A Smart Grid Communication

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A Smart Grid Communication Infrastructure in
Support of Distributed Generation
Tim Brown, Chief Technology Strategist
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Agenda

• Potential Smart Grid applications
• Urban Rural Distributed Generation scenarios
• Smart Grid communications in addressing
  Distributed Generation
• Potential issues
• Concluding remarks

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Contributors to the Presentation
WireIE and the University of Ontario Institute of
Technology (UOIT) are collaborating on a vision
for Smart Grid.
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Potential Smart Grid Applications

• WASA Wide Area Situational Awareness.
• Control systems for self-healing.
• SCADA maintain reliability under failure
  scenarios.
• Performance analysis troubleshooting/Trend
  Analysis.
• Automated control of breakers, capacitor banks,
  voltage regulators, etc.
• Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS) Devices.

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Distributed Generation Enabled by Smart Grid

• Distributed Generation by its very nature is a
  game changer for utilities.
• Countless dispersed points of generation.
• Direction of current flow is dynamic in contrast
  to todays predictable, static environment.
• Serious protection control considerations.
• Distributed Generation is an opportunity to take
  advantage of Smart Grids most advanced
  communication capabilities.

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Distributed Generation Scenario 1

• Rural Radial Distribution Islanding

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Distributed Generation Scenario 2

• Urban Meshed Distribution System

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Smart Grid Communications in Addressing DG
Scenarios

• Low latency 6 cycles or 100 ms.
• Fibre optic cable is 5 microseconds per 1
  kilometer strand.
• Radio technologies cannot meet the 100 ms
  constraint the only exception being WiMAX.
• A WiMAX link (base station to CPE) is 10 ms or
  less.
• Core network and radio access must therefore be
  designed for an aggregate latency of less than
  100 ms.

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Smart Grid Communications in Addressing DG
Scenarios

• WiMAX has many other advantages over and above
  low latency.
• Throughput. Actual value is dependant on network
  configuration settings. 5 Mbps per link is
  realistic in Smart Grid.
• Adaptive Modulation. Throughput is traded off for
  signal robustness, should radio link quality
  change.
• Closed loop Power Control. Mitigates
  self-interference on the network and minimize
  electrical power consumption.

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Smart Grid Communications in Addressing DG
Scenarios

• Quality of Service (QOS). Allows the operator to
  prioritize mission-critical protection control
  functions over less time-sensitive functions.
• Even with these powerful and effective signal
  quality mechanisms, a comprehensive Radio
  Frequency path analysis and subsequent network
  design is essential.
• LTE (Long Term Evolution) is another 4G wireless
  telecommunications technology currently under
  development. Similar characteristics to WiMAX,
  including comparable latency.

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Internet Protocol (IP) Advantages Through
Standardization

• IP is the foundation of the Internet and World
  Wide Web applications.
• Business, industry, government, education,
  healthcare and society at large have been
  revolutionized by the Internet.
• Open, secure, flexible, redundant, diverse,
  relative simplicity.
• Deployment and operational costs are relatively
  low as many key network components are commodity
  items.
• Both WiMAX and LTE are based on IP.

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Payload Latency

• By pure definition, latency is a function of
  communication media.
• Protocol overhead can, however, contribute to
  payload latency.
• TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) has the most
  overhead but benefits from packet delivery
  assurance essential in protection control
  applications.

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Payload Latency

• UDP (User Datagram Protocol) much lower
  overhead and suitable for non-mission critical
  applications such as
• Situational awareness
• Performance analysis troubleshooting
• Trend Analysis delivery of grid asset health data
• Distributed Generation would use TCP in light of
  its packet delivery assurance benefits.
• Distributed Generation would also be given
  highest priority QOS.

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Potential Issues

• Complexity.
• New operational practices cultural shift
  towards IT in the electrical utility sector.
• Regulatory issues.

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Concluding Remarks

• WireIE UOIT invite you to participate as we
  develop a simulation of the rural islanding, and
  urban meshed distribution system scenarios.
• Targeted for completion by the end of 2009.
• Simulation includes communication infrastructure
  overlay.
• Based on the outcome, a functioning demonstration
  will be built in conjunction with an LDC.

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• Thank You