622 research outputs found
Characterization of non-intentional emissions from distributed energy resources up to 500 kHz: A case study in Spain
Narrow Band Power Line Communications (NB-PLC) systems are currently used for smart metering and power quality monitoring as a part of the Smart Grid (SG) concept. However, non-intentional emissions generated by the devices connected to the grid may sometimes disturb the communications and isolate metering equipment. Though some research works have been recently developed to characterize these emissions, most of them have been limited to frequencies below 150 kHz and they are mainly focused on in-house electronic appliances and lightning devices. As NB-PLC can also be allocated in higher frequencies up to 500 kHz, there is still a lack of analysis in this frequency range, especially for emissions from Distributed Energy Resources (DERs). The identification and characterization of the emissions is essential to develop solutions that avoid a negative impact on the proper performance of NB-PLC.
In this work, the non-intentional emissions of different types of DERs composing a representative microgrid have been measured in the 35–500 kHz frequency range and analyzed both in time and frequency domains. Different working conditions and coupling and commutation procedures to mains are considered in the analysis. Results are then compared to the limits recommended by regulatory bodies for spurious emissions from communication systems in this frequency band, as no specific limits for DERs have been established. Field measurements show clear differences in the characteristics of non-intentional emissions for different devices, working conditions and coupling procedures and for frequencies below and above 150 kHz. Results of this study demonstrate that a further characterization of the potential emissions from the different types of DERs connected to the grid is required in order to guarantee current and future applications based on NB-PLC.This work has been financially supported in part by the Basque
Government (Elkartek program)
Communication Technologies for Smart Grid: A Comprehensive Survey
With the ongoing trends in the energy sector such as vehicular
electrification and renewable energy, smart grid is clearly playing a more and
more important role in the electric power system industry. One essential
feature of the smart grid is the information flow over the high-speed, reliable
and secure data communication network in order to manage the complex power
systems effectively and intelligently. Smart grids utilize bidirectional
communication to function where traditional power grids mainly only use one-way
communication. The communication requirements and suitable technique differ
depending on the specific environment and scenario. In this paper, we provide a
comprehensive and up-to-date survey on the communication technologies used in
the smart grid, including the communication requirements, physical layer
technologies, network architectures, and research challenges. This survey aims
to help the readers identify the potential research problems in the continued
research on the topic of smart grid communications
BER evaluation of post-meter PLC services in CENELEC-C band
Low voltage, in-home power-line communications (PLC) networks allow direct communication between smart meters (SM) and in-home devices (IHD). In order to minimize security issues, in many deployment scenarios transmission takes place only towards the IHD to display consumption data, with no backwards channel. As a result, channel estimation is difficult and it is necessary to use robust transmission techniques to mitigate the effect of the impulsive noise within the PLC channel. Performance of such system must be evaluated by taking into account realistic interference and channel models for a broad range of configurations. In this work we focus on performance in terms of bit error rate (BER) of a narrowband PLC (NB-PLC) operating in the CENELEC-C band (125–140 kHz) taking into account realistic noise models. Our system is based on binary phase shift keying (BPSK) and quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) modulation
State-of-the-art in Power Line Communications: from the Applications to the Medium
In recent decades, power line communication has attracted considerable
attention from the research community and industry, as well as from regulatory
and standardization bodies. In this article we provide an overview of both
narrowband and broadband systems, covering potential applications, regulatory
and standardization efforts and recent research advancements in channel
characterization, physical layer performance, medium access and higher layer
specifications and evaluations. We also identify areas of current and further
study that will enable the continued success of power line communication
technology.Comment: 19 pages, 12 figures. Accepted for publication, IEEE Journal on
Selected Areas in Communications. Special Issue on Power Line Communications
and its Integration with the Networking Ecosystem. 201
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
Broadband PLC for Clustered Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Architecture
Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) subsystems monitor and control energy distribution through exchange of information between smart meters and utility networks. A key
challenge is how to select a cost-effective communication system without compromising the performance of the applications. Current communication technologies were developed for conventional data networks with different requirements. It is therefore necessary to investigate how
much of existing communication technologies can be retrofitted into the new energy infrastructure
to cost-effectively deliver acceptable level of service. This paper investigates broadband power line communications (BPLC) as a backhaul solution in AMI. By applying the disparate traffic characteristics of selected AMI applications, the network performance is evaluated. This study also examines the communication network response to changes in application configurations in terms of packet sizes. In each case, the network is stress-tested and performance is assessed against acceptable thresholds documented in the literature. Results show that, like every other communication technology, BPLC has certain limitations; however, with some modifications in the
network topology, it indeed can fulfill most AMI traffic requirements for flexible and time-bounded
applications. These opportunities, if tapped, can significantly improve fiscal and operational
efficiencies in AMI services. Simulation results also reveal that BPLC as a backhaul can support flat
and clustered AMI structures with cluster size ranging from 1 to 150 smart meters
Impact Assessment of the Power Line Channel Characteristics in Real Topology
This paper investigates the effect of different parameters of power line topology on PLC system. Information about real radial power distribution network is used to define a PLC channel model in NS-3 simulator. The overhead LV distribution network was modelled in the extended bandwidth. Results of real measurements are linked with simulation results in order to see which parameters influence the communication significantly
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