Assessing the Feasibility of Wireless Networks for Managed Automated Driving (MAD): A Spotlight on Communication Technology

The primary objective of this research is to develop a comprehensive understanding of the interplay between Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and Packet error rate (PER) and their implications on the overall performance of wireless communication systems. This thesis focuses to implement wireless communication between the remote infrastructureand vehicle using the User Datagram Protocol (UDP), with focus on the physical, data link layer

Cellular networks for smart grid communication

The next-generation electric power system, known as smart grid, relies on a robust and reliable underlying communication infrastructure to improve the efficiency of electricity distribution. Cellular networks, e.g., LTE/LTE-A systems, appear as a promising technology to facilitate the smart grid evolution. Their inherent performance characteristics and well-established ecosystem could potentially unlock unprecedented use cases, enabling real-time and autonomous distribution grid operations. However, cellular technology was not originally intended for smart grid communication, associated with highly-reliable message exchange and massive device connectivity requirements. The fundamental differences between smart grid and human-type communication challenge the classical design of cellular networks and introduce important research questions that have not been sufficiently addressed so far. Motivated by these challenges, this doctoral thesis investigates novel radio access network (RAN) design principles and performance analysis for the seamless integration of smart grid traffic in future cellular networks. Specifically, we focus on addressing the fundamental RAN problems of network scalability in massive smart grid deployments and radio resource management for smart grid and human-type traffic. The main objective of the thesis lies on the design, analysis and performance evaluation of RAN mechanisms that would render cellular networks the key enabler for emerging smart grid applications. The first part of the thesis addresses the radio access limitations in LTE-based networks for reliable and scalable smart grid communication. We first identify the congestion problem in LTE random access that arises in large-scale smart grid deployments. To overcome this, a novel random access mechanism is proposed that can efficiently support real-time distribution automation services with negligible impact on the background traffic. Motivated by the stringent reliability requirements of various smart grid operations, we then develop an analytical model of the LTE random access procedure that allows us to assess the performance of event-based monitoring traffic under various load conditions and network configurations. We further extend our analysis to include the relation between the cell size and the availability of orthogonal random access resources and we identify an additional challenge for reliable smart grid connectivity. To this end, we devise an interference- and load-aware cell planning mechanism that enhances reliability in substation automation services. Finally, we couple the problem of state estimation in wide-area monitoring systems with the reliability challenges in information acquisition. Using our developed analytical framework, we quantify the impact of imperfect communication reliability in the state estimation accuracy and we provide useful insights for the design of reliability-aware state estimators. The second part of the thesis builds on the previous one and focuses on the RAN problem of resource scheduling and sharing for smart grid and human-type traffic. We introduce a novel scheduler that achieves low latency for distribution automation traffic while resource allocation is performed in a way that keeps the degradation of cellular users at a minimum level. In addition, we investigate the benefits of Device-to-Device (D2D) transmission mode for event-based message exchange in substation automation scenarios. We design a joint mode selection and resource allocation mechanism which results in higher data rates with respect to the conventional transmission mode via the base station. An orthogonal resource partition scheme between cellular and D2D links is further proposed to prevent the underutilization of the scarce cellular spectrum. The research findings of this thesis aim to deliver novel solutions to important RAN performance issues that arise when cellular networks support smart grid communication.Las redes celulares, p.e., los sistemas LTE/LTE-A, aparecen como una tecnología prometedora para facilitar la evolución de la próxima generación del sistema eléctrico de potencia, conocido como smart grid (SG). Sin embargo, la tecnología celular no fue pensada originalmente para las comunicaciones en la SG, asociadas con el intercambio fiable de mensajes y con requisitos de conectividad de un número masivo de dispositivos. Las diferencias fundamentales entre las comunicaciones en la SG y la comunicación de tipo humano desafían el diseño clásico de las redes celulares e introducen importantes cuestiones de investigación que hasta ahora no se han abordado suficientemente. Motivada por estos retos, esta tesis doctoral investiga los principios de diseño y analiza el rendimiento de una nueva red de acceso radio (RAN) que permita una integración perfecta del tráfico de la SG en las redes celulares futuras. Nos centramos en los problemas fundamentales de escalabilidad de la RAN en despliegues de SG masivos, y en la gestión de los recursos radio para la integración del tráfico de la SG con el tráfico de tipo humano. El objetivo principal de la tesis consiste en el diseño, el análisis y la evaluación del rendimiento de los mecanismos de las RAN que convertirán a las redes celulares en el elemento clave para las aplicaciones emergentes de las SGs. La primera parte de la tesis aborda las limitaciones del acceso radio en redes LTE para la comunicación fiable y escalable en SGs. En primer lugar, identificamos el problema de congestión en el acceso aleatorio de LTE que aparece en los despliegues de SGs a gran escala. Para superar este problema, se propone un nuevo mecanismo de acceso aleatorio que permite soportar de forma eficiente los servicios de automatización de la distribución eléctrica en tiempo real, con un impacto insignificante en el tráfico de fondo. Motivados por los estrictos requisitos de fiabilidad de las diversas operaciones en la SG, desarrollamos un modelo analítico del procedimiento de acceso aleatorio de LTE que nos permite evaluar el rendimiento del tráfico de monitorización de la red eléctrica basado en eventos bajo diversas condiciones de carga y configuraciones de red. Además, ampliamos nuestro análisis para incluir la relación entre el tamaño de celda y la disponibilidad de recursos de acceso aleatorio ortogonales, e identificamos un reto adicional para la conectividad fiable en la SG. Con este fin, diseñamos un mecanismo de planificación celular que tiene en cuenta las interferencias y la carga de la red, y que mejora la fiabilidad en los servicios de automatización de las subestaciones eléctricas. Finalmente, combinamos el problema de la estimación de estado en sistemas de monitorización de redes eléctricas de área amplia con los retos de fiabilidad en la adquisición de la información. Utilizando el modelo analítico desarrollado, cuantificamos el impacto de la baja fiabilidad en las comunicaciones sobre la precisión de la estimación de estado. La segunda parte de la tesis se centra en el problema de scheduling y compartición de recursos en la RAN para el tráfico de SG y el tráfico de tipo humano. Presentamos un nuevo scheduler que proporciona baja latencia para el tráfico de automatización de la distribución eléctrica, mientras que la asignación de recursos se realiza de un modo que mantiene la degradación de los usuarios celulares en un nivel mínimo. Además, investigamos los beneficios del modo de transmisión Device-to-Device (D2D) en el intercambio de mensajes basados en eventos en escenarios de automatización de subestaciones eléctricas. Diseñamos un mecanismo conjunto de asignación de recursos y selección de modo que da como resultado tasas de datos más elevadas con respecto al modo de transmisión convencional a través de la estación base. Finalmente, se propone un esquema de partición de recursos ortogonales entre enlaces celulares y D2Postprint (published version

