IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER DELIVERY, VOL. 26, NO.
4, OCTOBER 2011
Simulation and Laboratory Experimental Tests of
a Line to Shield Medium-Voltage Power-Line
Communication System
Antonio Cataliotti, Member, IEEE, Valentina Cosentino, Dario Di Cara, and Giovanni Tinè, Member, IEEE
Abstract—A complete model of a power-line communication
(PLC) system on a medium-voltage (MV) network in the case
of a line-shield configuration is presented in this paper. An MV
cable model in a line-shield configuration is considered together
with the power transformers, the signal coupling networks, and
the receiving and transmitting line coupling interface of a ST7540
FSK power-line transceiver. Simulations of the complete model of
the system under consideration have been carried out for different
line lengths, with and without power transformers and derivation
branches. The model is validated by experimental tests performed
in the laboratory. The measured results confirm the reliability of
the model.
Index Terms—Communication system, medium-voltage (MV)
cable, power-line communication, power system communication.
I. INTRODUCTION
T HE low-voltage (LV) (i.e.,
(MV) (i.e.,
1 kV) and medium-voltage
30 kV) distribution networks are tra-
ditionally passive infrastructures, where the power flows toward
the end users. In recent years, the distributed generation, mainly
based on renewable energies, is constantly increasing every-
where in the world. The increase of distributed generation (DG)
can lead the distribution networks to become active networks
with bidirectional power flows. Moreover, demand side-man-
agement (DSM) and demand-response (DR) programs are often
advocated as the sustainable solutions to the world energy crisis.
Thus, current electricity distribution networks are evolving into
“smart grids.” The intelligent grids integrate behaviors and ac-
tions of all the actors playing a role (electrical utilities, dis-
tributed generators, and consumers) in order to efficiently de-
liver sustainable, economic, and secure electricity supplies [1].
A reliable two-way communication system is a fundamental
element of a smart grid. A wide range of communication
Manuscript received April 09, 2011; accepted August 06, 2011. Date of pub-
lication September 22, 2011; date of current version October 07, 2011.This
work was supported by STMicroelectronics Agrate Brianza (MI) Italy under
the framework of Research Contract RIF.GA4000262206/03-11-2009. Paper
no. TPWRD-00278-2011.
A. Cataliotti, V. Cosentino, and D. Di Cara are with the Dipartimento
di Ingegneria Elettrica, Elettronica e delle Telecomunicazioni (DIEET),
Università di Palermo, Palermo 9-90128, Italy (e-mail: acataliotti@ieee.org;
cosentino@dieet.unipa.it; dicara@dieet.unipa.it).
G. Tinè is with the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR)—Istituto di
Studi sui Sistemi Intelligenti per l’Automazione (ISSIA), Palermo 12-90141,
Italy (e-mail: tine@pa.issia.cnr.it).
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/TPWRD.2011.2166813
0885-8977/$26.00 © 2011 IEEE
2829
technologies is involved in the realization of smart-grid infra-
structures: wire lines and fiber-optic cables, wireless commu-
nication (CDMA, GSM, GPRS, UMTS, WiMAX, HiperLAN,
etc.), radio communication, and wireless local-area networks
(WLAN, WiFi, ZigBee, etc.) and power-line communications
[1], [2]. Each of these technologies has advantages and dis-
advantages. The cable and the fiber-optic networks need a
dedicated network to be installed, but they are the most reliable
and fast solutions. The wireless and radio communications have
the intrinsic costs of the communication plants and the service
costs of the communication provider. For example, Global
System for Mobile Communications (GSM)/general-packet
radio service (GPRS) technology is widely used in Italy by
electrical utilities in the case of MV networks, but it presents
some drawbacks due to the low reliability in the case of bad
weather conditions and service costs. Power-line communi-
cations (PLC) is the only wire-line technology that has cost
comparable to wireless, since the lines are already present
(i.e., power lines), and has no service cost. PLCs have already
exited the experimental phase and are a mature technology for
deployment in the case of the LV network in Europe, where
narrowband (NB) PLCs, operating in the CENELEC bands
(3–148.5 kHz) [3], have gained a central role for supporting
automatic meter reading (AMR) and advanced metering infra-
structure (AMI) [4]. These applications do not involve a large
amount of data nor high communication speed, thus utilities use
low frequencies and low baud rates. Therefore, the CENELEC
EN 50065-1 A band reserved for energy utilities [3], which cor-
responds to a frequency range from 5 to 95 kHz, can guarantee
an adequate data transfer rate [5]. The same services can be
supplied with PLC also in North America and in Japan, where
the regulation is even more permissive and frequencies up to
525 kHz can be used (i.e., up to the AM broadcast threshold
[6]).
The widespread topology of the LV network suggested a de-
