The Development of a Simulation-Based Smart Grid

Communication Management System Using MATLAB

Eng. Taha Shlebik
Huawei Company
Tripoli - Libya
taha_ta66@yahoo.com
Prof. Abdallah Fadel
Faculty of Engineering
The Libyan Academy
Tripoli - Libya
doc.fadel@gmail.com
Dr. Mohamed Mhereeg Eng. Manal Shlebik
Faculty Of Information Technology GECOL Company
University of Tripoli Tripoli - Libya
Tripoli - Libya Control.2014@yahoo.com
mmhereeg@msn.com

Abstract—The smart grid revolution is still rather a new
comer into the current era, which explains the lack of software
programs that support and simulate the smart grid principles.
However, to address the challenges of the existing power grid, the
new concept of Smart Grid (SG) has emerged. The SG combines
electrical grids and communication infrastructures to form an
intelligent electricity network working with all connected
components to deliver sustainable electricity supplies. However,
this paper discusses how the data travel from homes via smart
meters to the utility through different communication mediums.
The system comprises PLC as the mediator connecting smart
meters to a central concentration point using RF signals. The
readings are then retransmitted through free space and are
received at the utility for further data analysis. Furthermore, the
paper presents the implementation of a smart grid management
system using MATLAB programming language, which
demonstrates the transition of smart metering data from homes
to the utility and illustrates the utility control over the user’s
consumption. Thus, The system serves as a guiding tool towards
developing and testing a smarter grid.
Keywords— Grid, Smart Meters, Simulation, MATLAB, PLC
I. INTRODUCTION
It is estimated that in 2030 the worldwide energy
consumption will increase to approximately 37,000 terawatt
hours (60% rise). This increase of demand is mainly seen in
capital cities. According to UN data, the world population is
going to double within the next four decades; by 2050 yet an
84% increase is anticipated, from 3.4 billion in 2009 to 6.3
billion at that time [1]. The International Energy Agency
declares that capital cities are responsible for two thirds of
global demand a trend likely to intensify. In order to meet this
energy demand in an environmental-sound manner, the
dependence on renewable energy sources will rise
dramatically. However the obstacle is that the structure of
today's power grids is not designed for either increasing power
demand or the rising proportion of renewable energy
generation. Power generation networks must be upgraded into
smarter networks, globally known as Smart Grids (SGs) [2]
The smart grid can be seen as a grid that allows the system to
continuously modify and adapt itself to the optimal state by
applying real-time monitoring and reaction. The smart grid also
anticipates and periodically looks for system faults which could
lead to bigger problems and unsettlement of the grid. The rapid
isolation is another feature of the grid, which allows the system
to isolate parts of the network that are about to fail or going
through failure from the rest of the system, enabling faster
restoration [3].
As a result of these functions, self-healing principle is applied,
through which power outages can be minimized and their
length reduced. Self-healing also indicates abnormal signals
“whether it is cyber-attacks, material failure, human error, or a
storm that is beginning to blow”. Self-healing also provides
adaptive reconfigurations to the system and isolates
disturbances to discard or at least reduce their impact on the
system as a whole [4].
Smart grids are equipped with upgraded information and
communication technology, in order to apply end-to-end data
flow from the supplier to the user and in the other direction and
to create a grid that is less centralized and more consumer-
interactive instead of the current one which is centralized and
producer-controlled. Smart Grid controls consumption
according to the available electrical energy in the network
whereas in a conventional supply network, generation follows
the consumption pattern [1].
This end-to-end data flow requires modern communication
methods to connect homes to the Utility.
This study focuses on the utilization of the Advanced Meter
Infrastructure (AMI) system which is an essential component
to the creation of the smart grid. AMI is a system that involves
two-way communication with smart devices including smart
meters and others and thus allowing electric companies to
communicate directly with the smart devices. AMI benefits
both consumers and electric companies as it allows for utilities
to provide real-time pricing information to consumers and
hence the latter will be able to reduce their usage when prices
are high [5]. It will also allow utilities to respond more quickly
to possible power issues.
MATLAB software is one of the most used tools in building
softwares, and to simulate the complicated real systems to
study its performance and upgrade its integrity and efficiency.
In this paper, a MATLAB based simulation system is presented
in order to test the main concepts of smart metering and utility
controllability. With its assistance a multiple aspects of the data
transmission process using PLC along with retransmission via

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free space will be demonstrated. The Implementation of some
of the communication channels are to be illustrated.
II. THE SEGMENT MODEL OF SMART GRID SYSTEM
The system comprises PLC as the medium connecting
smart meters to a central concentration point using RF signals.
The readings are then retransmitted through free space and are
then received at the utility for further data analysis. A segment
model of smart grid system will be chosen as a model that will
be simulated for application of some communication channels
shown in figure 1.
The system is designed to handle any number of houses to
be tested in each of the three tested neighbors, the number of
desired readings can also be of any figure. In this proposed
system, power consumption can be used using three options:
(1) a general lesser power consumption for all readings; (2) the
smart grid gives the option to cut power off a specific house;
(3) cut power off over a whole neighborhood.

