Smart Grid Communications: Overview of Research Challenges, Solutions, and Standardization Activities

Optimization of energy consumption in future intelligent energy networks (or Smart Grids) will be based on grid-integrated near-real-time communications between various grid elements in generation, transmission, distribution and loads. This paper discusses some of the challenges and opportunities of communications research in the areas of smart grid and smart metering. In particular, we focus on some of the key communications challenges for realizing interoperable and future-proof smart grid/metering networks, smart grid security and privacy, and how some of the existing networking technologies can be applied to energy management. Finally, we also discuss the coordinated standardization efforts in Europe to harmonize communications standards and protocols.Comment: To be published in IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorial

Federated Robust Embedded Systems: Concepts and Challenges

The development within the area of embedded systems (ESs) is moving rapidly, not least due to falling costs of computation and communication equipment. It is believed that increased communication opportunities will lead to the future ESs no longer being parts of isolated products, but rather parts of larger communities or federations of ESs, within which information is exchanged for the benefit of all participants. This vision is asserted by a number of interrelated research topics, such as the internet of things, cyber-physical systems, systems of systems, and multi-agent systems. In this work, the focus is primarily on ESs, with their specific real-time and safety requirements. While the vision of interconnected ESs is quite promising, it also brings great challenges to the development of future systems in an efficient, safe, and reliable way. In this work, a pre-study has been carried out in order to gain a better understanding about common concepts and challenges that naturally arise in federations of ESs. The work was organized around a series of workshops, with contributions from both academic participants and industrial partners with a strong experience in ES development. During the workshops, a portfolio of possible ES federation scenarios was collected, and a number of application examples were discussed more thoroughly on different abstraction levels, starting from screening the nature of interactions on the federation level and proceeding down to the implementation details within each ES. These discussions led to a better understanding of what can be expected in the future federated ESs. In this report, the discussed applications are summarized, together with their characteristics, challenges, and necessary solution elements, providing a ground for the future research within the area of communicating ESs

Enabling Cyber-Physical Systems for Industry 4.0 operations: A Service Science Perspective

Based on the Internet of Things (IoT) and Smart Technologies, manufacturing industries are witnessing the fourth Industrial Revolution, the Industry 4.0 (I4.0), and digital transformation is a keystone in this change. Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) are strategic in thoroughly digitalizing companies, and I4.0 operations depend on CPS efficiency. Digital plants are held by digital technologies that provide excellent tools for improving product security and supply chain security but requires structured information management to maintain the CPS in its highest level of efficiency. These systems are overly complex and hard to handle when several CPS need to be combined as in a large factory, where several machines must work together to achieve a common goal. This research addresses these issues, and we propose an information management framework of industrial CPS that, towards the industrial efficiency, affords an increase in value for all stakeholders. The framework structures the information through the introduction of two innovative value co-creation concepts: (i) Fingerprint (FP-I4.0), a virtual vehicle that can carry two types of structured information and (ii) Cockpit4.0, an interaction entity between the various service systems, applied from cradle-to-cradle. Validated through the Service Science Theory, we conclude that the proposed empirical framework may boost up CPS efficiency and, from it, I4.0 operations will be more effectiveinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio