Wireless communication network architecture for the smart grid applications

Smart grid is a novel initiative in the power electric distribution network that aims to provide an intelligent, self-healing and self-aware grid. The smart grid is divided into four major technological fields: telecommunications, power engineering, control and information technology. The role of communications in the smart grid is to provide adequate transmission capacity to exchange information between all the devices in the grid, supporting their operational and functional needs. Requirements of a communication network in electricity grids are not necessarily limited by the transmission capacity but also by the connectivity requirements to all the devices deployed in the network. Wireless communications, in particular the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), is seen as a well-recognized technology able to fulfil the requirements of smart grid’s applications. The WiMAX provides wide area connectivity and the quality of service (QoS) differentiated services; the two most important issues for the communication requirements in the smart grid. This research investigates the performance of a WiMAX-based network architecture used to support the communications needs of the smart grid applications. It proposes communications network architecture, presents the simulation model and performance results using OPNET simulation models. Simulation results are compared with analytical calculations of path loss, network capacity, and delay constrains for multiple smart grid applications, such as smart metering, consumer demand control and emergency sensor messaging. The simulation results demonstrate that the WiMAX network could be used as an efficient and reliable communication network for the smart grid applications fulfilling the coverage needs and application QoS constrains. A communication network architecture was finally proposed by providing appropriate network configurations and inclusion of necessary algorithms in the WiMAX standard to support the different needs of the smart grid.