Fig. 2: Illustrative code chart.

IV. OPERATION OF THE SYSTEM

Fig. 1: The access segment of the smart grid
III. THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SYSTEM
The system is designed and implemented to be user
interactive, that it applies the user desires with simple yes-no
questions. The fact that the system demonstrates with figures
each house readings from the moment they are generated until
reaching the utility going though each Mod-Demodulation
stage, and further when they are kept in the utility archive. This
feature gives the user the opportunity to easily keep track of
any readings and makes the whole process a lot easier to
visualize. Fig. 2 presents the high level explanation of the
proposed MATLAB code.
When proceeding, the system tests the smart grid concept
on three neighbors and then asks for RF parameters, namely
both antennas diameters (in order to find their gain), also the
distance between Tx (Transmitted signal point) to Rx(received
signal point), optimally set to 10 km and the operating
frequency which is chosen to be 12 GHz, and finally the signal
amplitude for the transmitted power, A=5.5V . Testing of
multiple values is considered in order to find the least
transmitted power and the longest distance with consideration
of operating frequency and antenna gain. These values can still
be improved if principles of diversity and/or additional gain are
taken into consideration.
Having entered the parameters, the system asks for further
information regarding the number of houses in every tested
neighborhood, as shown in Fig.3. It also demands number of
operating readings. Number of houses and number of readings
are left for the user to determine. For simplicity of illustration,
number of readings is chosen to be 3 while number of houses
in each neighborhood is 2, 1, and 1 respectively.

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Fig. 3: House numbering entry
Following the required numbering entry, the system shows
the first figure, which explains the characteristic of the PLC
channel, its magnitude and phase, as shown in Fig 4.
Fig. 4 Frequency response of the power line channel model proposed
It is clearly seen that PLC has a linear phase response. The
differences in the amplitude response could be attributed to the
finite losses due the line series resistance. The position of
notches in the transfer function of medium voltage channel
also does not depend on length from transmitter to receiver.
However; as the number of branches increases the attenuations
of notched point tends to increase. The PLC parameters used
in the code are shown in Table 1 as follows.
TABLE I. PLC CHANNEL PARAMETERS
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Where gi is the weight factor which is directly proportional
to number of reflections and path followed: gi ≤1 and di is the
length of the cable, k is the exponent of the attention factor,
a0, a1 are the attenuation parameters [6].
To continue the process, enter 1. When running this step,
the system sends data from houses to the utility in First In
First Out (FIFO) order. Note that the readings are restricted to
a range between 200-850 watt hour (wh), but this range can be
easily modified by the user. When receiving a reading higher
than 700 wh, which is the over consumption range (set by the
utility), the utility can take action. The readings are taken
hourly, hence Watt-Hour. Let us consider the first reading
generated from house number 1 in neighborhood number 1, as
shown in Fig. 5.
Fig. 5: First house reading
This binary data sent from the meter to the collector
point through PLC reads 1100000010, which equals 770 wh.
One can see that this reading is within the specified range,
more specifically in the over consumption range. Fig. 6 shows
the QPSK signal propagation through PLC.

Fig. 6: Information QPSK signal through PLC
The same bit steam is then retransmitted to the utility
through free space, and the utility receives the reading shown
in Fig. 7. The figure shows the bit stream before and after FSK
modulation, also the modulated signal.
Fig. 7: Information bits transmitted from the collector and received at the
utility
The same is done for every house reading. When
finishing the first round, the system asks the user if there is a
certain house where power off is desired and gives the user the
opportunity to take required action, as shown in Fig. 8.
Fig. 8: Utility control options
If “0” is entered, it means that a complete blackout will
be present in the selected neighborhood. This can be useful
when running risky operations in the chosen neighborhood;
however, if “1” is entered, the system asks for house location,
see Fig. 9.
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Fig. 9: Determination of a house location
House number 2 in neighborhood 1 is chosen, and hence
for the following round, the power consumption rate should be
0 wh. Other than completely cutting off the power of a certain
house or a neighborhood, the utility has the option to reduce
consumption overall and force it back in the regular range, for
this to be executed, enter “1”. The next reading cycle starts
now. When checking the readings this time, one can see (as
expected) that the second house shows no power usage while
all received data are in the regular range, as shown in Fig. 10.
Fig. 10: Expected zero power consumption at the target house
The system asks the user if there is a certain house or
neighborhood, in which no power consumption is desired.
This time “0” is chosen and thus cutting power off of an entire
selected neighborhood, say the first one is selected, as shown
in Fig. 11.
Fig. 11: Selection of a neighborhood for complete blackout
It is noted that in the second cycle no reading above the
allowed range is present, and thus proving performing utility
control.
It is expected that for the next cycle an entire blackout will
be present in the first neighborhood. When checking the
readings one can clearly see both houses give no power signal,
as shown in Fig. 12.

