Smart Grids: Channel Modeling for NB-PLC

Abstract

Future electricity power network must be restructured to improve its e ciency in order to provide all the consumers with exible, cost e ective, reliable and accessible power delivery. Power Line Communications (PLC) is a vital part of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) within the smart grid (SG). This thesis presents the analysis and modeling of Low Voltage (LV) transmission lines for Narrowband Power Line Communications (NB-PLC) by incorporating the approach of transmission line (TL) theory and developing its Simulink model followed by their results discussion. The thesis also presents the comprehensive eld measurements based analysis which provides a generalized NB-PLC channel model for LV access network in order to deploy Advanced Metering Infrastruc- ture (AMI) within Lahore, Pakistan. This is the rst time, such kind of eld measurements have been carried out in Pakistan. Selective sites for eld mea- surements that include Gadda Stadium, Hafeez Center, Kot Lakhpat, Lahore Cantt, Ghaziabad, Township, Wapda Town, Valencia Town and Defense Housing Authority (Phase-V) were allocated by LESCO which took into account all classi - cations of load types within Lahore city. The eld measurements of allocated sites were performed in the residential (urban and rural), industrial and commercial electricity consumers for the NB-PLC channel modeling of low voltage overhead transmission lines (TLs). On the basis of extensive eld measurement results, the average attenuation pro le and transfer functions (TFs) are presented. A Simulink model is developed to validate the results obtained from eld measurements. The analyses of measured and simulated results illustrate a close agreement of channel TFs. This research work proposes an improved, more e cient, and more accurate NB-PLC channel model especially for South Asian countries.