2017 IEEE International Conference on Smart Grid Communications (SmartGridComm), 2017
PoweRline Intelligent Metering Evolution (PRIME) is a Narrowband Powerline Communication (NB-PLC)... more PoweRline Intelligent Metering Evolution (PRIME) is a Narrowband Powerline Communication (NB-PLC) technology widely deployed in the last mile of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) in Spain (Iberdrola, Union Fenosa), which is also quickly spreading globally. The present paper addresses the evaluation of the two medium access control mechanisms used in this technology: the Shared Contention Period (SCP), where all nodes content to access the channel; and the Contention Free Period (CFP), where time slots are reserved in order to guarantee some transmission opportunities. Whereas the SCP is the default behavior given its simplicity, the use of the CFP may be necessary when using applications that require a given level of Quality of Service (QoS). The paper first describes how the CFP has been implemented according to the standard in the PRIME network simulator SimPRIME. Moreover, the paper asseses how combining different number of nodes in the SCP and CFP affects the network performance in a series of illustrative scenarios. Results from simulations point out that, when all nodes transmit together in the SCP, it yields better network performance than using the CFP in general; and especially in highly populated networks. However, the paper also highlights trade-off solutions that allow guaranteeing QoS to certain nodes without compromising the performance of the rest of the network. Additionally, the paper proposes an amendment to the standard to increase the number of nodes that can use the CFP under the previous assumption.
2019 IEEE International Symposium on Power Line Communications and its Applications (ISPLC)
PoweRline Intelligent Metering Evolution (PRIME) is a Narrowband-PowerLine Communication (NB-PLC)... more PoweRline Intelligent Metering Evolution (PRIME) is a Narrowband-PowerLine Communication (NB-PLC) technology widely used in Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) in Spain and overseas. PRIME networks are formed by one base node (the so-called data concentrator in AMI terminology) and many service nodes (the so-called smart meters). The technology allows some smart meters to work as relays (so-called switches), to extend coverage and improve communications performance, and is defined to be plug&play. Thus, whenever a new node joins the network, it listens to the channel waiting for beacons from the concentrator or the switches. If it does not hear anything, it sends kind of SOS message, which makes whatever service node that hear it to send a message to the concentrator requesting being promoted to switch. PRIME specification says nothing, however, on how the concentrator chooses the switch from the possible candidates, this belonging to the know-how of the meter manufacturers. In this paper, we propose several policies to do so and evaluate their impact on the network performance by using the PRIME network simulator SimPRIME. Although there are already publications on optimal positioning of switches in PRIME networks, from the best of the authors' knowledge this is the first research work that tackle the issue from the perspective of the concentrator, which makes it closer to how actual PRIME networks work and so makes the obtained insights more useful.
Under the Internet of Things paradigm, the emergence and use of a wide variety of connected devic... more Under the Internet of Things paradigm, the emergence and use of a wide variety of connected devices and personalized telematics services have proliferated recently. As a result, along with the penetration of these devices in our daily lives, the users’ security and privacy have been compromised due to some weaknesses in connected devices and underlying applications. This article focuses on analyzing the security and privacy of such devices to promote safe Internet use, especially by young people. First, the connected devices most used by the target group are classified, and an exhaustive analysis of the vulnerabilities that concern the user is performed. As a result, a set of differentiated security and privacy issues existing in the devices is identified. The study reveals that many of these vulnerabilities are related to the fact that device manufacturers often prioritize functionalities and services, leaving security aspects in the background. These companies even exploit the dat...
In modern power systems, co-simulation is proposed as an enabler for analyzing the interactions b... more In modern power systems, co-simulation is proposed as an enabler for analyzing the interactions between disparate systems. This paper introduces the co-simulation platform Virtual Grid Integration Laboratory (VirGIL) including Hardware-inthe-Loop testing, and demonstrates its potential to assess demand response strategies. VirGIL is based on a modular architecture using the Functional Mock-up Interface industrial standard to integrate new simulators. VirGIL combines state-of-the-art simulators in power systems, communications, buildings, and control. In this work, VirGIL is extended with a Hardware-inthe-Loop component to control the ventilation system of a real 12-story building in Denmark. VirGIL capabilities are illustrated in three scenarios: load following, primary reserves and load following aggregation. Experimental results show that the system can track one minute changing signals and it can provide primary reserves for up-regulation. Furthermore, the potential of aggregatin...
