Resilient IEEE802.15.4MAC Protocol for Multi-Hop Mesh Wireless Sensor Network

The success of a modern power grid system is inevitably based on the integration of a smart data exchange amid several devices in power production, transportation, dispatching and loads. For large coverage data exhange, a distributed multi-hop mesh is structured from low voltage distribution boards to the substations. Thus, being cheap, less power intake, easy set-up and operating in a free licensed spectrum, ZigBee/IEEE802.15.4 makes the most suitable wireless protocol for communicating in power grid systems. Nevertheless, IEEE802.15.4MAC protocol lacks a mechanism to enable a multi-hop mesh network with efficient energy and quality of service (QoS). Hence, in this paper, a Multi-Hop Mesh IEEE802.15.4MAC protocol is designed for a large coverage data exchange. This developed model provides a resilient network with energy efficiency and QoS. Hence, the IEEE802.15.4 super_frame_standard_structure is modified by swapping the contention_free period (CFP) and contention_access_period (CAP) for time sensitive applications. For network resilience, a Reserved_Broadcast Duration_Slot (RB_DS) is introduced in the active super_frame standard_structure as beacon_offset reference time computation. Finally, for the network performance analysis, the developed Markov chain_Model with retry and saturated traffic regime without feedback is run on NS-2 simulator. Here, the hidden terminal problem is not considered since it is assumed that all nodes can "hear" each other. The simulation results are encouraging as the developed IEEE802.15.4MAC protocol is capable of improving the time delivery delay up to 35.7%

Traffic aware wireless sensor networks MAC protocol for smart grid applications using spiral backoff mechanism

Smart grid is an innovative electrical power delivery networks which integrate distributed renewable energy sources and electric vehicles with the main power grid. Smart grid employs communication network to automate the generation, transmission and distribution and collect metering information from different parts of the grid and the customers to optimize energy distribution and consumption. Moreover, Distribution automation, Demand-Response (DR) and Direct Load Control (DLC) are applied to reduce the consumption of electricity during peak hours. However, it requires a robust, reliable communication network to facilitate real time data exchange between the utility gateway and smart meters of the customer premises. IEEE 802.15.4 standard provides a low cost, low power WSNs solution for smart grid communication networks. The IEEE 802.15.4 standard uses slotted Carrier Sense Multiple Access-Collision Avoidance (CSMA-CA) with binary exponential backoff algorithm (BEB) to avoid collision between the sensor nodes. However, BEB does not consider the s requirement which degrade the smart grid network performance. In this paper, a traffic aware spiral backoff mechanism is proposed to improve the network performance. Simulation results show that proposed spiral backoff algorithm reduces the end-to-end delay and increase packet delivery ratio (PDR) for real time data

Integrating ZigBee modem into android platform

This paper integrates ZigBee technology, which falls under IEEE 802.15.4 standard, into the mobile peer-to-peer (P2P) environment. This involves devices with Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), which is the lowest version of the Android platform that can be found among mobile devices. Preliminary results has shown that file sharing is possible to work on ZigBee radios, with the time taken for complete transfer depends on the size of the file being shared

Wireless communication techniques, the right path to smart grid distribution systems: A review

The quality and reliability of electric power supply are the key_index_factors in the development of a society. However, most of issues of worry are in the distribution system (DS), which, in the newest designs of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system is being monitored by a central computer (CC). The CC in a DS is supplied by electronic devices, named Feeder_Remote Terminal_Units (FRTU), with operation data like current and voltage. The FRTUs found throughout the DS have the capabilities to start triggering actions to separate the portion of DS suffering an abnormal condition. However, the present grid suffers from its one way data communication installations. To address the challenges of the existing power grids, the use of the innovative communication technologies that have emerged over the recent past years along with wireless sensor network (WSN) play a fundamental role—leading eventually to the creation of smart grid Systems. This paper reviews the development of wireless communication technologies envisioned as full-duplex information exchange medium in the on-going discussion of Smart Grid Systems

