas de difícil acceso, mantenimiento y escalabilidad hacen que este tipo de redes sean atractivas para los proveedores de servicios. Entre ellas, las redes de malla inalámbricas son redes descentralizadas que han sido ampliamente estudiadas en diferentes áreas de investigación, como redes comunitarias, escenarios de desastres, seguridad pública y vigilancia. Además, estos tipos de red son más estructurados que las redes ad hoc inalámbricas tradicionales y, por lo tanto, pueden admitir protocolos más complejos. Las redes de malla inalámbricas también se han estudiado y evaluado en el escenario de redes eléctricas inteligentes. Las redes eléctricas inteligentes son un nuevo paradigma en el que se abordan las infraestructuras tradicionales de transporte de electricidad. En este contexto, la red eléctrica ya no se centra solo en la generación, distribución y transporte de electricidad a los suscriptores. Ahora, es una red robusta que incluye una red de comunicación de datos. El objetivo de tener una red de comunicación de datos junto con la eléctrica es proporcionar un servicio eficiente desde el centro de control al usuario, así como dar retroalimentación sobre el correcto funcionamiento de las redes de electricidad y datos al centro de control. Como la infraestructura de transporte eléctrico, la red de datos asociada se divide en diferentes subredes. Esta tesis se centra principalmente en la mejora del rendimiento de una de esas subredes, la llamada red de área de vecindad de las redes electrices inteligentes. Las contribuciones se centran en mejorar el enrutamiento de datos, proporcionando una diferenciación del tráfico con la provisión de calidad de servicio (QoS), mecanismos de control de congestión, un sistema de emergencia que trata situaciones anómalas de la red y una distribución justa de los recursos de la red. Varias aplicaciones se transmiten desde los usuarios al centro de control, así como desde el centro de control hacia los usuarios. En general, la comunicación hacia el centro de control implica tareas como la lectura de medidores, los datos de facturación o el consumo de electricidad, mientras que la comunicación hacia los suscriptores permite que la red eléctrica inteligente tome medidas en diferentes situaciones de la red, como picos de energía o situaciones de emergencia. En la primera parte de la tesis, el trabajo se centra en mejorar el mecanismo de enrutamiento. Para hacer esto, se propone un mecanismo de enrutamiento de múltiples rutas, donde los tráficos que son más importantes se transmite a través de los mejores enlaces de comunicación, mientras que los tráficos de menor prioridad se transmiten a través de las rutas con menos reputación (menos métrica de enrutamiento). Para mejorar aun más los beneficios obtenidos, se propone un esquema multicanal para separar tanto el tráfico de control como el tráfico de datos, y utilizar los canales menos congestionados para transmitir los tipos de tráfico más prioritarios. Las redes eléctricas inteligentes ofrecen muchos servicios y algunos de ellos son muy exigentes en términos de QoS. Por lo tanto, las fallas de infraestructura, los ataques y las situaciones de alta congestión pueden reducir en gran medida el rendimiento de la red. Para enfrentar estos problemas, la red debe poder ofrecer una calidad de servicio mínima a las aplicaciones más prioritarias mediante algunas técnicas de control de tráfico. Con este objetivo en mente, en esta tesis también se proponen algunos mecanismos de control de congestión. En el primero de estos mecanismos, cada uno de los nodos de la red decide de manera distribuida e independiente si un paquete debe o no ser retransmitido, dependiendo de las condiciones de la red (principalmente la utilización promedio del canal y la ocupación de los buffers) que el nodo mismo está observando. Es decir, un nodo intermedio puede descartar directamente un paquete de datos si observa que el canal de transmisión se está utilizando por encima de un cierto umbral. Este mecanismo considera nuevamente la existencia de tráficos con diferentes prioridades, de modo que, el tráfico menos prioritario tiene una mayor probabilidad de ser descartado. Además, un sistema de emergencia está acoplado al mecanismo de control de congestión. Con esta estrategia, la NAN puede tomar acciones globales (en poco tiempo) para enfrentar situaciones anómalas, lo que proporciona aún más probabilidad de transmisión para tráficos con mayores requisitos de QoS. Con este fin, también se propone una señalización de emergencia que puede activarse automática o manualmente. Una distribución justa de los recursos de la red también es un campo de investigación importante en las redes eléctricas inteligentes. Tenga en cuenta que, en este escenario, los nodos son estáticos y cada uno de ellos transmite flujos de datos hacia al concentrador de datos. Por lo tanto, dependiendo de su ubicación geográfica, algunos nodos pueden ser más favorecidos que otros. Además, algunos nodos pueden monopolizar los recursos de la red si no están regulados. Por esta razón, en esta tesis se propone otro algoritmo de control de congestión distribuido que se ejecuta en cada nodo. El objetivo aquí es proporcionar una distribución justa de los recursos de la red, independientemente de la posición geográfica y la velocidad de transmisión. Es decir, todos los nodos tendrán las mismas oportunidades para transmitir sus datos al centro de control. La solución propuesta es independiente de la red, mac y capas físicas. La última contribución realizada con esta tesis se centra en la aplicación de técnicas de aprendizaje automático para obtener nuevamente un mejor rendimiento de las redes de datos en estudio. En este sentido, se propone un nuevo mecanismo de control de congestión que, al igual que los anteriores, proporciona diferente calidad de servicio a los flujos de datos con diferentes prioridades. Para esto, se propone un marco completo, que incluye la generación, el preprocesamiento y la evaluación de los datos necesarios para la capacitación de los algoritmos de aprendizaje automático que se utilizarán. La propuesta también se implementa y evalúa en el entorno de Smart Grid NANs