velopment of this technology also for broadband communica-
tions [7], [8]. In many countries, this technology is already used
for last-mile access and in-home communications.
Nevertheless, the PLC technology application in the MV net-
work is still under study. Some studies have been developed
to verify the reliability of the MV network as a PLC channel:
many of those are focused on the broadband application [9],
while increasing interest has been recently directed to narrow-
band application [10]–[13] for its fundamental role in the de-
veloping smart grids. A model to study the PLC signal propa-
gation in the MV network was developed in [10] by using the
2830
Fig. 1. Schematization of the system under study.
Alternate Transients Program–Electromagnetic Transients Pro-
gram (ATP-EMTP). Both overhead line and underground cable
were simulated and the presence of power transformers was
considered. However, the simulations did not include the cou-
pling system and the transceiver models, and no experimental
data were reported to validate the model performances. Another
model was proposed in [11], where a multiconductor matrix
procedure was used to predict the medium frequency behavior
of the MV network. The model is very accurate but also quite
complex to be implemented. The accuracy of the method perfor-
mance was demonstrated through systematic measurements on
real networks. The authors found that the cable lines introduce
an attenuation of 1.5–4 dB/km. Moreover, they found an atten-
uation of at least 20 dB for a complete transmission network,
where a coupling system was connected to the MV busbar of an
HV/MV substation and another to an MV/LV substation. In re-
gards to the power transformers, they stated that the transformer
impedance, seen from the MV terminals, was so high that the
signal remains confined to the MV network. In [12], Xiaoxian
et al. analyzed the 10-kV MV power-line channels using the
transmission-line theory. They measured a path loss of 20 to 25
dB/km when the signal was transmitted in phase to ground con-
figuration. Moreover, the authors found that the electrical equip-
ment between the transmitter and receiver, such as the branches
and the distribution transformers, affected the path loss the most.
However, a simple model of the power transformers was used
and no information were given about the coupling network. In
previous works, the authors proposed a model to simulate the
signal transmission through MV cables in the line-shield and
line-line configurations [14]–[16].
In this paper, a complete model of an MV cable power system
for PLC communications is presented in the case of line-shield
configuration. The model takes the cables into account, the
coupling systems for the signal injection, the power-line trans-
ceivers, a ST7540 FSK being simulated, as well as the MV/LV
transformers. The advantage of the proposed model is that it
can be easily implemented in the Simulink environment, en-
abling one to perform the planning of an MV PLC transmission
system. Finally, the model is validated by some experimental
tests performed in the laboratory.
In this paper, first, a description of the system under study
and its model is reported. Second, the attenuation between the
received and transmitted voltage signals is reported, which was
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER DELIVERY, VOL. 26, NO. 4, OCTOBER 2011
obtained in the simulation of different cases for variable line
length, with and without power transformers and derivation
branches. Finally, experimental results, carried out on a labora-
tory test bench, are presented.
II. PLC SYSTEM MODEL
The MV system under study is composed of three unipolar ca-
bles, type RG7H1R with an aluminum core of 185 mm cross-
sections and copper shield. The transmission system is based
on line-shield configuration, in which the signal is injected be-
tween the core of one cable and the shield connected to earth.
Two power transformers have been considered. The signal is in-
jected and received by two commercial coupling networks (CN),
each connected to the receiving and transmitting line coupling
interface of a ST7540 FSK power-line transceiver (TX/RX). A
schematic representation of the PLC system is shown in Fig. 1.
The complete model of the MV power-line communication
system is carried out in the Simulink environment. The model of
each element of the system is described in detail in the following
sections.
A. Cable Model
The distributed parameters mathematical cable model is ex-
pressed by the time-dependent telegrapher’s equations, which
are the following [17]:
(1)
(2)
where and are the voltage and the current at the instant ,
the variable indicates the longitudinal direction of the line,
and , and are the per-unit length resistance ( /m),
conductance (S/m), inductance (H/m), and capacitance (F/m),
respectively.
The voltage and current wave solutions of the telegrapher’s
equations, for a lossless line , have the following
form:
(3)
(4)
CATALIOTTI et al.: SIMULATION AND LABORATORY EXPERIMENTAL TESTS OF A POWER–LINE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM 2831

