Time-synchronized data collection in smart grids through IPv6 over BLE

Abstract

For the operation of electrical distribution system an increased shift towards smart grid operation can be observed. This shift provides operators with a high level of reliability and efficiency when dealing with highly dynamic distribution grids. Technically, this implies that the support for a bidirectional flow of data is critical to realizing smart grid operation, culminating in the demand for equipping grid entities (such as sensors) with communication and processing capabilities. Unfortunately, the retrofitting of brown-field electric substations in distribution grids with these capabilities is not straightforward-this scenario requires a solution that provides "industry-grade" Internet of Things capabilities at "consumer-grade" prices (e.g., off-the-shelf communication standards and hardware). In this paper, we discuss the particular challenge of precisely timesynchronized wireless data collection in secondary substations that at the same time supports on-site configuration by authorized maintenance personnel through a mobile application: to achieve this, we propose a combined implementation of IPv6 over Bluetooth Low Energy.

Integrating Electrical Substations Within the IoT Using IEC 61850, CoAP, and CBOR

“…In order to guarantee the successful retrofitting of the legacy scenarios, the following features must be addressed: i) low deployment cost, ii) minimal maintenance effort, iii) low latency, and iv) good performance under low bandwidth networks. The solutions must also take account of the limited amount of space within substations -as a consequence, industry is turning toward wireless communication technologies, especially for remote deployments: Wireless Personal-Area Networks (WPANs) are suggested to connect devices within substations; and Low-Power Wide-Area Networks (LPWANs) are expected to link substations to back-end systems 1 , in particular for remote installations [2]. The retrofitting of SGs with Internet of Things (IoT) technology depends on solutions that are, at the same time, standard (i.e., compliant with IEC 61850), interoperable on the application layer (e.g., compatible with REpresentational State Transfer (REST)) and able to operate within constrained settings that feature only limited Quality of Service (QoS).…”