A bio inspired computing paradigm for decentralized economic dispatch

The large-scale deployment of the Smart Grid paradigm will support the evolution of conventional electrical power systems toward active, flexible and self-healing web energy networks composed of distributed and cooperative energy resources. In a Smart Grid platform, the optimal coordination of distributed voltage controllers is one of the main issues to address. In this field, the application of traditional hierarchical control paradigms has some disadvantages that could hinder their application in Smart Grids where the constant growth of grid complexity and the need for massive pervasion of distribution generation systems require more scalable, more flexible control and regulation paradigms. To try and overcome these challenges, this paper proposes the concept of a decentralized non-hierarchal voltage regulation architecture based on intelligent and cooperative smart entities. The distributed voltage controllers employ traditional sensors to acquire local bus variables and mutually coupled oscillators to assess the main variables that characterize the operation of the global Smart Grid. These variables are then amalgamated by a fuzzy inference system in order to identify proper control actions aimed at improving the grid voltage profile and reducing power losses.

A survey on applications of Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers in smart power grids

Smart grid technologies and applications

Communication network requirements for major smart grid applications in HAN, NAN and WAN

Today, continuous technical and emerging advances between power communication systems and smart grids and applying swarm intelligence have increased for data sharing and analytics in our life. On the other side, Internet of things (IoT) has important key role to establish constructive interactions between smart devices and smart grid and power communication applications. For enhancing data transformation and improvements of multi-objective Quality of Service (QoS) factors, Swarm Optimization Techniques (SOT) are applied simultaneously in a cooperative smart environment to solve NP-hard problems. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis to address a new technical taxonomy and categorization of existing SOT-based smart grid applications in power communication systems in the IoT. Also, existing service and resource management case studies on smart grids and power communication systems are briefly analyzed and discussed. Existing evaluation factors on smart grid applications using SOT are represented. Possible advantages and weaknesses of each category are discussed with respect to new challenges and open research directions.

A seamless, sustainable and reliable communication infrastructure is crucial to realise smart grid operations and functionalities. The communications infrastructure in smart grid is not only required to be pervasive, scalable, and secure but also expected to be resilient and guarantee a required Quality of Service (QoS) to an end node. Narrow band power line communications (NBPLC) is believed to be a natural and cost effective choice for smart grid communication because it uses the existing infrastructures of the power grid that is much more extensive and pervasive than any other wired or wireless alternatives. This also eliminates the need for additional wire installation and external subscription for data transfer. However, because most smart grid applications have critical timing requirements, the frequency and time varying characteristics of the power line channel together with its background noise, limited band width and harmonic interference results in unacceptable packet loss during service transmission. Communication solution with Reliable, timely delivery which supports a given QoS for smart grid applications with critical timing requirements will although challenging is highly desirable. This paper investigates the resilience and performance of time critical smart grid application data over power line channels; specifically DLC (Distribution Line Carrier). It was shown that employing RoHC compression scheme on smart grid application IP packets can maximise bandwidth usage and enhance low delay and latency on both uplinks and downlink in a DLC channel.

Limited battery lifetime is one of the most critical issues for wireless sensor networks (WSNs)-based smart grid (SG) applications. Recently, ambient energy harvesting (AEH) has been considered to significantly improve the network lifetime of the WSNs-based SG applications. However, extracting a significant amount of energy from the ambient energy resource due to time varying links quality affected by power grid environments is the main issue for WSNs-based applications in SG. In this paper, we propose a novel multi-source energy harvesting mechanisms for WSNs-based SG applications. The propose hybrid ambient energy harvesting framework through the designed circuitry successfully harvests massive power density by capturing the radial electric field (EF) and ambient radio frequency WiFi 2.4GHz band signals present in the vicinity of 500kV power grid station. The design energy harvesting schemes have been implemented on the recently developed routing protocol for SG applications. The experiments using EstiNet9.0, demonstrate that the designed framework is efficient in terms of energy harvesting capabilities to enable a long-lasting lifetime of the WSNs-based smart grid applications.

At present, power electronic converters are widely used in systems such as shipboard power systems, distributed generation systems and DC microgrids. These devices allow for direct and fast control of the system states: voltages and currents. This is a desirable characteristic, especially when considering smart grid applications. However, the rise in the number of such devices connected to the grid, adds to the inherent nonlinearity of the power system leading to phenomena such as bifurcation and chaos. Further complications arise due to the interactions between the power system and the communication system; two systems that have been historically considered as detached from one another. Due to the growing incentives for smart grid development, the interdependence of these two systems must be recognized and incorporated into existing power electronic converter system models. This work presents models for DC-DC converter systems inclusive of both power system variables and information variables. The effects of network delay on the steady-state and dynamic stability of the overall information-embedded power electronic converter system are analyzed and quantified through proposed metrics. Additionally, uncertainty is introduced into the system model in the form of perturbations in network delay, the effects of which on system stability as well as the first exit times are investigated.

