Information-centric networking for machine-to-machine data delivery: A case study in smart grid applications

Largely motivated by the proliferation of content-centric applications in the Internet, information-centric networking has attracted the attention of the research community. By tailoring network operations around named information objects instead of end hosts, ICN yields a series of desirable features such as the spatiotemporal decoupling of communicating entities and the support of in-network caching. In this article, we advocate the introduction of such ICN features in a new, rapidly transforming communication domain: the smart grid. With the rapid introduction of multiple new actors, such as distributed (renewable) energy resources and electric vehicles, smart grids present a new networking landscape where a diverse set of multi-party machine-to-machine applications are required to enhance the observability of the power grid, often in real time and on top of a diverse set of communication infrastructures. Presenting a generic architectural framework, we show how ICN can address the emerging smart grid communication challenges. Based on real power grid topologies from a power distribution network in the Netherlands, we further employ simulations to both demonstrate the feasibility of an ICN solution for the support of real-time smart grid applications and further quantify the performance benefits brought by ICN against the current host-centric paradigm. Specifically, we show how ICN can support real-time state estimation in the medium voltage power grid, where high volumes of synchrophasor measurement data from distributed vantage points must be delivered within a very stringent end-to-end delay constraint, while swiftly overcoming potential power grid component failures. © 1986-2012 IEEE

Cost-efficient Low Latency Communication Infrastructure for Synchrophasor Applications in Smart Grids

With the introduction of distributed renewable energy resources and new loads, such as electric vehicles, the power grid is evolving to become a highly dynamic system, that necessitates continuous and fine-grained observability of its operating conditions. In the context of the medium voltage (MV) grid, this has motivated the deployment of Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs), that offer high precision synchronized grid monitoring, enabling mission-critical applications such as fault detection/location. However, PMU-based applications present stringent delay requirements, raising a significant challenge to the communication infrastructure. In contrast to the high voltage domain, there is no clear vision for the communication and network topologies for the MV grid; a full fledged optical fiber-based communication infrastructure is a costly approach due to the density of PMUs required. In this work, we focus on the support of low-latency PMU-based applications in the MV domain, identifying and addressing the trade-off between communication infrastructure deployment costs and the corresponding performance. We study a large set of real MV grid topologies to get an in-depth understanding of the various key latency factors. Building on the gained insights, we propose three algorithms for the careful placement of high capacity links, targeting a balance between deployment costs and achieved latencies. Extensive simulations demonstrate that the proposed algorithms result in low-latency network topologies while reducing deployment costs by up to 80% in comparison to a ubiquitous deployment of costly high capacity links

Security Analysis of Phasor Measurement Units in Smart Grid Communication Infrastructures

Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs), or synchrophasors, are rapidly being deployed in the smart grid with the goal of measuring phasor quantities concurrently from wide area distribution substations. By utilizing GPS receivers, PMUs can take a wide area snapshot of power systems. Thus, the possibility of blackouts in the smart grid, the next generation power grid, will be reduced. As the main enabler of Wide Area Measurement Systems (WAMS), PMUs transmit measured values to Phasor Data Concentrators (PDCs) by the synchrophasor standard IEEE C37.118. IEC 61850 and IEC 62351 are the communication protocols for the substation automation system and the security standard for the communication protocol of IEC 61850, respectively. According to the aforementioned communication and security protocols, as well as the implementation constraints of different platforms, HMAC-SHA1 was suggested by the TC 57 WG group in October 2009. The hash-based Message Authentication Code (MAC) is an algorithm for verifying both message integrity and authentication by using an iterative hash function and a supplied secret key. There are a variety of security attacks on the PMU communications infrastructure. Timing Side Channel Attack (SCA) is one of these possible attacks. In this thesis, timing side channel vulnerability against execution time of the HMAC-SHA1 authentication algorithm is studied. Both linear and negative binomial regression are used to model some security features of the stored key, e.g., its length and Hamming weight. The goal is to reveal secret-related information based on leakage models. The results would mitigate the cryptanalysis process of an attacker. Adviser: Yi Qia

Control de sistemas de generación distribuida renovable mediante conceptos de pasividad y de moldeo de potencia

En la presente tesis se analizan y proponen controladores basados en pasividad para su utilización en sistemas de generación distribuida renovable. En este sentido, empleando los conceptos del control vectorial para una máquina de rotor bobinado y empleando las ideas de pasividad/moldeo de potencia se presenta un controlador para la potencia activa y reactiva. La ley de control propuesta se la evalúa en diferentes escenarios de funcionamiento del aerogenerador. Además, se presenta una micro red que opera en forma aislada. Con el objetivo de aumentar la calidad del suministro eléctrico se considera un sistema de almacenamiento en la estructura de la misma. En esta estructura en particular se considera el control del sistema de almacenamiento de energía mediante moldeo de potencia con el objetivo de controlar la potencia activa y reactiva que entrega al punto de conexión. Los aportes originales presentados en esta tesis son los siguientes: 1. Aplicar nuevas herramientas de control no lineal en contraposición a las capacidades limitadas de las herramientas lineales en el contexto de los sistemas de generación distribuida renovable. 2. Diseño de un controlador para el control de la potencia activa para un aerogenerador equipado con un generador asincrónico de rotor bobinado mediante los conceptos de control vectorial y la técnica basada en pasividad por moldeo de potencia. 3. A partir de los resultados anteriores empleando las ideas de un aerogenerador equivalente y el control por balance de potencia se desarrolla un controlador para las potencias activa y reactiva que intercambia un parque eólico vinculado a una red. 4. Desarrollo de una acción integral para los controladores de las potencias activa y reactiva para los generadores de rotor bobinado de los aerogeneradores que conforman el parque eólico considerado sin perder la estructura de las ecuaciones de Brayton-Moser. 5. Diseño de dos estrategias de control basadas en Moldeo de Potencia para el generador de rotor bobinado considerando que el generador opere neutral a la red y otra que regula la tensión en caso de que exista una variación en el punto de conexión. 6. Análisis de una micro red que opera de forma aislada. 7. Diseño de un controlador para un sistema de almacenamiento de energía que interviene en una micro red, que opera en forma aislada, mediante moldeo de potencia garantizando la estabilidad del sistema no lineal mediante una función de Lyapunov. 8. Diseño de una estrategia de acondicionamiento de la referencia para la potencia que entrega el sistema de almacenamiento de energía. 9. En los análisis y evaluaciones de los controladores de Moldeo de Potencia, se utiliza una carga dinámica para representar la gran capacidad instalada de motores de inducción en una red eléctrica típica. 10. A través de la síntesis por moldeo de potencia de los controladores empleados en un sistema de conversión de energía eólica y en una micro red se muestra que puede incrementarse la zona de funcionamiento estable de cada sistema.Facultad de Ingenierí