Enabling LTE for Control System Applications in a Smart Grid Context

The next generation electric power system, known as Smart Grid, is expected to alleviatethe energy shortage problem by exploiting renewable energy resources. The SmartGrid communication network, with its diverse structure, constitutes an indispensable component in the new power system. In terms of power industry standards, the InternationalElectrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61850 framework is of particular note. Originallydefined to cover the stringent requirements for automation within the substation, IEC61850 is proving to be a versatile standard that can also be applied to the medium- andlow-voltage networks while facilitating control applications. Long Term Evolution (LTE)appears as a remarkable candidate for supporting remote automation tasks in the electricitygrid, offering low latency, high throughput and quality of service differentiation ina single radio access technology. In the context of the thesis, a performance evaluationof the integration of LTE technology with IEC 61850 communication services is carriedout. A characterization of the network architecture and the performance requirementsfor intelligent power system management is performed and an analytical model for thescheduling framework is proposed. Emphasis is given on the development of optimal prioritizationschemes and techniques in order to ensure control data scheduling in situationswhen LTE background traffic coexists in the network. In addition, realistic communicationscenarios specifically designed to emulate real network operations are consideredand extensive simulations are performed with the use of Ericsson’s radio system simulatorplatform. The results have demonstrated that LTE networks successfully meet theperformance 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 forfuture wireless communication.