The Smart Grid (SG) is one of the most ultimate topics within the energy communities. It refers to the modernized electric grid, including innovative Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to support enhanced power management, protection, security, reliability, and improved costumer choice. To that, SG systems depends on reliable and scalable networking solution to allow efficient communications amongst applications, as power monitoring, protection, demand response and advanced metering, and Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs) that provide SG system measurements. However, the deployment of SG applications is complex and very challenging, given the missing of standards and convergent technologies to enable the jointly operation of the underlying heterogeneous systems. SG applications must implement different interfaces to intercommunicate with IEDs in their platforms, process-bus communication protocol, network technologies, and other, limiting the system scalability and time response. We propose the Session Aware Multicast based Architecture (SAMbA) to decouple the intercommunication amongst SG applications and multiple heterogeneous IEDs. SAMbA also leverages multihoming control to keep best connected sessions, and adopts multicast-based channels to achieve optimized communications, while hiding network aspects, as naming and addressing, of IEDs. Simulation results from scenarios under Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) application traffic show that the SAMbA architecture outperforms the typical communication scheme in terms of network performance aspects.

The inclusion of renewable energy in the conventional grid system and the digitalization of the various aspects of the power system have precipitated the transformation of the traditional grid system to a smart grid. Key to the implementation of the smart grid is various communication technologies. The emerging dominance of communication technologies in power systems applications is pivotal to modernizing the conventional grid system. This research presented an overview of the application of communication technologies in the digitalization of the power systems network. It reviews smart grid communication technologies, their features, relevance, and various roles being played toward delivering an effective electrical service to stakeholders. Hence, this study focused on wireless and wired communication technologies applicable to smart grid applications. Based on the review, each communication technology has its strengths and weaknesses; hence in selecting the most appropriate technology for application in a smart grid, a compromise must be made. Therefore, for choosing the most preferred communication technology in any smart grid application, it is important to deploy the efficacy of multi-criteria methods. To serve as a case study, a framework for selecting a communication technology for advanced metering infrastructure is proposed and applied. Based on the spectrum, data rate, and coverage range, the study revealed that WiMAX communication technology is the most preferred, followed by Zigbee; the least preferred communication technology for smart grid communication is Power Line Communication (PLC).

Securing the cloud-assisted smart grid

This paper introduces Smart Grid and associated technical, environmental and socio-economic, and other non-tangible benefits to society, and articulates the need for the concept and the fact that it is a dynamic interactive, real-time infrastructure that responds to the challenges of designing and building the power system of the future, rather than being simply a marketing term. To illustrate the diversity of terminology, the paper compares an Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) definition with that suggested by a study group of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Next, a paper sponsored by the Canadian Electricity Association (CEA) that cites three example definitions to highlight the diversity of views of Smart Grid is briefly reviewed. Early misconceptions and characterizations of Smart Grid are discussed as a prelude to addressing challenging issues that motivate developing and implementing related innovative technologies, products and services. The paper then discusses the potential promise of the Smart Grid, which is embedded in its often-cited attributes of efficiency, accommodating, quality focus, enabling and self-healing to name some. The paper then addresses some of the often-cited impediments to accepting Smart Grid which are based on concerns and issues confronting its forward progress, adoption and acceptance. Distribution Automation (DA) and embedded intelligence are discussed emphasising self-healing, optimizing operation and facilitating recreation and recovery from abnormal events. Functional and integration requirements of Distributed Energy Resources (DER,) are detailed. Smart Consumption Infrastructure elements of Distribution Management Systems (DMS,) Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI,) Smart Homes (SH), and Smart Appliances (SA,) are discussed. Following the introductory section, this paper summarizes contributions included in the double issue 42(3–4) of the Electric Power Components and Systems Journal. To begin, papers are offered discussing smart grid activities in China, India, and the development of a Smart Grid roadmap for the US State of Kentucky. The approaches of each of these cases reflect the diversity of policy initiatives in these jurisdictions. Two state of the art reviews are given next. The first considers distribution network active management and future development trends in technologies and methods, where centralized and decentralized management frameworks and applying agent-based coordination are discussed. The second offers a review of smart home technologies and the goals of an energy management system (SHEMS). This section is concluded by a letter providing an overview of recent and expected advances nanotechnology applications in Smart Grid. Following the state of the art review section, ten papers offering new and innovative research approaches and results are included. These papers cover Smart Grid topics such as real-time energy control approach for smart home energy management systems, optimal operation of energy- efficient buildings with Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems, energy management and control of Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations, voltage-frequency control of a voltage source inverter (VSI) in a smart islanded microgrid, smart generation scheduling for wind-thermal-pumped storage systems, optimized power system restoration, robust data transmission upon compressive sensing, data fusion for wide-area oscillation monitoring, satellite based GPS synchronized monitoring systems, stability in Smart Grid with emerging renewable energy techno- logies.