Fig. 2. Generic lossless line of origin m; end k, and length l. Fig. 3. Equivalent impedance network of a lossless line with the distributed
parameter according to Bergeron’s method.

where and are arbitrary functions of the variables

and is the phase velocity, and where the equivalent current sources are defined by the fol-
is the line characteristic impedance. The physical lowing expressions:
interpretation of is a wave traveling at velocity in
the forward direction, whereas is a wave traveling (13)
at velocity in the bbackward direction. From (3) and (4), the
forward and backward wave functions can be expressed as (14)

(5) From (11) and (12), the equivalent circuit of the line, shown
in Fig. 3, can be obtained.
(6) So far, the line has been considered lossless. To take into ac-
count the losses in the line, the distributed series resistance
The Bergeron method is used to solve the telegrapher’s equa- is added in lump form. On the other end, the conductance is
tions in the time domain [18], [19]. This method, applied to neglected. The total resistance of the line can be calculated as
homogeneous lines, considers a unique observer moving at ve-
locity along the line. In this case, and are (15)
constant; therefore, the voltage and the current can be calculated
from the following expressions: In the present model, the total resistance is divided in three
lumped resistances: one is equal to inserted in the middle
(7) of the line model and two is equal to inserted at each end
(8) of the line model, (see Fig. 4).
In conclusion, the parameters needed for the model are the
where the values of the constants and can be determined per-unit length resistance inductance , and capacitance
by using known values of the voltage and current in a specific . Furthermore, the signal frequency range has to be known.
section of the line and at a specific time. For a generic lossless According to this, the mentioned parameters dependence from
line of origin end , and length as shown in Fig. 2, the the frequency was studied by experimental measurements in
wave propagation time from the origin to the end of the line can [14]. In regards to the per-unit length resistance the mea-
be calculated as . sured values in dependence of the frequency were fitted by the
According to Bergeron’s method, the expression following second-order polynomial function
seen by an observer leaving the origin at time and
moving at velocity remains constant when he arrives at the (16)
end at time . The same consideration can be applied to the On the other hand, in the frequency range of interest, the per-
expression seen by an observer who travels in the
unit length parameters and were found constant with the
backward direction. From the aforementioned remarks, the fol-
frequency [14].
lowing equations can be deduced:
In Table I, the coefficients and are re-
ported, which were measured in the case of a unipolar MV
(9)
shielded cable type RG7H1R of 185 mm cross section with
(10) aluminum core and copper shield.
that rearranged become B. Coupling Networks
The signal is injected and received in the MV cables through
(11)
two low-cost capacitive coupling devices (CN). The frequency
characterization of these devices has been carried out by a vector
(12) network analyzer (VNA). The coupling device has a passband
2832 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER DELIVERY, VOL. 26, NO. 4, OCTOBER 2011

Fig. 4. Equivalent two-port network for the line with lumped losses.

TABLE I
RL AND C COEFFICIENTS FOR 185 mm ALUMINUM CABLE

Fig. 5. Transmitting line coupling interface model.

