SmartC2Net is published on the European projects activity of the RSE website

http://www.rse-web.it/progettieu/progetto/569

Smart Control of Energy Distribution Grids over Heterogeneous Communication Networks

Stability and cost-efficient operation of Power distribution grids are the main targets of novel information-rich demand, voltage, and generation control, while at the same time aiming to reduce costs for the grid infrastructure.

Abstract:Stability and cost-efficient operation of Power distribution grids are the main targets of novel information-rich demand, voltage, and generation control, while at the same time aiming to reduce costs for the grid infrastructure. However, adding intelligence to the power grid requires communication and computation infrastructure, with consequent requirements for additional investments. To be cost efficient, it is therefore essential to enable intelligent power grid operation leveraging existing communication infrastructures.Goal of SmartC2Net is to develop, implement, and validate robust solutions that enable smart grid operation on top of heterogeneous off-the-shelf communication infrastructures with varying properties. The resulting innovative middleware functions are: adaptive network and grid monitoring, strategies to control communication network configurations and QoS settings, and extended information models and adaptive information management procedures. These middleware functions create awareness of the communication network properties and their impact on information quality, which is subsequently exploited by innovative flexible power control algorithms of SmartC2Net.The effectiveness of project results will be validated in representative use-cases of the active operation of Distributed Energy Resources connected to medium and low voltage distribution networks. These use-cases are investigated in three complementary lab prototypes. The SmartC2Net results will clearly show that intelligent distribution grid operation can be realized in a robust manner over existing communication infrastructures even despite the presence of accidental faults and malicious attacks.A consortium of seven partners (two large companies, one SME, two research centres and two universities) from five European countries provides the required expertise combination in the three central disciplines: communication technologies, control methods, and energy technology.Co-ordinator: FTW (AT)Objectives: SmartC2Net will support the global sustainable economy towards the European 2020 Targets by enabling the secure penetration of renewable energy sources and customer level energy efficiency applications via the following socio-economic high-level objectives: provide a reliable energy infrastructure at low infrastructure costs; position the capabilities of telco operators and energy system integrators in the Smart Grid value chain creating benefits for all stake-holders; strengthen European research and industrial innovation in the area of Smart Grids via the combination of different research fields. As a targeted research project, SmartC2Net has a focus on technology innovation that is derived from the above high-level socio-economic targets.Goal of SmartC2Net is to enable robust smart grid control utilizing heterogeneous third party communication infrastructures. Robustness and interoperability thereby specifically target: variability of network performance and its subsequent impact on quality of the input data obtained from energy related information sources, and timeliness/reactivity of the performed control actions as influenced by downstream communication to the actuators; security threats due to additional network interfaces and the use of off-the-shelf communication technology; seamless information exchange for heterogeneous infrastructures using IP based middleware functions for adaptive management and control.Smart Grid control operations require the design and optimization of two interrelated control loops: the outer loop that utilizes monitoring of energy grid resources and control of grid actuators and the inner control loop that adapts configurations of the communication network and the information access procedures and thus influences the flow of information in the outer loop. Optimizing the interplay of these two control loops is the main challenge of this project.RSE is actively involved and contributes to all the Work Packages bringing into the project competences on cyber security of smart grid control and communication systems. RSE major involvement is in WP1, WP2, WP5 and WP6. Specifically, RSE is contributing in WP1 by leading the specification of use cases and ICT (Information Communication Technologies) architectures and by providing the specification of Medium Voltage Control Use Case; in WP2 in the specification of grid and network monitoring requirements of Medium Voltage active distribution grids; in WP5 in the cyber-power risk evaluation, in the modelling of attack processes and security measures, in the integration of the results from experiments in the overall framework; in WP6 with the development of a laboratory testbed for executing security experiments related to the Medium Voltage Control in active distribution grids.