Power distribution companies stress the fact that efficient management of the infrastructure for always available energy distribution services, assured quality of delivered energy resources and optimal decision making in case of failures are in many cases life critical. The key component of already existing infrastructures in EDP that assures these requirements is a highly reliable communication network interconnecting the heterogeneous infrastructure of the energy distribution network and operation centres.

The network connects the actual power distribution equipment, such as power lines and transformers, with substations and further with operation centres. There is functionality at the substations to monitor and control the correct functioning of specific parts of energy distribution network. This is done through remote terminal units (RTU), special devices for an automated control. RTUs communicate with actual sensors (e.g. measuring the voltage on a power line) and actuators (e.g. circuit breakers/disconnectors) installed either locally in the substation or on (distant) power masts.  The operation control centres receive information from RTUs and sends control commands to them.

 

Planned WSN deployment at the EDP power distribution substation.
1) WSN Gateway 2) Power lines 3) Power transformers 4) Circuit breakers

 

The part of the communication network that is relevant in the scope of the WSAN4CIP project for EDP is the last-mile communication within the substation automation network and actual power lines. In order to assure the proactive and optimal automated reactive control of the energy distribution network the actual energy infrastructure is equipped with various sensors measuring critical live parameters and actuators that are able to switch on/off selected parts of the network. Although remote surveillance is already established to some extent for substations based on wired sensors, the use of WSAN within an awareness strategy could lead to a much more powerful and effective protection scenario, both for substations and lines. Some of the actuators in remote locations are connected through long-range wireless links. It is exactly here where energy distribution operators see the need of results of WSAN4CIP. Wireless sensor and actuator networks are essential to increase the robustness of the existing sensor infrastructure and improve the quality of measurements. Installed with a finer granularity, wireless sensors are capable to capture more quality parameters than the existing fixed sensor infrastructure; a possibility of logging the measurements within this first tier network gives opportunities for adequate and in-time counter measures when failures in an energy distribution network occur. The wireless nature of communications on the other hand also eliminates a single point of failure (disconnection of the wired line).

For more information, please consult our deliverable on demonstrators parameters.