The reliability and optimal data usage of BGAN satellite communications for remote outstations

Telecommunications are a crucial element of smart grid technologies. Utility communication systems need to combine cost effectiveness with the need for high reliability. Due to its wide geographic coverage, satellite communication can be an appropriate alternative for power system automation in order to reach remote substations. This paper presents the experimental testing of Broadband Global Area Networks (BGAN) M2M technology between the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system running a primary front end processor (FEP) and the reclosers. Hardware test results for a number of different scenarios are discussed, compared and validated. The challenges for keeping the polls reliability at highest levels are also discussed

Support Vector Machine for Network Intrusion and Cyber-Attack Detection

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.Cyber-security threats are a growing concern in networked environments. The development of Intrusion Detection Systems (IDSs) is fundamental in order to provide extra level of security. We have developed an unsupervised anomaly-based IDS that uses statistical techniques to conduct the detection process. Despite providing many advantages, anomaly-based IDSs tend to generate a high number of false alarms. Machine Learning (ML) techniques have gained wide interest in tasks of intrusion detection. In this work, Support Vector Machine (SVM) is deemed as an ML technique that could complement the performance of our IDS, providing a second line of detection to reduce the number of false alarms, or as an alternative detection technique. We assess the performance of our IDS against one-class and two-class SVMs, using linear and non-linear forms. The results that we present show that linear two-class SVM generates highly accurate results, and the accuracy of the linear one-class SVM is very comparable, and it does not need training datasets associated with malicious data. Similarly, the results evidence that our IDS could benefit from the use of ML techniques to increase its accuracy when analysing datasets comprising of non-homogeneous features

Communication requirements for future secondary substations to enable DSO functions

Reliable and scalable communication technologies are required to securely integrate and utilise the flexibility offered by different smart grid solutions. Smart secondary substations can play a critical role in enabling the flexibility services for the DSO with more monitoring and control functions being deployed at these substations. However, there are a number of challenges associated with the deployment and integration of communications to enable future DSO functions. This paper defines the key requirements for future secondary substation communications and provides a number of recommendations to address future operator needs. A case study related to the deployment of a Smart Transformer for better utilisation of network assets and voltage regulation is presented to illustrate the applicability of aforementioned requirements

AI secured SD-WAN architecture as a latency critical IoT enabler for 5G and beyond communications

Software-defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) is an elementary change in the way network architects and service providers transpose their focus from hardware to the software oriented paradigm. Using a virtual network overlay, SD-WAN classifies and prioritizes how each application goes through the network based on business priority, quality of service (QoS), service-level agreements (SLAs) and security requirements. In this paper, we reviewed a system level concept and implementation of AI secured SD-WAN technology that is helping service providers to easily connect to and integrate across all the different IoT compute edges required to optimize the traffic and management of 5G cells. This architecture will enable a seamless transition for energy sector towards a full 5G connectivity by managing any data available across the edge, leveraging 5G transport for those critical applications that require ultra-low latency and higher bandwidths. Moreover, we weigh the pros and cons of using hybrid Multi-protocol Label Switching (MPLS) with SD-WAN to provide seamless integration, scalability and flexibility to the energy sector

IP/MPLS and MPLS/TP teleprotection latencies over high voltage power lines

Power utilities dependent on communication networks to deliver critical power services continue to increase. These time-critical networks have evolved to use packet-based technologies such as Internet Protocol Multi-Protocol Label Switching (IP/MPLS) and Multi-Protocol Label Switching Transport Protocol (MPLS/TP). Both packet-based technologies are efficient traffic routing protocols for critical applications like teleprotection with challenging low propagation and asymmetrical latency requirements. This paper presents the findings of IP/MPLS and MPLS/TP hitless teleprotection applications over high voltage power lines. The performance of both technologies is compared based on specific network parameters using test equipment. The major results highlighted include base case tests of propagation and symmetrical latencies following latency injections, event response, bit error, path switching, Quality of Service (QoS), and IEC 61850 proof of concept test. While the result demonstrates that IP/MPLS and MPLS/TP - if configured properly - can meet the strictest requirements of teleprotection latencies over high voltage power lines, their performance varied across the hitless technology test metrics. These findings are not only relevant for unravelling deployment decisions between both packet-based technologies in the energy sector but are also useful for the long-term infrastructural planning of power utilities

Proof-of-PUF enabled blockchain: concurrent data and device security for internet-of-energy

A detailed review on the technological aspects of Blockchain and Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs) is presented in this article. It stipulates an emerging concept of Blockchain that integrates hardware security primitives via PUFs to solve bandwidth, integration, scalability, latency, and energy requirements for the Internet-of-Energy (IoE) systems. This hybrid approach, hereinafter termed as PUFChain, provides device and data provenance which records data origins, history of data generation and processing, and clone-proof device identification and authentication, thus possible to track the sources and reasons of any cyber attack. In addition to this, we review the key areas of design, development, and implementation, which will give us the insight on seamless integration with legacy IoE systems, reliability, cyber resilience, and future research challenges

Bandwidth and security requirements for smart grid

With the evolution of smart grid and applications, power distribution networks need scalable, flexible, distributed and secure end-to-end communication. This work aims to highlight the necessary bandwidth that is needed to effectively monitor and communicate with all the secondary substations of Distribution Network Operators (DNOs). In order to determine the bandwidth requirements, the current and future applications in each secondary substation should be known. Two levels of security are employed - IPsec and TLS - to give flexibility and resilience. Different test scenarios and several setups were employed on a fully secured IP based Remote Terminal Unit (RTU) through an IEC 62870-05-104 protocol, aiming to understand the bandwidth cost of different security techniques. The analysis depicts an average of 2-3 fold increase in bandwidth if both IPsec and TLS are used be to secure the connected asset

Challenges and promises of 5G for smart grid teleprotection applications

This work is based on some ongoing technical projects, research activities, and discussions for applying 5G technology in smart grid critical applications, specifically in teleprotection. The functional and performance requirements of 5G capabilities needed to meet the overall teleprotection essentials in the smart grid will be discussed. Recommendations that cover the main challenges and promises/prospects for 5G in teleprotection will also be presented

Coordinated multicell beamforming with local and global data rate constraints

© 2016 IEEE.We propose optimization techniques for coordinated multi-cell beamforming in the presence of local users and a global user. The local users are served by only the corresponding basestation (BS) while the global user is served by multiple basestations. The global user, with the aid of multiple antennas, is able to decode multiple data streams transmitted by various transmitters through singular value decomposition of the channels at the receiver and using left dominant singular vectors as the receiver beamforming. The coordinating basestations employ semidefinite programing based transmitter beamforming and agree to perform optimum data rate split for the global user in order to minimise the transmission power