SMART GRID COMMUNICATION ASSESSMENT AND CO-SIMULATION TOOL

• US 20130060553A1
• Filed: 08/09/2012
• Published: 03/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Corp. (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Rosca, Justinian, Patel, Amar H., Aparicio, Juan, Tas, Nazif, Loiacono, Michael T.
• Granted Patent: US 10,382,285 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/18
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/45 Utility meters networked together within a single building
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/47 Methods for determining the topology or arrangement of meters in a network
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/00 Arrangements for measuring electric power or power factor G01R7/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/06 by measuring current and voltage G01R21/08 - G01R21/133 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2119/06 Power analysis or power optimisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/13 Architectural design, e.g. computer-aided architectural design [CAAD] related to design of buildings, bridges, landscapes, production plants or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/145 involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/30 State monitoring, e.g. fault, temperature monitoring, insulator monitoring, corona discharge
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for modeling and simulating a communication network operating under at least one communication protocol, which supports a Smart Grid electricity network. Communication performance data of the communication network are generated by a processor based on operating behavior of the Smart Grid with a plurality of assets under a first condition. Devices in the Smart grid are grouped in bins for rapid modeling. One or more different configurations of the communication network are entered into the processor and related performance data is also generated. Network configurations are compared based on the generated performance data which may include end-to-end delay and reception rate. Processor based systems to perform modeling methods are also provided.

Claims

1. A method of modeling a communication system which transmits data related to a plurality of assets in an electrical utility in a geography, comprising:

entering in a processor a configuration of the electrical utility based on the plurality of assets;

entering in the processor a topographical model of the geography;

entering in the processor a first configuration of a network of communication devices in the geography operating under at least one of a plurality of communication protocols, wherein a communication performance of each communication device is determined by at least one of the plurality of assets; and

the processor generating a first set of simulated communication data based on an operating behavior of the plurality of assets over a period of time under a first condition and based on the topographical model, wherein the first set of simulated communication data represents a performance of the first configuration of the communication network under the first condition.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

entering in the processor a second configuration of a network of communication devices in the geography operating under at least one of a plurality of communication protocols; and

the processor generating a second set simulated communication data based on an operating behavior of the plurality of assets over a period of time under a first condition and based on the topographical model, wherein the second set of communication data represents a performance of the second configuration of the communication network under the first condition.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

comparing the performance of the first configuration of the communication network with the performance of the second configuration of the communication network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of communication devices supports at least one Smart Grid application.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one Smart Grid application is from the group consisting of Advanced Meter Reading, Remote connect/disconnect, Outage detection/last gasp, Feeder automation (FLISR), Feeder automation (NOP/load balancing), Volt/VAR optimization, FCI Telemetry, Voltage regulator bank control, Transformer monitoring, Substation RTU connectivity, Demand response—

baselining and Demand response—

load control.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the plurality of communication protocols is selected from the group consisting of VHF/UHF Digital Radio, 900 MHz DSS Radio, 900 MHz RF Mesh, 2.4 GHz RF Mesh, Cellular (LTE), Narrowband P2MP, Long Range Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Mesh, Narrowband PLC, Broadband PLC, Unlicensed and Licensed Microwave and WiMAX.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor receives data from a system that models an electric power network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first configuration of the communication network includes a first plurality which is part of a second plurality of Smart Meters and wherein the first plurality of Smart Meters is applied by the processor as representing the second plurality of Smart Meters.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first performance is expressed as a score rating.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first performance is expressed as a reception rate.

11. A system to model a communication system which transmits data related to a plurality of assets in an electrical utility in a geography, comprising:

a memory to store data;

a processor to execute instructions to perform the steps;

entering a configuration of the electrical utility based on the plurality of assets;

entering a topographical model of the geography;

entering a first configuration of a network of communication devices in the geography operating under at least one of a plurality of communication protocols, wherein a communication performance of each communication device is determined by at least one of the plurality of assets; and

generating a first set of simulated communication data based on an operating behavior of the plurality of assets over a period of time under a first condition and based on the topographical model, wherein the first set of communication data represents a performance of the first configuration of the communication network under the first condition.

12. The system of claim 11, further enabled to perform the steps:

entering a second configuration of a network of communication devices in the geography operating under at least one of a plurality of communication protocols; and

generating a second set of simulated communication data based on an operating behavior of the plurality of assets over a period of time under a first condition and based on the topographical model, wherein the second set of communication data represents a performance of the second configuration of the communication network under the first condition.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising the step:

comparing the performance of the first configuration of the communication network with the performance of the second configuration of the communication network.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of communication devices supports at least one Smart Grid application.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one Smart Grid application is from the group consisting of Advanced Meter Reading, Remote connect/disconnect, Outage detection/last gasp, Feeder automation (FLISR), Feeder automation (NOP/load balancing), Volt/VAR optimization, FCI Telemetry, Voltage regulator bank control, Transformer monitoring, Substation RTU connectivity, Demand response—

baselining and Demand response—

load control.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one of the plurality of communication protocols is selected from the group consisting of VHF/UHF Digital Radio, 900 MHz DSS Radio, 900 MHz RF Mesh, 2.4 GHz RF Mesh, Cellular (LTE), Narrowband P2MP, Long Range Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Mesh, Narrowband PLC, Broadband PLC, Unlicensed and Licensed Microwave and WiMAX.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor receives data from a system that models an electric power network.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the first configuration of the communication network includes a first plurality which is part of a second plurality of Smart Meters and wherein the first plurality of Smart Meters is applied by the processor as representing the second plurality of Smart Meters.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the first performance is expressed as a score based on a scoring rule.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the first performance is expressed as a reception rate.