Innovative Multi-Layered Architecture for Heterogeneous Automation and Monitoring Systems: Application Case of a Photovoltaic Smart Microgrid

Intelligent energy facilities, e.g., smart grids and microgrids are the evolution of traditional energy grids through digital transformation. These modern paradigms are expected to foster the utilization of renewable energies, sustainable development, and resilience of the power grid. A barrier found when deploying experimental smart grids and microgrids consists of handling the heterogeneity of the required hardware and software components as well as the available commercial equipment. Despite the fact that there is various architecture proposed in previous literature, it commonly lacks experimental validation, specification of involved equipment concerning industrial/proprietary or open-source nature, and concretization of communication protocols. To overcome such drawbacks, this paper proposes an innovative multi-layered architecture to deploy heterogeneous automation and monitoring systems for microgrids. The architecture is structured into six functional layers to organize the hardware and software equipment in an integrated manner. The open protocol Modbus TCP is chosen to harmonize communications, enabling the interconnection of equipment from industrial and energy scopes, indeed of open-source nature. An experimental photovoltaic-based smart microgrid is reported as the application case to demonstrate the suitability and validity of the proposal.

[1]  Antonello Monti,et al.  A cloud-based smart metering infrastructure for distribution grid services and automation , 2017, Sustainable Energy, Grids and Networks.

[2]  José Manuel Andújar Márquez,et al.  Integration of Sensors, Controllers and Instruments Using a Novel OPC Architecture , 2017, Sensors.

[3]  Isaías González Pérez,et al.  Integration of Sensor and Actuator Networks and the SCADA System to Promote the Migration of the Legacy Flexible Manufacturing System towards the Industry 4.0 Concept , 2018, J. Sens. Actuator Networks.

[4]  Birgit Vogel-Heuser,et al.  System architectures for Industrie 4.0 applications , 2019, Production Engineering.

[5]  Aryuanto Soetedjo,et al.  An Embedded Platform for Testbed Implementation of Multi-Agent System in Building Energy Management System , 2019 .

[6]  Markus Kucera,et al.  Comparison of smart grid architectures for monitoring and analyzing power grid data via Modbus and REST , 2017, EURASIP J. Embed. Syst..

[7]  John Lane,et al.  IEEE Standard Computer Dictionary: Compilation of IEEE Standard Computer Glossaries , 1991 .

[8]  A. J. Calderón,et al.  Novel remote monitoring platform for RES-hydrogen based smart microgrid , 2017 .

[9]  Joao M. C. Sousa,et al.  A Literature Survey on Open Platform Communications (OPC) Applied to Advanced Industrial Environments , 2019, Electronics.

[10]  Michel Rivier,et al.  A literature review of Microgrids: A functional layer based classification , 2016 .

[11]  Adrian Korodi,et al.  Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition Approach in Node-RED: Application and Discussions , 2020 .

[12]  Subhakanta Khatua,et al.  Application of PLC based smart microgrid controller for sequential load restoration during station blackout of nuclear power plants , 2021 .

[13]  Juergen Jasperneite,et al.  The Future of Industrial Communication: Automation Networks in the Era of the Internet of Things and Industry 4.0 , 2017, IEEE Industrial Electronics Magazine.

[14]  Piotr Lezynski,et al.  Design and Implementation of a Fully Controllable Cyber-Physical System for Testing Energy Storage Systems , 2019, IEEE Access.

[15]  Renata Imaculada Soares Pereira,et al.  IoT embedded linux system based on Raspberry Pi applied to real-time cloud monitoring of a decentralized photovoltaic plant , 2018 .

[16]  Felix F. Wu,et al.  Smart Grids with Intelligent Periphery: An Architecture for the Energy Internet , 2015 .

[17]  Srini Ramaswamy,et al.  A layered architecture for control functionality implementation in smart grids , 2013, 2013 10th IEEE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON NETWORKING, SENSING AND CONTROL (ICNSC).

[18]  Ikechi Augustine Ukaegbu,et al.  Energy 4.0: Towards IoT Applications in Kazakhstan , 2019, ANT/EDI40.

[19]  Saioa Arrizabalaga,et al.  A Role-Based Access Control Model in Modbus SCADA Systems. A Centralized Model Approach , 2019, Sensors.

[20]  Francisco Javier Ferrández Pastor,et al.  Smart Management Consumption in Renewable Energy Fed Ecosystems † , 2019, Sensors.