La generación de números aleatorios es crítica para la criptografía actual. En el marco del proye... more La generación de números aleatorios es crítica para la criptografía actual. En el marco del proyecto “Secure Internet of Things”, liderado por la Universidad de Stanford, se desarrolló un circuito generador de números aleatorios denominado Lampert Circuit. Este circuito se basa en electrónica sencilla y destaca por producir números aleatorios con alta entropía (0.98 bits/muestra) y por ser barato, pequeño y auditable, ideal, por tanto, para sistemas IoT. El objetivo de este trabajo de investigación es precisamente auditar el funcionamiento de dicho circuito experimentalmente. Para ello se pretenden replicar parte de los tests descritos en el artículo "Robust, low-cost, auditable random number generation for embedded system security", publicado en ACM SenSys'16, sobre 100 circuitos fabricados por 4 fabricantes distintos para comparar los resultados obtenidos con los del artículo original. Este artículo presenta la metodología que se pretende seguir en este trabajo y los recursos de los que se dispone para llevarlo a cabo, los problemas encontrados y resultados obtenidos hasta la fecha, y las líneas de trabajo futuras
2019 IEEE International Symposium on Power Line Communications and its Applications (ISPLC), 2019
Many simulation tools for Powerline Communication technologies have been developed during the las... more Many simulation tools for Powerline Communication technologies have been developed during the last years with the aim of evaluating and improving their performance, as an alternative to more expensive, less flexible, and more complex-to-manage physical testbeds. However, how significant are the results coming from such simulation tools? Answering to this question by analyzing how well the model behind the simulations fits reality is especially complicated for such harsh communication scenarios as Powerline Communication networks. Hence, this paper proposes a methodology for doing so experimentally. In addition, the proposed methodology is applied to assess the well-known simulator SimPRIME by comparing statistically the results of simulating a real Powerline Communication network belonging to an operational Spanish Advanced Metering Infrastructure with measurements taken during the operation of such a network. Since the computed confidence intervals overlap, it can be concluded that the results coming from the simulator fit this specific real scenario under the conditions of the considered time period. Although the obtained results contribute to legitimate the research work that have been conducted with SimPRIME throughout the last years, the conclusions of this study cannot be generalized to any scenario without performing more experiments, which opens an opportunity to future research work.
AMIs (Advanced Metering Infrastructures) present an important role in Smart City environments, es... more AMIs (Advanced Metering Infrastructures) present an important role in Smart City environments, especially from the point of view of distribution and customers, offering control and monitoring capabilities. The use of PLC (Power Line Communication) technology offers a wide range of advantages in AMI, including not needing to deploy an additional communication infrastructure. However, the electrical network was not initially designed for communications, as these networks pose problems depending on the connected loads, such as network impedance variation, frequency selectivity or noise. For this reason, the use of simulators is proposed to facilitate the deployments based on PLC networks, and analysis and diagnosis tools for the identification of problems in operating networks are also required. This paper presents a toolkit for evaluating and analyzing the performance of PLC networks. This toolkit is composed of SimPRIME, a simulator for the evaluation of NB-PLC PRIME (PoweR line Inte...
Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring is a set of monitoring techniques consisting of read... more Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring is a set of monitoring techniques consisting of reading electrical activity generated by the nervous system structures during surgeries. In order to guarantee signal quality, contact impedance between the sensing electrodes and the patient’s skin needs to be as low as possible. Hence, monitoring this impedance while signals are measured is an important feature of current medical devices. The most commonly used technique involves injection of a known current and measurement of the voltage drop in the contact interface. This method poses several problems, such as power consumption (critical in battery-powered systems), frequency dependency and regulation issues, which are overcome by using a passive method. The fundamentals of the method proposed in this paper are based on the utilization of the variation suffered by the input random signal when a known resistance is connected in parallel to the input terminals of the low-noise amplifier (L...
Power line communications (PLC) have been an active research area for many years and it is still ... more Power line communications (PLC) have been an active research area for many years and it is still the case, mainly because they present economic and technical natural advantages for a wide range of applications using the existing electrical grid as transmission medium. In this paper, the authors provide an update on PLC technologies and their applications in Smart Grids, the main challenges they are currently facing, how they can be addressed, and the current research initiatives. INDEX TERMS Communications networks, communications technologies, power line communications, smart grids.
