D. Rua

Advanced Metering Infrastructure functionalities for electric mobility

The Smart Grid vision along with the future deployment of Electric Vehicles presents numerous challenges in terms of grid infrastructure, communication, and control. In this context, Advanced Metering Infrastructure solutions are envisioned to be the active management link between utilities and consumers. This paper presents a survey of potential AMI functionalities particularly developed to foster the large scale deployment of EV in Smart Grids. For this accomplishment, the concepts of Automated Meter Reading, Automatic Meter Management and Smart Metering are revisited. Furthermore, different EV charging approaches are outlined and included in the functionalities under the Vehicle-To-Grid framework. Finally, AMI use cases are described under the Vehicle-to-Home perspective.

Impact of multi-Microgrid Communication systems in islanded operation

This paper presents an impact analysis of communications in frequency and active power control in hierarchic multi-microgrid structures.

INESC Porto experimental Smart Grid: Enabling the deployment of EV and DER

The feasibility of the MicroGrid (MG) concept, as the pathway for integrating Electric Vehicles (EV) and other Distributed energy Resources (DER), has been the focus of several research projects around the world. However, developments have been mainly demonstrated through numerical simulation. Regarding effective smart grid deployment, strong effort is required in demonstration activities, addressing the feasibility of innovative control solutions and the need of specific communication requirements. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to provide an integrated overview of the laboratorial infrastructure under development at INESC Porto, where it will be possible to conceptualize, implement and test the performance of new control and management concepts for Smart Grid cells. The laboratorial infrastructure integrates two experimental MG, including advanced prototypes for power conditioning units to be used in micro generation applications, batteries for energy storage and a fully controlled bidirectional power converter. Preliminary experimental results and organization of the infrastructure are presented.

PACE: Simple multi-hop scheduling for single-radio 802.11-based Stub Wireless Mesh Networks

IEEE 802.11-based Stub Wireless Mesh Networks (WMNs) are a cost-effective and flexible solution to extend wired network infrastructures. Yet, they suffer from two major problems: inefficiency and unfairness. A number of approaches have been proposed to tackle these problems, but they are too restrictive, highly complex, or require time synchronization and modifications to the IEEE 802.11 MAC. PACE is a simple multi-hop scheduling mechanism for Stub WMNs overlaid on the IEEE 802.11 MAC that jointly addresses the inefficiency and unfairness problems. It limits transmissions to a single mesh node at each time and ensures that each node has the opportunity to transmit a packet in each network-wide transmission round. Simulation results demonstrate that PACE can achieve optimal network capacity utilization and greatly outperforms state of the art CSMA/CA-based solutions as far as goodput, delay, and fairness are concerned.

Communications uncertainties in isolated multi-microgrid control systems

Microgrids have been explored as active cells capable of providing enhanced control schemes towards a more secure, reliable and efficient operation of LV distribution networks or MV networks when aggregated in a multi-microgrid. These structures, within the smart grid concept, rely on a communications infrastructure that introduces uncertainty in the data exchange process. In this paper such uncertainty is evaluated considering a multi-microgrid operating in isolated mode.

AnyPLACE — An energy management system to enhance demand response participation

This paper describes an energy management system that is being developed in the AnyPLACE project to support new energy services, like demand response, in residential buildings. In the project end-user interfaces are designed and implemented to allow the input of preferences regarding the flexible use of shiftable and thermal appliances. Monitoring and self-learning algorithm are used to allow additional information to be collected and an automation platform is available for the management and control of appliances. An energy management algorithm is presented that processes end-user preferences and devices characteristics to produce an optimal dispatch considering demand response incentives. Results show the successful implementation of an optimized energy scheduling.

Electric Vehicles Charging Management and Control Strategies

In this article, we present a holistic framework for the integration of electric vehicles (EVs) in electric power systems. Their charging management and control methodologies must be optimized to minimize the negative impact of the charging process on the grid and maximize the benefits that charging controllability may bring to their owners, energy retailers, and system operators. We have assessed the performance of these methods initially through steady-state computational simulations, and then we validated them in a microgrid (MG) laboratory environment.

Coordinating Distributed Energy Resources During Microgrid Emergency Operation

The development of the Smart Grid (SG) concept is the pathway for assuring flexible, reliable and efficient distribution networks while integrating high shares of Distributed Energy Resources (DER): renewable energy based generation, distributed storage and controllable loads such as Electric Vehicles (EV). Within the SG paradigm, the Microgrid (MG) can be regarded as a highly flexible and controllable Low Voltage (LV) cell, which is able to decentralize the distribution management and control system while providing additional controllability and observability. A network of controllers interconnected by a communication system ensures the management and control of the LV microgrid, enabling both interconnected and autonomous operation modes. This new distribution operation philosophy is in line with the SG paradigm, since it improves the security and reliability of the system, being able to tackle the technical challenges resulting from the large scale integration of DER and provide the adequate framework to fully integrate SG new players such as the EV. By exploiting the MG operational flexibility and controllability, this chapter aims to provide an extended overview on MG self-healing capabilities, namely on its ability of operating autonomously from the main grid and perform local service restoration. The MG hierarchical management and control structure is revisited and adapted in order to exploit the flexibility of SG new players, like the EV and flexible loads and integrate smart metering infrastructures. The implementation of the MG architecture and communication infrastructure in a laboratorial facility is also presented and used to validate the MG self-healing capabilities.

A methodology for the evaluation and deployment of wireless multi-hop networks in smart grids

Smart grids aim at ensuring a secure, reliable and efficient operation of power systems and for that purpose they need communications infrastructures capable of meeting different requirements. Current and emerging wireless multi-hop solutions based on standard technologies are strong candidates for communications networks associated and integrated with electric distribution grids but a suitable methodology to evaluate and deploy them is missing. This paper presents a holistic methodology supported by contextual information used to generate different scenarios of distribution grids and to evaluate and deploy wireless communications networks for smart grids. Simulation results show that the methodology is suitable for the evaluation of wireless multi-hop networks in the smart grid context and prove that the performance of such networks meets the expected requirements of different applications.