PERFORMANCE STUDY FOR CAPILLARY MACHINE-TO-MACHINE NETWORKS

Communication technologies witness a wide and rapid pervasiveness of wireless machine-to-machine (M2M) communications. It is emerging to apply for data transfer among devices without human intervention. Capillary M2M networks represent a candidate for providing reliable M2M connectivity. In this thesis, we propose a wireless network architecture that aims at supporting a wide range of M2M applications (either real-time or non-real-time) with an acceptable QoS level. The architecture uses capillary gateways to reduce the number of devices communicating directly with a cellular network such as LTE. Moreover, the proposed architecture reduces the traffic load on the cellular network by providing capillary gateways with dual wireless interfaces. One interface is connected to the cellular network, whereas the other is proposed to communicate to the intended destination via a WiFi-based mesh backbone for cost-effectiveness. We study the performance of our proposed architecture with the aid of the ns-2 simulator. An M2M capillary network is simulated in different scenarios by varying multiple factors that affect the system performance. The simulation results measure average packet delay and packet loss to evaluate the quality-of-service (QoS) of the proposed architecture. Our results reveal that the proposed architecture can satisfy the required level of QoS with low traffic load on the cellular network. It also outperforms a cellular-based capillary M2M network and WiFi-based capillary M2M network. This implies a low cost of operation for the service provider while meeting a high-bandwidth service level agreement. In addition, we investigate how the proposed architecture behaves with different factors like the number of capillary gateways, different application traffic rates, the number of backbone routers with different routing protocols, the number of destination servers, and the data rates provided by the LTE and Wi-Fi technologies. Furthermore, the simulation results show that the proposed architecture continues to be reliable in terms of packet delay and packet loss even under a large number of nodes and high application traffic rates