Future power grids need to be flexible on the demand side to develop a credible energy policy, an... more Future power grids need to be flexible on the demand side to develop a credible energy policy, and in particular the integration of renewable. This objective will need a more active consumer. The demonstration of customer capabilities is an important challenge for small and medium-sized segments, since their potential (contribution to load curve) is undoubtedly of interest. REDYD-2050 (http://www.redyd2050-der.eu/) is a research network funded by Spanish Government (2015-2017) that integrates seven groups that develop research in key technologies to achieve an integral development of demand response (DR). This article presents the objectives of the network, including integrating technologies and proposing innovative solutions to DR concerns such as modelling and aggregation, automation, application of ICT, implementation in markets, price and consumption forecasts, or monitoring and verification.
The participation of demand response in energy and operation markets is gaining interest in the l... more The participation of demand response in energy and operation markets is gaining interest in the last years due to the necessity of integrating renewable resources in the power systems. The potential of small demand segments is very high, but its complexity (thousands of customers to achieve the same potential that large customers) and costs (for instance, measurement and communication requirements) arise as important barriers for demand response (DR). These barriers are to be analysed in detail, especially for ancillary services. Likewise, this study presents the basis of a load modelling methodology (elemental and aggregate ones, physically-based load modelling (PBLM)) for different electricity markets which demonstrates through simulations the capabilities of the tool for the engagement of these segments on DR. These simulations can help to overcome some of the main barriers and facilitate the deployment of DR. † Dwelling/environment: parameters that represent heat losses (conduction/convection through walls: h a , a w ; the floor: a rg ; windows, a g), ventilation losses/gains (H V); as well as heat gains: solar radiation (H sw , H w); internal gains due to inhabitants (H r) or appliances (H a). Also, the model takes into account heat storage from the specific heat of walls (C w), indoor mass (C a) or roof/ ground (C rg). † The appliance and its energy conversion into heat (space heating), 'cold' (air conditioning), or hot water. This is represented by a current source (H ch). † Control mechanisms (one or several) which decide the demand: a thermostat in some loads, i.e. m(t) in Fig. 1. † The state variables that usually are temperatures: indoor (X), walls (X w) and roof/ground (X rg).
AEU - International Journal of Electronics and Communications, 2016
The paper deals with the damaging effects produced by impulsive noise in PLC transmissions and pr... more The paper deals with the damaging effects produced by impulsive noise in PLC transmissions and proposes a cancellation scheme using difference-set-based compressive sensing. Authors focus on a popular narrow-band PLC solution to evaluate its performance: PRIME. A simulation environment based on Matlab was developed to analyze PRIME's behavior in an impulsive noise environment. To model the transmission channel, Middleton's Class-A noise model was used in conjunction with noise parameters reported in the literature for the narrow-banded spectrum. The performance is measured in terms of bit error rate versus signal to noise ratio. Although the use of compressive sensing to cancel impulsive noise in communications has already been proposed in other studies, this paper details a modification based on Partial Fourier Matrix indexing according to difference sets. Results from simulations report an almost complete cancellation of the impulsive noise effects. The analysis is done studying the achieved bit error rate as a function of the signal to noise ratio at the receiver.
2016 IEEE International Energy Conference (ENERGYCON), 2016
Machine-to-Machine communications networks for Smart Grids must meet specific requirements from b... more Machine-to-Machine communications networks for Smart Grids must meet specific requirements from both technical and economic perspectives. Power Line Communications are indeed winning momentum in this area because they provide a great trade-off between both dimensions. In particular, Broadband Power Line Communications over Medium-Voltage distribution grids are of special interest to Distribution System Operators because they present advantages such as keeping the communications infrastructure largely under their control or reducing the number of required back-haul connections. However, both deploying one of these cells or an alternative solution and the design and planning of such cells involve complex decisions, so tools to support making them are required. This paper presents a novel tool which allows varying most of the technical parameters that influence such cells in a user-friendly-manner and observing the impact on their performance in terms of the Round Trip Time between each node of the cell and the so-called Gateway.
International Journal of Distributed Sensor Networks, 2016
The Smart Grid represents a revolution especially at distribution and customer levels, bringing m... more The Smart Grid represents a revolution especially at distribution and customer levels, bringing monitoring and control capabilities, traditionally available up to the primary substations, down to the secondary substations, and beyond. Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications networks are key to enable managing the huge number of sensors and actuators distributed all over the low voltage and medium voltage networks. Such M2M communications networks must meet demanding requirements from the technical perspective (e.g., low latency, high availability), since eventually the stability of the grid may rely on them, and from the economic perspective (e.g., low deployment and operational costs), due to the huge volume of devices to be monitored and controlled. Thus, Power Line Communications (PLC) technologies are winning momentum in these scenarios because they represent a great trade-off between both perspectives. However, electrical networks also represent a harsh communications medium, m...
