Enabling LTE for Control System Applications in a Smart Grid Context

Abstract: The next generation electric power system, known as Smart Grid, is expected to alleviate the energy shortage problem by exploiting renewable energy resources. The Smart Grid communication network, with its diverse structure, constitutes an indispensable component in the new power system. In terms of power industry standards, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61850 framework is of particular note. Originally defined to cover the stringent requirements for automation within the substation, IEC 61850 is proving to be a versatile standard that can also be applied to the medium- and low-voltage networks while facilitating control applications. Long Term Evolution (LTE) appears as a remarkable candidate for supporting remote automation tasks in the electricity grid, offering low latency, high throughput and quality of service differentiation in a single radio access technology. In the context of the thesis, a performance evaluation of the integration of LTE technology with IEC 61850 communication services is carried out. A characterization of the network architecture and the performance requirements for intelligent power system management is performed and an analytical model for the scheduling framework is proposed. Emphasis is given on the development of optimal prioritization schemes and techniques in order to ensure control data scheduling in situations when LTE background traffic coexists in the network. In addition, realistic communication scenarios specifically designed to emulate real network operations are considered and extensive simulations are performed with the use of Ericsson’s radio system simulator platform. The results have demonstrated that LTE networks successfully meet the performance requirements for wide-area automation tasks within a Smart Grid context. Given the size of the LTE ecosystem, such an evolution constitutes an attractive path for future wireless communication.