PROJECT TITLE :

Hybrid Communication Network for the Smart Grid: Validation of a Field Test Experience

ABSTRACT:

The business of distribution system operators is rapidly evolving as the distribution grid is hosting additional distributed energy resources. Technology for monitoring, management, and protecting the grid is progressively pervading the lower phase of the network. These changes require a performing communication infrastructure to enable knowledge exchange among the control centers of the grid. The 7th Framework Program European Project INTEGRIS proposes a hybrid infrastructure—based on broadband power line (BPL), Wi-Fi, and fiber optics (FO)—to enable services for grid management. This mix of technologies provides a balanced tradeoff between investments and advantages, meeting most of the wants of the sensible grid. This paper investigates the technologies that would be adopted and describes the experimental assessment performed in an operational surroundings in Italy. Using this installation, transfer time, time synchronization accuracy, dependability, and throughput are evaluated and analyzed over a protracted-term campaign. Results show that the FO is the simplest communication media, in a position to provide a 2-means latency of 3 ms (ninety five percentile), whereas BPL features a two-means latency of 57 ms (ninety five percentile —4 hops). Those results make sure that a careful selection of the technologies is required to satisfy necessities of sensible grid.