Advanced Metering Infrastructures (AMI) represent one of the first steps in the Smart Grid proces... more Advanced Metering Infrastructures (AMI) represent one of the first steps in the Smart Grid process, where Power Line Communication (PLC) is emerging as the most costeffective solution since it allows reusing electric infrastructures as communication channel. However, the performance of this technology is highly affected by the characteristics of the existing distribution network. This article presents a thorough sensitivity analysis to assess the operating limits of smart metering applications for multiple representative configurations of low voltage (LV) networks based on a PLC simulation framework that integrates DLMS/COSEM and PRIME standards. The number of registered nodes and the time to read all meters have been defined as Key Performance Indicators to assess the communication performance. The conclusions drawn from this study provide useful information for the integration of smart meter applications that take advantage of AMI under different local conditions. Index Terms-smart meter, advance metering infrastructure (AMI), power line communications (PLC), PRIME, performance Luis González-Sotres received the M.Sc. degree in power systems in 2012 and is currently pursuing the Ph.
2015 IEEE International Conference on Smart Grid Communications (SmartGridComm), 2015
AMIs represent the first steps towards a fully operational Smart Grid and NB-PLC technologies, su... more AMIs represent the first steps towards a fully operational Smart Grid and NB-PLC technologies, such as PRIME, are winning momentum in such AMI deployments. PRIME standard leaves some parameters up to meter manufacturers. So, how do communications in PRIME networks actually work? To the best of the authors knowledge, this paper represents the first study that provides an answer to this question. By dissecting a traffic trace from a test carried out in the Network Integration Laboratory of the Spanish DSO Union Fenosa Distribución, we show that communications parameters that may influence overall network performance take different values depending on the manufacturer and firmware version. We also obtain the time that the concentrator needs to read a 24hour consumption report from each of the smart meters in the network, which indeed represents a communications performance indicator and can be used for cross-validation of communications performance simulations. This work sets the foundation of a certain hot research topic in Smart Grids in coming years. On one side, typical scenarios can be characterized (e.g., for simulation purposes) by applying data mining techniques to analyze large traffic traces datasets. On the other side, it inspires carrying out research to propose optimal parameter configurations depending on the specific constraints of given scenarios.
Co-simulation platforms are necessary to study the interactions of complex systems integrated in ... more Co-simulation platforms are necessary to study the interactions of complex systems integrated in future smart grids. The Virtual Grid Integration Laboratory (VirGIL) is a modular co-simulation platform designed to study interactions between demand response strategies, building comfort, communication networks, and power system operation. This paper presents the coupling of power systems, buildings, communications and control under a master algorithm. There are two objectives. First, to use a modular architecture for VirGIL, based on the Functional Mock-up Interface (FMI), where several different modules can be added, exchanged, and tested. Second, to use a commercial power system simulation platform, familiar to power system operators, such as DIgSILENT Powerfactory. This will help reduce the barriers to the industry for adopting such platforms, investigate and subsequently deploy demand response strategies in their daily operation. VirGIL further introduces the integration of the Quantized State System (QSS) methods for simulation in this co-simulation platform. Results on how these systems interact using a real network and consumption data are also presented.
This study analyzes the performance of power-line communications for sending open automated deman... more This study analyzes the performance of power-line communications for sending open automated demand response (OpenADR) signals. In particular, we study main channel disturbances that can affect end-to-end communications and which have not been previously studied in detail. Our analysis takes into account physical phenomena, such as background and impulsive noise sources, channel attenuation, and multipath effects, and considers the physical, network, and applications layers of the communications structure. The performance of the physical layer is the basis for computing the packet error rate. In analyzing application performance, we focus specifically on the latency in several communication environments. If a channel is impaired only by background noise, latencies are less than 40 seconds. With the addition of impulsive noise in the channel, this value increases as long as 68 seconds. Using these figures, we find that power-line technology is more suitable for "slow" demand programs, such as day-ahead or day-of curtailments, rather than ancillary services markets, which require near-real-time communication.
