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

Designing Broadband over Power Lines Networks Using the Techno-Economic Pedagogical (TEP) Method – Part II: Overhead Low-Voltage and Medium-Voltage Channels and Their Modal Transmission Characteristics

Based on the techno-economic pedagogical (TEP) method proposed in [1] that is suitable for designing Broadband over Power Lines (BPL) networks in transmission and distribution power grids, this paper examines the broadband potential of overhead low-voltage/broadband over power lines (LV/BPL) and medium-voltage/broadband over power lines (MV/BPL) networks.In this paper, on the basis of the set of linear simplifications and techno-economic metrics already presented in [1], TEP method demonstrates to undergraduate electrical and computer engineering (ECE) students the behavior of overhead LV/BPL and MV/BPL networks in terms of their modal transmission characteristics when different overhead LV/BPL and MV/BPL topologies occur.The contribution of this paper is four-fold. First, the factors influencing modal transmission characteristics of overhead LV/BPL and MV/BPL networks are investigated with regard to their spectral behavior and end-to-end channel attenuation. Second, the impact of the multiplicity of branches at the same junction is first examined. In the light of cascaded two-way power dividers, TEP method is extended so as to cope with more complex BPL topologies offering a new simplified and accurate circuital approximation. Third, apart from the broadband transmission characteristics of the entire overhead distribution power grid, a consequence of the application of TEP method is that it helps towards the intraoperability/interoperability of overhead LV/BPL and MV/BPL systems under a common PHY framework in the concept of a unified distribution smart grid (SG) power network. Fourth, TEP method can be demonstrated to undergraduate ECE students as case study in order to stimulate their interest for Microwave Engineering and Circuit/System Engineering courses. Citation: Lazaropoulos, A. (2015). Designing Broadband over Power Lines Networks Using the Techno-Economic Pedagogical (TEP) Method – Part II: Overhead Low-Voltage and Medium-Voltage Channels and Their Modal Transmission Characteristics. Trends In Renewable Energy, 1(2), 59-86. doi:10.17737/tre.2015.1.2.00

Designing Broadband over Power Lines Networks Using the Techno-Economic Pedagogical (TEP) Method – Part I: Overhead High Voltage Networks and Their Capacity Characteristics

This pair of papers proposes the techno-economic pedagogical (TEP) method that is suitable for designing Broadband over Power Lines (BPL) networks in transmission and distribution power grids. During the presentation of TEP method, a review of the recent research efforts concerning BPL networks across transmission and distribution power grids is given.In this first paper, TEP method demonstrates to undergraduate electrical and computer engineering (ECE) students the interaction between two apparently irrelevant fields of their ECE program: Microwave Engineering and Engineering Economics. On the basis of a set of linear simplifications and suitable techno-economic metrics concerning transmission and capacity properties of overhead High Voltage Broadband over Power Lines (HV/BPL) networks, TEP method reveals the broadband potential of overhead HV/BPL networks to ECE students when different overhead HV/BPL topologies, electromagnetic interference (EMI) regulations and noise conditions are considered.  Citation: Lazaropoulos, A.G. (2015). "Designing Broadband over Power Lines Networks Using the Techno-Economic Pedagogical (TEP) Method – Part I: Overhead High Voltage Networks and Their Capacity Characteristics." Trends in Renewable Energy, 1(1), 16-42. DOI: 10.17737/tre.2015.1.1.00

Policies for Carbon Energy Footprint Reduction of Overhead Multiple-Input Multiple-Output High Voltage Broadband over Power Lines Networks

The impact of different environmental policies on the broadband performance of overhead multiple-input multiple-output high-voltage/broadband over power lines (MIMO/HV/BPL) networks is investigated in this paper. The examined environmental policies focus on the carbon energy footprint reduction of overhead MIMO/HV/BPL networks while respecting their broadband character.The contribution of this paper is three-fold. First, the spectral and environmental performance of various configurations and topologies of overhead MIMO/HV/BPL networks is assessed with regard to respective spectral efficient (SE) and newly presented environmental efficient (EE) metrics. Second, further insights regarding the performance of overhead MIMO/HV/BPL networks highlight the better spectral and environmental performance of these networks against other today’s overhead HV/BPL networks, such as single-input single-output (SISO), single-input multiple-output (SIMO), or multiple-input single-output (MISO) ones. Third, the definition of appropriate environmental policies that optimize the coexistence of the three main sectors of concern, which are the Quality of Service (QoS) requirements, protection of existing radioservices and promotion of environmentally aware limits, is promoted. Towards that direction, the proposed SE/EE trade-off relation of this paper is expected to prove an extremely helpful SE/EE optimization technique.Citation: Lazaropoulos, A. G. (2015). Policies for Carbon Energy Footprint Reduction of Overhead Multiple-Input Multiple-Output High Voltage Broadband over Power Lines Networks. Trends in Renewable Energy, 1(2), 87-118. DOI: 10.17737/tre.2015.1.2.001

TRANSFER OF HIGH-FREQUENCY SIGNALS BY POWERLINE LOW VOLTAGE

Cilj ovog rada je prikazati rješenja vezana za problematiku prijenosa visokofrekventnih signala niskonaponskom mrežom. Novim pristupom elektroenergetska distribucijska mreža, između ostalog, preuzima ulogu podatkovnog komunikacijskog kanala. Korištenje postojećih energeskih vodova za potrebe prijenosa komunikacijskih signala postižu se određene prednosti. Promjenjiva impedancija mreže zbog promjenjivog optrerećenja jedan je od osnovnih problema.The aim of this paper is to present solutions related to the problem of transmission of highfrequency signals by a low-voltage network. With the new approach, the power distribution network, among other things, is taking over the role of a data communication channel. The use of existing power lines for the transmission of communication signals has certain advantages. The variable impedance of the network due to the variable charge is one of the basic problems