Älykäs kulutuslevyjen kunnonseurantajärjestelmä

Wear plates are a necessity in quarrying and in mining industry. Wear parts are needed in locations where abrasion is present. Abrasion is caused by the flowing stone material on the surface of the plate. Heavy duty abrasion resistant plates are required in such positions to protect the industrial machinery from damage. The material typically comprises different size stones and they cause wear plates to vibrate for a short period of time when contacting the surface of the plate. This vibration has a specific frequency which changes during the lifetime of the wear plate. In the beginning of the wear plate life cycle, the natural frequency is high, but the frequency slowly drops as the material flow consumes the plate making it thinner. Currently wear plate monitoring is manual process and the supervision of the plates is time consuming. This work studies the possibility to automate the wear plate condition monitoring basing the analysis on the frequency analysis of the wear plate vibration. The thesis provides a prototype of a monitoring system. Work examines the applicability of two different wireless communication protocols, Bluetooth Low Energy and IEEE 802.15.4, to use with the vibration sensor. Vibration is measured with high-speed MEMS accelerometer. Measurements are passed through gateway to a cloud service for storing and analysis. Although this work only concentrates on wear plates, the idea could be exploited with other wear parts in quarrying and mining. This work is done for Metso Automation. The project is a part of the Arrowhead project, which is funded by the European Union.Kulutuslevyt ovat välttämättömiä malmin louhinnassa ja muussa kaivostoiminnassa. Kulutuslevyjä käytetään kohteissa, joissa esiintyy louhintamateriaalista aiheutuvaa kulumista eli abraasiota. Yleisimmin tämä materiaali koostuu erisuuruisista kivistä, ja koneen rakennetta suojaavien kulutuslevyjen käyttö on tarpeellista kohteissa, jotka ovat kosketuksissa louhitun materiaalin kanssa. Virtaavan kiviaineksen yksittäisen kiven osuma kulutuslevyyn saa levyn värähtelemään. Värähtelystä on erotettavissa suuruusluokaltaan poikkeava, muista erottuva taajuus, jota kutsutaan levyn ominaistaajuudeksi. Tämä taajuus muuttuu levyn eliniän myötä. Nykyinen kulutuslevyjen kunnonvalvonta perustuu ihmisen tekemiin havaintoihin sekä arvioihin. Tässä työssä tutkitaan mahdollisuutta automatisoida kulutuslevyjen kunnonvalvontatoiminto perustuen levyjen ominaistaajuuksien muutokseen. Työssä arvioidaan ja käytetään hyväksi langattomia teknologioita, joita tarvitaan siirettäessä suoritetut värähtelymittaukset kulutuslevyltä eteenpäin. Erityisesti työssä tutkitaan Bluetooth Low Energyä ja IEEE:n 802.15.4 standardiin perustuvaa liikennöintiä. Kulutuslevyn värähtelyä mitataan MEMS-kiihtyvyysanturilla. Työ oleellisesti keskittyy vain kulutuslevyihin, mutta värähtelyyn perustuvan kunnonvalvonnan laajentamista myös muiden kulutusosien kunnonvalvontaan mietitään. Tämä työ on tehty Metso Automaatiolle osana Euroopan Unionin rahoittamaa Arrowhead projektia

Integração de dados de sensores e gestão de ambientes inteligentes

Mestrado em Engenharia de Computadores e TelemáticaNum mundo de constante desenvolvimento tecnológico e acelerado crescimento populacional, observa-se um aumento da utilização de recursos energéticos. Sendo os edifícios responsáveis por uma grande parte deste consumo energético, desencadeiam-se vários esforços de investigações de forma a criarem-se edifícios energeticamente eficientes e espaços inteligentes. Esta dissertação visa, numa primeira fase, apresentar uma revisão das atuais soluções que combinam sistemas de automação de edifícios e a Internet das Coisas. Posteriormente, é apresentada uma solução de automação para edifícios, com base em princípios da Internet das Coisas e explorando as vantagens de sistemas de processamento complexo de eventos, de forma a fornecer uma maior integração dos múltiplos sistemas existentes num edifício. Esta solução é depois validada através de uma implementação, baseada em protocolos leves desenhados para a Internet das Coisas, plataformas de alto desempenho, e métodos complexos para análise de grandes fluxos de dados. Esta implementação é ainda aplicada num cenário real, e será usada como a solução padrão para gestão e automação num edifício existente.In a world of constant technological development and accelerated population growth, an increased use of energy resources is being observed. With buildings responsible for a large share of this energy consumption, a lot of research activities are pursued with the goal to create energy efficient buildings and smart spaces. This dissertation aims to, in a first stage, present a review of the current solutions combining Building Automation Systems (BAS) and Internet of Things (IoT). Then, a solution for building automation is presented based on IoT principles and exploiting the advantages of Complex Event Processing (CEP) systems, to provide higher integration of the multiple building subsystems. This solution was validated through an implementation, based on standard lightweight protocols designed for IoT, high performance and real time platforms, and complex methods for analysis of large streams of data. The implementation is also applied to a real world scenario, and will be used as a standard solution for management and automation of an existing buildin