2017 IEEE International Conference on Smart Grid Communications (SmartGridComm), 2017
PoweRline Intelligent Metering Evolution (PRIME) is a Narrowband Powerline Communication (NB-PLC)... more PoweRline Intelligent Metering Evolution (PRIME) is a Narrowband Powerline Communication (NB-PLC) technology widely deployed in the last mile of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) in Spain (Iberdrola, Union Fenosa), which is also quickly spreading globally. The present paper addresses the evaluation of the two medium access control mechanisms used in this technology: the Shared Contention Period (SCP), where all nodes content to access the channel; and the Contention Free Period (CFP), where time slots are reserved in order to guarantee some transmission opportunities. Whereas the SCP is the default behavior given its simplicity, the use of the CFP may be necessary when using applications that require a given level of Quality of Service (QoS). The paper first describes how the CFP has been implemented according to the standard in the PRIME network simulator SimPRIME. Moreover, the paper asseses how combining different number of nodes in the SCP and CFP affects the network performance in a series of illustrative scenarios. Results from simulations point out that, when all nodes transmit together in the SCP, it yields better network performance than using the CFP in general; and especially in highly populated networks. However, the paper also highlights trade-off solutions that allow guaranteeing QoS to certain nodes without compromising the performance of the rest of the network. Additionally, the paper proposes an amendment to the standard to increase the number of nodes that can use the CFP under the previous assumption.
2019 IEEE International Symposium on Power Line Communications and its Applications (ISPLC)
PoweRline Intelligent Metering Evolution (PRIME) is a Narrowband-PowerLine Communication (NB-PLC)... more PoweRline Intelligent Metering Evolution (PRIME) is a Narrowband-PowerLine Communication (NB-PLC) technology widely used in Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) in Spain and overseas. PRIME networks are formed by one base node (the so-called data concentrator in AMI terminology) and many service nodes (the so-called smart meters). The technology allows some smart meters to work as relays (so-called switches), to extend coverage and improve communications performance, and is defined to be plug&play. Thus, whenever a new node joins the network, it listens to the channel waiting for beacons from the concentrator or the switches. If it does not hear anything, it sends kind of SOS message, which makes whatever service node that hear it to send a message to the concentrator requesting being promoted to switch. PRIME specification says nothing, however, on how the concentrator chooses the switch from the possible candidates, this belonging to the know-how of the meter manufacturers. In this paper, we propose several policies to do so and evaluate their impact on the network performance by using the PRIME network simulator SimPRIME. Although there are already publications on optimal positioning of switches in PRIME networks, from the best of the authors' knowledge this is the first research work that tackle the issue from the perspective of the concentrator, which makes it closer to how actual PRIME networks work and so makes the obtained insights more useful.
Under the Internet of Things paradigm, the emergence and use of a wide variety of connected devic... more Under the Internet of Things paradigm, the emergence and use of a wide variety of connected devices and personalized telematics services have proliferated recently. As a result, along with the penetration of these devices in our daily lives, the users’ security and privacy have been compromised due to some weaknesses in connected devices and underlying applications. This article focuses on analyzing the security and privacy of such devices to promote safe Internet use, especially by young people. First, the connected devices most used by the target group are classified, and an exhaustive analysis of the vulnerabilities that concern the user is performed. As a result, a set of differentiated security and privacy issues existing in the devices is identified. The study reveals that many of these vulnerabilities are related to the fact that device manufacturers often prioritize functionalities and services, leaving security aspects in the background. These companies even exploit the dat...
In modern power systems, co-simulation is proposed as an enabler for analyzing the interactions b... more In modern power systems, co-simulation is proposed as an enabler for analyzing the interactions between disparate systems. This paper introduces the co-simulation platform Virtual Grid Integration Laboratory (VirGIL) including Hardware-inthe-Loop testing, and demonstrates its potential to assess demand response strategies. VirGIL is based on a modular architecture using the Functional Mock-up Interface industrial standard to integrate new simulators. VirGIL combines state-of-the-art simulators in power systems, communications, buildings, and control. In this work, VirGIL is extended with a Hardware-inthe-Loop component to control the ventilation system of a real 12-story building in Denmark. VirGIL capabilities are illustrated in three scenarios: load following, primary reserves and load following aggregation. Experimental results show that the system can track one minute changing signals and it can provide primary reserves for up-regulation. Furthermore, the potential of aggregatin...