Fig. 7. Simulation results versus line length. The figure shows how the presence
of two power transformers—one in the transmission section and another in the
reception section—has a weak influence on the signal attenuation.

Fig. 6. Receiving the line coupling interface model.

frequency response, centered at the frequency of 86 kHz. The

impedance values, measured in the frequency range of interest,
are included in the model.
C. Receiving and Transmitting Line Coupling Interface
A ST7540 FSK power-line transceiver [20] is used to transmit
and receive the signal. The transceiver in transmission mode
is modeled as shown in Fig. 5. The signal is generated by a
sinusoidal signal generator with an output impedance of 5 ,
connected to the coupling network by a 1:1 isolation transformer
and a 50-Hz filter. The isolation transformer parameters were
deduced by the data sheet of the VAC T60403-K5024-X044, Fig. 8. Simulation results versus line length. The figure shows how the deriva-
with an isolation voltage of 6 kV and frequency operation from tion branches have a strong influence on the signal attenuation.
10 kHz to 1 MHz. The transformer magnetization inductance,
in the frequency range of interest, is 1.4 mH.
The transceiver receiving line coupling interface is similar to formers are used in the model to perform the voltage reduction
the transmitting one, see Fig. 6. A resistance of 320 is con- from MV to LV [22]. The following parameters are also consid-
nected to the coupling interface to model the internal impedance ered in the model:
of the transceiver in reception mode. 1) winding leakage impedance of each phase;
2) winding magnetizing impedance of each phase;
D. Medium Frequency Model of a Power Transformer up to 3) winding capacitances including capacitances between
100 kHz. winding and earth, as well as capacitances between the
The model up to 100 kHz that is proposed in [21] is used to inner side of MV and outer side of LV windings together
simulate the power transformers. Three single-phase ideal trans- with their parasitic components.
CATALIOTTI et al.: SIMULATION AND LABORATORY EXPERIMENTAL TESTS OF A POWER–LINE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
Fig. 9. Schematic representation of the MV power system in the case of two derivation branches.
All of these parameters were determined by the impedance
measurements at the terminals of the transformer in the fre-
quency domain [21].
III. SIMULATION AND LABORATORY EXPERIMENTAL TESTS
The distributed parameter model of the cable in the core-
shield configuration was verified in [14]. To verify the complete
MV power system model for PLC communications, the attenu-
ation, defined as
attenuation
is evaluated for different line lengths. A power transformer of
160 kVA with a resistive secondary load of 100 kW is connected
at the cable ends in the transmission and in the reception sec-
tion. In order to evaluate the transformer influence, the simula-
tion results obtained with and without the power transformers
are shown in Fig. 7. The attenuation versus line length is evalu-
ated for typical MV cable lengths between 0.75 and 4 km at the
frequency of 86 kHz. Attenuation values between 15 and 25 dB
have been found in both cases. The attenuation has a minimum
value when the line length is equal to even multiples of the signal
quarter wavelength, and a maximum value when the line length
is equal to odd multiples of the signal quarter wavelength [10].
From Fig. 7, it can also be concluded that power transformers
have a weak influence on the signal attenuation. Similar results
have been obtained by changing the type and rated value of the
LV loads.
The influence of derivation branches is also evaluated. A
three-phase branch is connected in the transmission section.
The branch has the same length of the main line, which connects
the transmission and reception sections. A power transformer
of 160 kVA, with a secondary load of 100 kW, is connected at
the branch end. The simulation results show a reduction of the
received signal to about half of the value obtained without the
branch. A second branch is connected to the reception section
(see Fig. 8). In this case, the received signal is one-third of the
value measured without branches. In Fig. 9, the attenuation
versus line length is shown for the three cases.
The proposed model has been experimentally verified in a
laboratory test bench, shown in Fig. 10. The experiments are
carried out in an electromagnetically shielded anechoic chamber
2833
in order to eliminate undesired interferences with external sig-
nals. The test bench is realized with a low-cost capacitive cou-
