1,017 research outputs found
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
What Can Wireless Cellular Technologies Do about the Upcoming Smart Metering Traffic?
The introduction of smart electricity meters with cellular radio interface
puts an additional load on the wireless cellular networks. Currently, these
meters are designed for low duty cycle billing and occasional system check,
which generates a low-rate sporadic traffic. As the number of distributed
energy resources increases, the household power will become more variable and
thus unpredictable from the viewpoint of the Distribution System Operator
(DSO). It is therefore expected, in the near future, to have an increased
number of Wide Area Measurement System (WAMS) devices with Phasor Measurement
Unit (PMU)-like capabilities in the distribution grid, thus allowing the
utilities to monitor the low voltage grid quality while providing information
required for tighter grid control. From a communication standpoint, the traffic
profile will change drastically towards higher data volumes and higher rates
per device. In this paper, we characterize the current traffic generated by
smart electricity meters and supplement it with the potential traffic
requirements brought by introducing enhanced Smart Meters, i.e., meters with
PMU-like capabilities. Our study shows how GSM/GPRS and LTE cellular system
performance behaves with the current and next generation smart meters traffic,
where it is clearly seen that the PMU data will seriously challenge these
wireless systems. We conclude by highlighting the possible solutions for
upgrading the cellular standards, in order to cope with the upcoming smart
metering traffic.Comment: Submitted; change: corrected location of eSM box in Fig. 1; May 22,
2015: Major revision after review; v4: revised, accepted for publicatio
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
COMMUNICATION IN SMART GRIDS USING LTE
The world today is focusing on the enhancement of efficient use of energy and it has compelled the energy industry to research and seek for measures for increasing energy efficiency. Out of various fields related to energy, Smart Grid has emerged itself as one of the effective contributor to fulfill the approach of efficient use of energy. The term smart grid has been evolved from power grid where the energy is generated, distributed and finally consumed by a consumer. The smart form of this power grid is actually smart grid which facilitates smart way of communication of smart devices between grids, so that the effective mode of controlling and monitoring can be achieved. In order to achieve this, the devices should be smart enough so that they can be interoperable and remotely accessed. For the smart devices to communicate in real time so that controlling and remote access becomes possible, it demands an advanced communicating medium.
LTE is one of the most challenging, famous and widely adopted communication technology that meets the requirement imposed by broadband wireless mobile communications. Early tests, evaluations and their pre-commercial deployments have proved that they fulfil all the requirements like high-data-rate, low latency and optimized system that advanced communication demands.
Thus, this paper focuses on the evaluation of integration of LTE in Smart Grids so that automation in Smart Grids can be achieved.fi=Opinnäytetyö kokotekstinä PDF-muodossa.|en=Thesis fulltext in PDF format.|sv=Lärdomsprov tillgängligt som fulltext i PDF-format
Survey on Wi-Fi and Cellular Communication Technology for Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) in a Developing Economy
Traditional energy meters have suffered from a lack of automated analysis and inaccuracy in reading energy consumption, which has brought about smart metering systems. Developing economies such as in Africa. still experience a setback in electricity monitoring and load distribution because of existing traditional meter systems in use. Communication technologies play an important role to improve the monitoring of energy consumption and ensure a road map toward a smart grid. This paper reviews communication technologies used for Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) emphasizing Wi-Fi and Cellular technologies. Metrics used to evaluate their performance include cost, energy efficiency, coverage, deployment, latency, payload, and scalability. The review presents a benchmark for research on AMI communication technologies in developing economies. When adopted, the expected AMI benefits are reduced energy theft, cost efficiency, real-time analysis, security, and safety of energy supply in developing economies
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
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
Investigation into the impact of wind power generation on demand side management (DSM) practices
The construction of a number of wind farms in South Africa will lay the foundation for the
country to embrace the generation of greener energy into the National Grid. Despite the
benefits derived from introducing wind power generation into the grid, this source
encompasses adverse effects which need to be managed. These adverse effects include the
intermittency and lack of predictability of wind. In power systems with a high penetration of
wind energy, these effects can severely affect the power system’s security and reliability in
the event of significant rapid ramp rates. Recently, many utilities around the world have been
exploring the use of Demand Side Management (DSM) and Demand Response (DR)
initiatives and programmes to support and manage the intermittency of wind power
generation.
This report outlines the programmes and benefits of DSM/DR and provides a critical analysis
of the challenges facing South Africa with implementing these initiatives. Introducing these
programmes necessitates the employment of a number of Smart Grid technologies including
Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), next generation telecommunications technologies,
smart meters, enterprise system integration and dynamic pricing. These tools and techniques
are discussed and their challenges described within the context of South Africa’s current state
of the power system. The current practices for DSM/DR in South Africa have been evaluated
in this report. Despite, the success of many DSM/DR initiatives in the commercial, industrial
and agricultural sectors, it is found that much work is still required in the residential sectors
as the current DSM initiatives are not adequate for managing wind power generation. A
detailed analysis and recommendations for South Africa’s DR program is then presented
based on industry best practices and experiences from other utilities who are currently
exploring DSM/DR in the residential sector using Smart Grid technologies
Orchestrating Service Migration for Low Power MEC-Enabled IoT Devices
Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC) is a key enabling technology for Fifth
Generation (5G) mobile networks. MEC facilitates distributed cloud computing
capabilities and information technology service environment for applications
and services at the edges of mobile networks. This architectural modification
serves to reduce congestion, latency, and improve the performance of such edge
colocated applications and devices. In this paper, we demonstrate how reactive
service migration can be orchestrated for low-power MEC-enabled Internet of
Things (IoT) devices. Here, we use open-source Kubernetes as container
orchestration system. Our demo is based on traditional client-server system
from user equipment (UE) over Long Term Evolution (LTE) to the MEC server. As
the use case scenario, we post-process live video received over web real-time
communication (WebRTC). Next, we integrate orchestration by Kubernetes with S1
handovers, demonstrating MEC-based software defined network (SDN). Now, edge
applications may reactively follow the UE within the radio access network
(RAN), expediting low-latency. The collected data is used to analyze the
benefits of the low-power MEC-enabled IoT device scheme, in which end-to-end
(E2E) latency and power requirements of the UE are improved. We further discuss
the challenges of implementing such schemes and future research directions
therein
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