OLA Smart Grid ICT

Sensors and sensor networks have an important impact in meeting environmental challenges. Sensor applications in multiple fields such as smart power grids, smart buildings/meters and smart industrial process control significantly contribute to more efficient use of resources. Wireless sensor and actuator networks (WSANs) are networks of nodes that sense and potentially also control their environment. They communicate the information through wireless links enabling interaction between people, devices, or computers and the surrounding environment.

This project deals with the application of wireless sensor networks for smart grid communication systems. Smart grid is an infrastructure that enables the delivery of power from generation sources to end-users to be monitored and managed in real time. Smart grids must be deployed in both existing systems (which in some cases are over 50 years old) as well as within totally new systems. Nevertheless, significant barriers must be overcome in order to deploy smart grids at the scale they are needed.

A major area that needs to be explored is the design and/or selection of communication technologies that convey information from various parts of grid system to be monitored by a central facility. Underlying communications infrastructure, whether using private utility communication networks (radio networks, meter mesh networks) or public carriers and networks (Internet, cellular, cable or telephone), support data transmission for deferred and real-time operation, and during outages. Along with communication devices, significant computing, system control software and enterprise resource planning software support the two-way exchange of information between stakeholders, and enable more efficient use and management of the grid.To address the various issues present in smart grid communication technologies, this proposal presents a simple form of cooperative communication technique, known as opportunistic large array (OLA), as a potential candidate for smart grid communications. OLA is a simple strategy that provides a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) advantage from the spatial diversity of distributed single-antenna radios.

Progress Report:

The project consists of two phases; A research phase where algorithms are needed to be designed and simulated and the other is the hardware implementations phase. The first half of the project was devoted to the Algorithms phase where MS students researched on various aspects of OLA transmissions. Among them the following areas of research were looked at:

• Stochastic modeling of random OLA networks
• Shadowing impacts on signal propagation in OLAs
• Interference analysis in OLAs with multiple packets
• Network code design in OLAs with multiple sources
• Energy-efficiency of OLA networks

A handful number of conference and journal papers arose as the results of this research and 5-6 MS students were graduated. Recently (Aug 2014), we have started the implementations phase of this project, where we are building a test-bed of 11 software defined radios (SDRs) where different algorithms will be tested. We have successfully achieved the configuration of these radios and now conducting small tests for deploying multi-hop cooperation. The issues that we have looked upon are as follows:

• Timing Synchronization for single hop and multi-hop scenarios
• Carrier frequency synchronization issues
• Relay selection for a GFSK-based multi-hop system
• Range extension for differential BPSK scheme

Channel estimation and coherent combining