pling device and a power transformer connected to each end of
a 15-m-long MV unipolar cable-type RG7H1R, of a 185 mm
cross-section with aluminum core and copper shield.
Two ST7540 FSK power-line transceivers are directly con-
nected to each coupling device. The ST7540 transceiver uses
two frequency-shift keying (2FSK) modulation to perform
half-duplex communication on a power-line network [20].
Transmission and reception sessions as well as control register
(17) parameters, for example, carrier frequency, baud rate, and
deviation can be set by means of the EVALCOMMBOARD,
which is a general-purpose board which provides a reliable and
flexible communication channel between a controlling PC and
the EVALST7540-2 [23]. The coupling interface is designed
to allow the ST7540 FSK transceiver to transmit and receive
on the low-voltage mains, by using a carrier frequency within
the European CENELEC standard A-band [3]. A multimeter
Agilent 34401A and a digital oscilloscope Tektronix TDS725B
are used to measure the transmitted and received signal level.
The fast Fourier transform (FFT) of the acquired signal is also
calculated with the digital oscilloscope. The tests are performed
by transmitting a signal correspondent to a sequence of bit 1 or
a sequence of bit 0. The ST7540 transceiver control registers
are set up to have a center frequency of 86 kHz,
2400 b/s and Deviation 1. The control register setting is
shown in Fig. 11. For the selected values, the FSK signal
frequencies corresponding to bit 0 and 1 are, respectively, 87.2
and 84.8 kHz. The transmitted and received acquired signals
and their FFT, in the case when a sequence of bit 1 has been
transmitted, are shown, respectively, in Figs. 12 and 13. The
measured amplitude and frequency of the transmitted signal are,
respectively, 1.67 V and 84.66 kHz. The values measured at the
receiving section are 130 mV and 84.68 kHz. The transmitted
signal is sinusoidal, while some disturbances are found in the
received signal. Similar measurement results are obtained in the
case when a sequence of bit 0 is transmitted. The attenuation
between the transmitted and received voltages is about 22 dB
in both cases (see Table II). This value is compatible with
the range obtained in simulation and shown in Fig. 7. The
received signal amplitude in both cases is sufficiently high to be
correctly received by the ST7540 transceiver, which is able to
2834
Fig. 10. (a) Schematic representation and (b) photo of the realized test bench.
discriminate unequivocally the two different frequencies and,
thus, the bit transmitted. In Table II, the experimental results
obtained with and without the power transformers are reported.
The power transformers introduce small attenuation, about
1 dB, compared to the total attenuation. This result confirms
the behavior found in the simulations (see Fig. 7). On the
other hand, even the small attenuation introduced by the power
transformer suggests a possible transmission of the signal to
the LV terminals.
Another test is performed transmitting repetitively a signal
constituting a sequence of 24 bit 0 followed by 24 bit 1. The
control register setting is the same as the previous tests (see
Fig. 11). The FFT of the voltage , measured at the input
of the receiving modem, is shown in Fig. 14. Both tones of the
FSK modulated signal are visible in the figure. Also, in this case,
the attenuation is 22 dB with respect to the transmitted signal
( 1.6 V; 0.129 V). Each frequency component
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER DELIVERY, VOL. 26, NO. 4, OCTOBER 2011
Fig. 11. ST7540 transceiver control register configuration.
Fig. 12. Acquired waveform and its FFT of the voltage V measured at the
output terminals of the transmitting modem, in the case when a sequence of bit
1 was transmitted.
of the received FSK signal is about 68 mV (the half value of the
FSK received signal).
Finally, a test with a derivation branch connected to the trans-
mission section was performed. The branch is realized with
a cable of the same type, RG7H1R, and same length, 15 m.
The measured amplitude of the received signal is about 65 mV,
half of the value obtained without the branch, (see Table III).
This experimental result confirms the reduction of the received
signal obtained in the simulation test. The same result is ob-
tained when the branch is connected to the reception section.
Finally, when the two derivation branches are both connected
CATALIOTTI et al.: SIMULATION AND LABORATORY EXPERIMENTAL TESTS OF A POWER–LINE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
Fig. 13. Acquired waveform and its FFT of the voltage V measured at the