Street lighting poles top solar power generation for typical housing area in Kuwait

The need for energy is on the rise every year in Kuwait. Currently, largely, generation is fossil fuel-based consisting of power generating stations, transmission lines made from high pylons or towers, and distribution-all networked together in a complicated huge power system, the safe operation and stability of which demands for a generation a extra-bit larger than the consumers' demand. This paper presents a logical study as a solution to the increasing demand on electricity from Kuwaiti consumers from alternative source of solar. This study focuses on presenting a scenario of generating electricity from solar panels on top of street lighting poles in Kuwait. A detailed study has been conducted of street lighting poles types varying in sizes, lengths and the consumption of each lighting pole in Kuwait. This paper discusses the possibility of installing solar systems on all Street lighting poles; thus, the size of different solar systems has been calculated suitable to the length of each lighting pole. It will further highlight how to handle the shortage of generating electricity and cover a part of the growing demand using solar panels installed on street lighting poles. An allocated section of the city with installed streetlight poles solar panels make what is like a micro-grid which will prove helpful in meeting some of the energy demand. The resulting micro-solar system is connected directly with the electrical grid and through it; the generated electricity from the solar system will be injected into the electrical grid during the day without using storage batteries. This process, without batteries, allows avoiding extra costs in terms of purchase, installation and periodic maintenance for batteries

Adaptive Algorithm for Optimal Route Configuration in Multi-Hop Wireless Sensor Network

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are best solutions for numerous aspects of engineering applications such as monitoring, control and surveillance of electrical plant amongst others. Autonomously, sensors will communicate with each other, collaborate, share and forward information in a multi-hop fashion without any centralized controller. To gather relevant data, the route optimization mechanism is used to solve the long routing problem and provide the shortest path amongst communicating nodes. Thus, this shortest path criterion is not suitable for WSN as it may lead to power drainage of several nodes and may cause high signaling and processing costs due to the network reconstruction. This paper proposes an optimal route configuration technique based on an adaptive genetic algorithm in which the architecture of multi-hop wireless sensor network is considered as a distributed computing infrastructure. The obtained results show that the proposed algorithm provides an optimal route configuration with the best performance in terms of evaluating the covered distance, packet loss and time delay

Wireless Communication Techniques, the Right Path to Smart Grid Distribution Systems: A Review

The quality and reliability of electric power supply are the key indicators for the comfort of a society. Hence, to serve customers with high quality electricity, the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system is being used in the distribution system (DS) for power monitoring and control. The SCADA is feed with operation data like current and voltage via Feeder_Remote Terminal_Units (FRTUs). The FRTUs are capable of triggering actions to detach the portion of DS experiencing an unusual condition. Nevertheless, the existing grids do not operate at their optimal capacity due to the usage of one way data communication installations. Thus, to optimize the operation of the legacy power distribution grids, the innovation of the state-of-the-art communication techniques play a vital role—leading to the creation of smart grid Systems. This paper reviews the development of wireless communication technologies envisioned as full-duplex information exchange medium in the on-going development of Smart Grid Systems

Analytical model of Kuwait power consumption

In this paper, assessing an analytical model of Kuwait city power consumption is focused. This includes data per person of energy demand, increasing trends over the years to investigate the rapidly increasing power demand due to the growing number of the population in Kuwait and due to modernization of lifestyle. Therefore, this paper focuses on the analytical model for Kuwait city power consumption showing how the peak-hours demand can be complemented by the solar potential from rooftop solar panels. If the solar energy is associated with the highly potential wind power contribution in DG (distributed generation) form, this will help in the existing capacity deficiency at the national grid level be met by an alternative source of energy. The results of this work will help considerably in reducing the investments in the ongoing practice of building new power plants. The renewable energy sources in the form of DG, both renewable and non-renewable, have become an attractive solution for meeting the energy demand in areas having no access to electricity supply from the utility grid