Smart Grid is a promising power delivery infrastructure integrated with communication and information technologies. By incorporating monitoring, analysis, control and communications facilities, it is possible to optimize the performance of the power system, allowing electricity to be delivered more efficiently. In the transmission and distribution sector, online monitoring of transmission lines and primary equipments is of vital importance, which can improve the reliability of power systems effectively. Optical fiber sensors can provide an alternative to conventional electrical sensors for such applications, with high accuracy, long term stability, streamlined installation, and premium performance under harsh environmental conditions. These optical fiber sensors offer immunity to EMI and extraordinary resistance to mechanical fatigue and therefore they will have great potential in on-line monitoring applications in Smart Grid. In this paper, we present a summary of the on-line monitoring needs of Smart Grid and explore the use of optical fiber sensors in Smart Grid. First, the on-line monitoring needs of Smart Grid is summarized. Second, a review on optical fiber sensor technology is given. Third, the application of optical fiber sensors in Smart Grid is discussed, including transmission line monitoring, primary equipment monitoring and substation perimeter intrusion detection. Finally, future research directions of optical fiber sensors for power systems are discussed. Compared to other traditional electrical sensors, the application of optical fiber sensors in Smart Grid has unique advantages.

In the previous chapter, we offered a comprehensive study on modeling and detecting jamming attacks against time-critical wireless networks with applications to the smart grid. However, only modeling and detection cannot provide defense against jamming attacks, and is only the first setup towards anti-jamming communication for wireless smart grid applications. Hence, spread spectrum systems, which provide jamming resilience via multiple frequency and code channels, must be adapted to the smart grid for secure wireless communications, while at the same time providing latency guarantee for control messages. An open question is how to minimize message delay for timely smart grid communication under any potential jamming attack.To address this issue, we provide a paradigm shift from the case-by-case methodology, which is widely used in existing works to investigate well-adopted attack models (also used in the previous chapter), to the worst-case methodology, which offers delay performance guarantee for smart grid applications under any attack. We first define a generic jamming process that characterizes a wide range of existing attack models. Then, we show that in all strategies under the generic process, the worst-case message delay is a U-shaped function of network traffic load. This indicates that, interestingly, increasing a fair amount of traffic can in fact improve the worst-case delay performance. As a result, we demonstrate a lightweight yet promising system, TACT (transmitting adaptive camouflage traffic), to combat jamming attacks. TACT minimizes the message delay by generating extra traffic called camouflage to balance the network load at the optimum. Experiments show that TACT can decrease the probability that a message is not delivered on time in order of magnitude for smart grid applications.

The growing interest in Digital Twin (DT) Technology represents a significant advancement in academic research and industrial applications. Leveraging advancements in Internet of Things (IoT), sensors, and communication devices, DTs are increasingly utilised across different sectors, notably in the energy domain such as Power Systems and Smart Grids. DT concepts facilitate the creation of virtual models mirroring physical assets, streamlining real-time data management and analysis. Driven by the potential of DTs to revolutionise energy systems, this paper offers a comprehensive review of DT applications in the power sector, specifically within next-generation energy systems like Smart Grids. TThe integration of DT technology with Machine Learning (ML) algorithms is highlighted as a key factor in significantly enhancing the performance and capabilities of these advanced energy systems. In contrast to prior reviews, our study meticulously investigates all of the crucial components of energy systems, including forecasting, anomaly detection, and security, which are fundamental for improving the management of operational grids. In addition, the study examines the seamless incorporation of Renewable Energy into current grids and investigates how DT technology could contribute to Electric Vehicles for increased sustainability and reliability within the Smart Grid framework. This review underlines that DTs significantly enhance the management of real-time data and analysis, consequently improving operational grid management. There are ample opportunities into further research and development to design a more advanced and digital system as compared to conventional power systems. The findings are presented in clear and concise tables, highlighting current limitations, proposing effective solutions, and identifying potential future research directions in academia and industry.