[21]  Pierluigi Mancarella,et al.  Microgrids: Overview and guidelines for practical implementations and operation , 2020, Applied Energy.

[22]  Davide Della Giustina,et al.  A distributed automation architecture for distribution networks, from design to implementation , 2017, Sustainable Energy, Grids and Networks.

[23]  Silvia Marzal,et al.  An Embedded Internet of Energy Communication Platform for the Future Smart Microgrids Management , 2019, IEEE Internet of Things Journal.

[24]  Sin Yong Teng,et al.  Recent advances on industrial data-driven energy savings: Digital twins and infrastructures , 2021 .

[25]  Mathias Uslar,et al.  Applying the Smart Grid Architecture Model for Designing and Validating System-of-Systems in the Power and Energy Domain: A European Perspective , 2019, Energies.

[26]  Katja Sirviö,et al.  Functional Analysis of the Microgrid Concept Applied to Case Studies of the Sundom Smart Grid , 2020, Energies.

[27]  Malabika Basu,et al.  Microgrid: Architecture, policy and future trends , 2016 .

[28]  Karim Moharm,et al.  State of the art in big data applications in microgrid: A review , 2019, Adv. Eng. Informatics.

[29]  Young-Chon Kim,et al.  Communication Network Architectures for Smart-House with Renewable Energy Resources , 2015 .

[30]  Stefano Bracco,et al.  A dynamic optimization-based architecture for polygeneration microgrids with tri-generation, renewables, storage systems and electrical vehicles , 2015 .

[31]  Hiranmay Saha,et al.  Internet of things based smart energy management in a vanadium redox flow battery storage integrated bio-solar microgrid , 2020, Journal of Energy Storage.

[32]  Raimir Holanda Filho,et al.  Infrastructure for Integration of Legacy Electrical Equipment into a Smart-Grid Using Wireless Sensor Networks , 2018, Sensors.

[33]  José M. Andújar,et al.  Easy and Secure Handling of Sensors and Actuators as Cloud-Based Service , 2020, IEEE Access.

[34]  Emilio J. Palacios-Garcia,et al.  IoT-enabled Microgrid for Intelligent Energy-aware Buildings: A Novel Hierarchical Self-consumption Scheme with Renewables , 2020, Electronics.

[35]  Sandro César Silveira Jucá,et al.  IoT Monitoring systems applied to photovoltaic generation: The relevance for increasing decentralized plants , 2019, Renewable Energy and Power Quality Journal.

[36]  A. J. Calderón,et al.  Integration of open source hardware Arduino platform in automation systems applied to Smart Grids/Micro-Grids , 2019 .

[37]  Alexandre Heideker,et al.  Architecting and Deploying IoT Smart Applications: A Performance–Oriented Approach , 2019, Sensors.

[38]  Steffen Lohmann,et al.  Structuring Reference Architectures for the Industrial Internet of Things , 2019, Future Internet.

[39]  Juan M. Corchado,et al.  Agent-based architecture for demand side management using real-time resources’ priorities and a deterministic optimization algorithm , 2019 .

[40]  Junwei Lu,et al.  Internet of Things Platform for Energy Management in Multi-Microgrid System to Improve Neutral Current Compensation , 2018, Energies.

[41]  Jun-Sung Kim,et al.  Microgrids platform: A design and implementation of common platform for seamless microgrids operation , 2019, Electric Power Systems Research.

[42]  Pablo Arboleya,et al.  An IoT open source platform for photovoltaic plants supervision , 2021 .

[43]  Juan C. Vasquez,et al.  Digitalization and decentralization driving transactive energy Internet: Key technologies and infrastructures , 2021 .

[44]  Imran A. Zualkernan,et al.  Using IoT and smart monitoring devices to optimize the efficiency of large-scale distributed solar farms , 2018, Wirel. Networks.

[45]  Juan M. Corchado,et al.  Microgrid management system based on a multi-agent approach: An office building pilot , 2020 .

[46]  Ferdinanda Ponci,et al.  Application of a Smart Grid Interoperability Testing Methodology in a Real-Time Hardware-In-The-Loop Testing Environment , 2020, Energies.

[47]  Nicholas DeForest,et al.  Supervisory Controller for PV and Storage Microgrids , 2015 .

[48]  Ángel Molina-García,et al.  PV Module Monitoring System Based on Low-Cost Solutions: Wireless Raspberry Application and Assessment , 2018, Energies.