La generación de números aleatorios es crítica para la criptografía actual. En el marco del proye... more La generación de números aleatorios es crítica para la criptografía actual. En el marco del proyecto “Secure Internet of Things”, liderado por la Universidad de Stanford, se desarrolló un circuito generador de números aleatorios denominado Lampert Circuit. Este circuito se basa en electrónica sencilla y destaca por producir números aleatorios con alta entropía (0.98 bits/muestra) y por ser barato, pequeño y auditable, ideal, por tanto, para sistemas IoT. El objetivo de este trabajo de investigación es precisamente auditar el funcionamiento de dicho circuito experimentalmente. Para ello se pretenden replicar parte de los tests descritos en el artículo "Robust, low-cost, auditable random number generation for embedded system security", publicado en ACM SenSys'16, sobre 100 circuitos fabricados por 4 fabricantes distintos para comparar los resultados obtenidos con los del artículo original. Este artículo presenta la metodología que se pretende seguir en este trabajo y los recursos de los que se dispone para llevarlo a cabo, los problemas encontrados y resultados obtenidos hasta la fecha, y las líneas de trabajo futuras
2019 IEEE International Symposium on Power Line Communications and its Applications (ISPLC), 2019
Many simulation tools for Powerline Communication technologies have been developed during the las... more Many simulation tools for Powerline Communication technologies have been developed during the last years with the aim of evaluating and improving their performance, as an alternative to more expensive, less flexible, and more complex-to-manage physical testbeds. However, how significant are the results coming from such simulation tools? Answering to this question by analyzing how well the model behind the simulations fits reality is especially complicated for such harsh communication scenarios as Powerline Communication networks. Hence, this paper proposes a methodology for doing so experimentally. In addition, the proposed methodology is applied to assess the well-known simulator SimPRIME by comparing statistically the results of simulating a real Powerline Communication network belonging to an operational Spanish Advanced Metering Infrastructure with measurements taken during the operation of such a network. Since the computed confidence intervals overlap, it can be concluded that the results coming from the simulator fit this specific real scenario under the conditions of the considered time period. Although the obtained results contribute to legitimate the research work that have been conducted with SimPRIME throughout the last years, the conclusions of this study cannot be generalized to any scenario without performing more experiments, which opens an opportunity to future research work.
AMIs (Advanced Metering Infrastructures) present an important role in Smart City environments, es... more AMIs (Advanced Metering Infrastructures) present an important role in Smart City environments, especially from the point of view of distribution and customers, offering control and monitoring capabilities. The use of PLC (Power Line Communication) technology offers a wide range of advantages in AMI, including not needing to deploy an additional communication infrastructure. However, the electrical network was not initially designed for communications, as these networks pose problems depending on the connected loads, such as network impedance variation, frequency selectivity or noise. For this reason, the use of simulators is proposed to facilitate the deployments based on PLC networks, and analysis and diagnosis tools for the identification of problems in operating networks are also required. This paper presents a toolkit for evaluating and analyzing the performance of PLC networks. This toolkit is composed of SimPRIME, a simulator for the evaluation of NB-PLC PRIME (PoweR line Inte...
Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring is a set of monitoring techniques consisting of read... more Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring is a set of monitoring techniques consisting of reading electrical activity generated by the nervous system structures during surgeries. In order to guarantee signal quality, contact impedance between the sensing electrodes and the patient’s skin needs to be as low as possible. Hence, monitoring this impedance while signals are measured is an important feature of current medical devices. The most commonly used technique involves injection of a known current and measurement of the voltage drop in the contact interface. This method poses several problems, such as power consumption (critical in battery-powered systems), frequency dependency and regulation issues, which are overcome by using a passive method. The fundamentals of the method proposed in this paper are based on the utilization of the variation suffered by the input random signal when a known resistance is connected in parallel to the input terminals of the low-noise amplifier (L...
Power line communications (PLC) have been an active research area for many years and it is still ... more Power line communications (PLC) have been an active research area for many years and it is still the case, mainly because they present economic and technical natural advantages for a wide range of applications using the existing electrical grid as transmission medium. In this paper, the authors provide an update on PLC technologies and their applications in Smart Grids, the main challenges they are currently facing, how they can be addressed, and the current research initiatives. INDEX TERMS Communications networks, communications technologies, power line communications, smart grids.