input terminals of the receiving modem, in the case when a sequence of bit 1
was transmitted.
TABLE II
EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS OBTAINED IN THE LABORATORY
TESTS WITHOUT THE DERIVATION BRANCH
Fig. 14. FFT of the voltage V measured at the input terminals of the re-
ceiving modem, in the case when a sequence of 24 bit 0 and 24 bit 1 were repet-
itively transmitted. Both tones of the FSK-modulated signal are visible in the
figure.
at the line ends, a reduction to one-third of the value measured
without the branches is found (see Table IV and Fig. 9).
IV. CONCLUSION
An MV cable model in a line-shield configuration is consid-
ered together with the power transformers, the signal coupling
2835
TABLE III
EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS OBTAINED IN THE LABORATORY
TESTS WITH A DERIVATION BRANCH
TABLE IV
EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS OBTAINED IN THE LABORATORY
TESTS WITH TWO DERIVATION BRANCHES
networks, and the receiving and transmitting line coupling inter-
face of a ST7540 FSK power-line transceiver. The parameters
of the MV power system components were derived by measure-
ments in the frequency domain.
The performances of the complete PLC communication
system have been evaluated for different line lengths, with
and without power transformers and derivation branches. The
simulation results show that the cable length and the power
transformers give a little contribution to the signal attenuation.
On the other hand, a derivation branch causes a reduction to
half of the measured value. The model has been validated
by some experimental tests performed in the laboratory. The
measured results confirm the reliability of the model.
The proposed model takes all of the electrical components
into account, which can influence the signal transmission, and
it can be easily implemented in the Simulink environment, thus
allowing one to study and design new solutions for power-line
communication in MV networks.
The signal attenuation introduced by the power transformer,
although small, suggests a further investigation on the possi-
bility to transmit the signal across the transformer from the MV
to the LV network, and vice-versa.
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Antonio Cataliotti (M’01) received the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical
engineering from the University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy, in 1992 and 1998,
respectively.
In 2000, he was appointed Assistant Professor and since 2005, he has been As-
sociate Professor in electrical and electronic measurements at the Dipartimento
di Ingegneria Elettrica,. Elettronica e delle Telecomunicazioni, the University of
Palermo. His research interests include digital signal processing, power-quality
measurements, as well as the detection of sources of disturbances in power sys-
tems and power-line communications.
Valentina Cosentino received the M.Sc. and the Ph.D. degrees in electrical en-
gineering from the University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy, in 2001 and 2005,
respectively.
Since 2005, she has been with the Dipartimento di Ingegneria Elettrica, Elet-
tronica e delle Telecomunicazioni (DIEET), Università di Palermo, working on
a research project concerning the development and characterization of instru-
mentation for power-quality measurements and for the detection of sources of
disturbances in power systems.
Dario Di Cara received the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering
from the University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy, in 2005 and 2009, respectively.
From 2009 to 2010, he was a Postdoctoral Researcher at the National Re-
search Council—Institute of Intelligent System for Automation (CNR-ISSIA),
Palermo. Currently, he is a Postdoctoral Student in the Dipartimento di Ingeg-
neria Elettrica, Elettronica e delle Telecomunicazioni (DIEET), Università di
Palermo. His research interests are power-quality measurements, characteriza-
tion of current transducers in nonsinusoidal conditions, harmonic power mea-
surements, and power-line communications.
Giovanni Tinè (M’04) was born in Palermo, Italy, in 1961. He received the
Ph.D. degree in electronics, computer science, and telecommunications engi-
neering from the University of Palermo, Palermo, in 1994.
Currently, he is a Researcher with the National Research Council—Institute
of Intelligent System for Automation (CNR-ISSIA), Palermo. His research in-
terests are electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) of power electrical drive sys-
tems, EMC of dual voltage electric devices, and power-line communication in
MV systems.