Fig. 12: Neighborhood 1 in complete blackout
Both houses give no power indication, and hence
approving utility control over entire neighborhoods. When
completing the simulation, the system shows a detailed report
as well as a summarized one of the whole operation, showing
every reading reaching the utility throughout. All readings are
then saved in the archive at the utility for any future
requirements. Summarized report is shown in Figs. 13. It can
be noticed that first neighborhood recorded a blackout as no-
power consumption is forced.
Fig. 13: Summarized report
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V. TESTING DIFFERENT MODULATION TECHNIQUES (BER VS
SNR) THROUGH PLC
MATLAB Bertool enables the user to evaluate the
performance of the system in three modes, namely
Semianalytic, Theoretical, Monte Carlo.
Theoretical mode is used when testing the theoretical
performance of pre-set modulation techniques with the use of
noiseless channels. Monte Carlo mode is used to test the
performance of a system mode using Simulink, while our
mode of interest is Semianalytic as it provides the ability to
test the system performance described using command line.
A. Semianalytic mode
Different set of options are available on this mode, for
example one can select the desired range of E/N curves, also
type of modulation technique used and other handy
complementary options.
Modulation technique to be tested can be selected of a
certain set on the current version of MATLAB, which are
PSK, QAM, DPSK, OQPSK, and MSK.
To make a code compatible with this mode, the code must
have a transmitted signal – the one to be manipulated through
the PLC transfer function. When the signal was provided in
the code, MATLAB Bertool produced the corresponding
performance curves. The transmitted signal is named txsig
while the received signal is named rxsig. The first modulation
technique to be tested in DPSK, by selecting the settings
shown in Fig. 14.
Fig. 14: Selecting DPSK technique
When clicking plot, the user can have the first performance
curve (semianalytic 1) shown below in Fig. 15.

Fig. 15: BER vs E/N curve for DPSK
The below curve (Fig. 16) demonstrates the direct
relationship between BER and E/N in case of DPSK through
the PLC. MATLAB supports also QAM techniques, by
changing the modulation technique to QAM one can have a
complete set of curves depending on the number of
modulation index m, starting from m = 4 and reaching up to
1024. To start, the modulation index is set to = 16
(semianalytic 2) and then changed to 32 (semianalytic 3), by
doing so we can see from the inclusive plot below that the
higher the modulation index for QAM the better the
performance, DPSK has an offset of around 4 dB in SNR and
has lower BER .
monitor and also obtain a clearer view of the system
operations including transfer of readings, utility access and
control management. The system serves as a guiding tool
towards developing and testing a smarter grid. The transition
toward smart power grids that support two-way flow of energy
and information is inevitable.
REFERENCES
[1] “Background Infrastructure & Cities Sector Information Smart Grid
Division Nuremberg,” Siemens, April 29, 2013.
[2] M. Amin, “The ‘Self-Healing’ Power Grid, Modernizing the grid means
more than being smart”, The Institute ‘The IEEE news Source’, 2013.
[3] M. Amin, “The case of Smart Grid”, 2015, Public Utilities Fortnightly.
[4] http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/infrastructure/a9173/wha
t-it-will-take-to-build-a-real-smart-grid-15683905/ by William
Herkewitz, accessed on July- 9th-2015.
[5] J. Stephens, E. Wilson, T. Peterson, “Smart Grid (R)Evolution”, 2015,
Cambridge University Press
[6] M. Zimmermann and K. Dostert, “Analysis and modeling of impulsive
noise in broad-band powerline communications” IEEE Trans.
Electromagn. Compat., vol. 44, no. 1, pp. 249–258, 2002.

Fig. 16: BER vs E/N curve for different communication techniques

VI. CONCLUSION
The proposed communication system in this paper is a
hybrid system, in which remote readings from homes are
driven into PLC cables and then retransmitted from the
collector point to the utility via free space. After having the
system modeled using MATLAB, the user could easily

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Authorized licensed use limited to: Universidad Antonio Narino. Downloaded on July 08,2020 at 16:42:24 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.