Future power grids need to be flexible on the demand side to develop a credible energy policy, an... more Future power grids need to be flexible on the demand side to develop a credible energy policy, and in particular the integration of renewable. This objective will need a more active consumer. The demonstration of customer capabilities is an important challenge for small and medium-sized segments, since their potential (contribution to load curve) is undoubtedly of interest. REDYD-2050 (http://www.redyd2050-der.eu/) is a research network funded by Spanish Government (2015-2017) that integrates seven groups that develop research in key technologies to achieve an integral development of demand response (DR). This article presents the objectives of the network, including integrating technologies and proposing innovative solutions to DR concerns such as modelling and aggregation, automation, application of ICT, implementation in markets, price and consumption forecasts, or monitoring and verification.
The participation of demand response in energy and operation markets is gaining interest in the l... more The participation of demand response in energy and operation markets is gaining interest in the last years due to the necessity of integrating renewable resources in the power systems. The potential of small demand segments is very high, but its complexity (thousands of customers to achieve the same potential that large customers) and costs (for instance, measurement and communication requirements) arise as important barriers for demand response (DR). These barriers are to be analysed in detail, especially for ancillary services. Likewise, this study presents the basis of a load modelling methodology (elemental and aggregate ones, physically-based load modelling (PBLM)) for different electricity markets which demonstrates through simulations the capabilities of the tool for the engagement of these segments on DR. These simulations can help to overcome some of the main barriers and facilitate the deployment of DR. † Dwelling/environment: parameters that represent heat losses (conduction/convection through walls: h a , a w ; the floor: a rg ; windows, a g), ventilation losses/gains (H V); as well as heat gains: solar radiation (H sw , H w); internal gains due to inhabitants (H r) or appliances (H a). Also, the model takes into account heat storage from the specific heat of walls (C w), indoor mass (C a) or roof/ ground (C rg). † The appliance and its energy conversion into heat (space heating), 'cold' (air conditioning), or hot water. This is represented by a current source (H ch). † Control mechanisms (one or several) which decide the demand: a thermostat in some loads, i.e. m(t) in Fig. 1. † The state variables that usually are temperatures: indoor (X), walls (X w) and roof/ground (X rg).
AEU - International Journal of Electronics and Communications, 2016
The paper deals with the damaging effects produced by impulsive noise in PLC transmissions and pr... more The paper deals with the damaging effects produced by impulsive noise in PLC transmissions and proposes a cancellation scheme using difference-set-based compressive sensing. Authors focus on a popular narrow-band PLC solution to evaluate its performance: PRIME. A simulation environment based on Matlab was developed to analyze PRIME's behavior in an impulsive noise environment. To model the transmission channel, Middleton's Class-A noise model was used in conjunction with noise parameters reported in the literature for the narrow-banded spectrum. The performance is measured in terms of bit error rate versus signal to noise ratio. Although the use of compressive sensing to cancel impulsive noise in communications has already been proposed in other studies, this paper details a modification based on Partial Fourier Matrix indexing according to difference sets. Results from simulations report an almost complete cancellation of the impulsive noise effects. The analysis is done studying the achieved bit error rate as a function of the signal to noise ratio at the receiver.
2016 IEEE International Energy Conference (ENERGYCON), 2016
Machine-to-Machine communications networks for Smart Grids must meet specific requirements from b... more Machine-to-Machine communications networks for Smart Grids must meet specific requirements from both technical and economic perspectives. Power Line Communications are indeed winning momentum in this area because they provide a great trade-off between both dimensions. In particular, Broadband Power Line Communications over Medium-Voltage distribution grids are of special interest to Distribution System Operators because they present advantages such as keeping the communications infrastructure largely under their control or reducing the number of required back-haul connections. However, both deploying one of these cells or an alternative solution and the design and planning of such cells involve complex decisions, so tools to support making them are required. This paper presents a novel tool which allows varying most of the technical parameters that influence such cells in a user-friendly-manner and observing the impact on their performance in terms of the Round Trip Time between each node of the cell and the so-called Gateway.
International Journal of Distributed Sensor Networks, 2016
The Smart Grid represents a revolution especially at distribution and customer levels, bringing m... more The Smart Grid represents a revolution especially at distribution and customer levels, bringing monitoring and control capabilities, traditionally available up to the primary substations, down to the secondary substations, and beyond. Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications networks are key to enable managing the huge number of sensors and actuators distributed all over the low voltage and medium voltage networks. Such M2M communications networks must meet demanding requirements from the technical perspective (e.g., low latency, high availability), since eventually the stability of the grid may rely on them, and from the economic perspective (e.g., low deployment and operational costs), due to the huge volume of devices to be monitored and controlled. Thus, Power Line Communications (PLC) technologies are winning momentum in these scenarios because they represent a great trade-off between both perspectives. However, electrical networks also represent a harsh communications medium, m...
Advanced Metering Infrastructures (AMI) represent one of the first steps in the Smart Grid proces... more Advanced Metering Infrastructures (AMI) represent one of the first steps in the Smart Grid process, where Power Line Communication (PLC) is emerging as the most costeffective solution since it allows reusing electric infrastructures as communication channel. However, the performance of this technology is highly affected by the characteristics of the existing distribution network. This article presents a thorough sensitivity analysis to assess the operating limits of smart metering applications for multiple representative configurations of low voltage (LV) networks based on a PLC simulation framework that integrates DLMS/COSEM and PRIME standards. The number of registered nodes and the time to read all meters have been defined as Key Performance Indicators to assess the communication performance. The conclusions drawn from this study provide useful information for the integration of smart meter applications that take advantage of AMI under different local conditions. Index Terms-smart meter, advance metering infrastructure (AMI), power line communications (PLC), PRIME, performance Luis González-Sotres received the M.Sc. degree in power systems in 2012 and is currently pursuing the Ph.
2015 IEEE International Conference on Smart Grid Communications (SmartGridComm), 2015
AMIs represent the first steps towards a fully operational Smart Grid and NB-PLC technologies, su... more AMIs represent the first steps towards a fully operational Smart Grid and NB-PLC technologies, such as PRIME, are winning momentum in such AMI deployments. PRIME standard leaves some parameters up to meter manufacturers. So, how do communications in PRIME networks actually work? To the best of the authors knowledge, this paper represents the first study that provides an answer to this question. By dissecting a traffic trace from a test carried out in the Network Integration Laboratory of the Spanish DSO Union Fenosa Distribución, we show that communications parameters that may influence overall network performance take different values depending on the manufacturer and firmware version. We also obtain the time that the concentrator needs to read a 24hour consumption report from each of the smart meters in the network, which indeed represents a communications performance indicator and can be used for cross-validation of communications performance simulations. This work sets the foundation of a certain hot research topic in Smart Grids in coming years. On one side, typical scenarios can be characterized (e.g., for simulation purposes) by applying data mining techniques to analyze large traffic traces datasets. On the other side, it inspires carrying out research to propose optimal parameter configurations depending on the specific constraints of given scenarios.
Co-simulation platforms are necessary to study the interactions of complex systems integrated in ... more Co-simulation platforms are necessary to study the interactions of complex systems integrated in future smart grids. The Virtual Grid Integration Laboratory (VirGIL) is a modular co-simulation platform designed to study interactions between demand response strategies, building comfort, communication networks, and power system operation. This paper presents the coupling of power systems, buildings, communications and control under a master algorithm. There are two objectives. First, to use a modular architecture for VirGIL, based on the Functional Mock-up Interface (FMI), where several different modules can be added, exchanged, and tested. Second, to use a commercial power system simulation platform, familiar to power system operators, such as DIgSILENT Powerfactory. This will help reduce the barriers to the industry for adopting such platforms, investigate and subsequently deploy demand response strategies in their daily operation. VirGIL further introduces the integration of the Quantized State System (QSS) methods for simulation in this co-simulation platform. Results on how these systems interact using a real network and consumption data are also presented.
This study analyzes the performance of power-line communications for sending open automated deman... more This study analyzes the performance of power-line communications for sending open automated demand response (OpenADR) signals. In particular, we study main channel disturbances that can affect end-to-end communications and which have not been previously studied in detail. Our analysis takes into account physical phenomena, such as background and impulsive noise sources, channel attenuation, and multipath effects, and considers the physical, network, and applications layers of the communications structure. The performance of the physical layer is the basis for computing the packet error rate. In analyzing application performance, we focus specifically on the latency in several communication environments. If a channel is impaired only by background noise, latencies are less than 40 seconds. With the addition of impulsive noise in the channel, this value increases as long as 68 seconds. Using these figures, we find that power-line technology is more suitable for "slow" demand programs, such as day-ahead or day-of curtailments, rather than ancillary services markets, which require near-real-time communication.
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Papers by Javier Matanza