Solar Powered SCADA Infrastructure Serving Different Smart Grid Applications
Qutaiba I. Ali |Pages: 61-79|

Abstract— This paper deals with the design issues of a green Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) communication infrastructure. We suggest enhancing the reliability of the SCADA system using a self powered wireless ad-hoc network technology. The suggested SCADA infrastructure consists of various types of wireless nodes called Wireless SCADA Router (WSR). Here, we propose that WSRs can harvest the energy needed for their work from the surrounding environment, especially solar energy. In order to evaluate the power consumption of the proposed WSR under realistic SCADA traffic conditions, a simulation model is built using OPNET simulation package. Different scenarios are run to determine the effect of the different parameters on the network traffic and hence, the WSR power consumption. The different network traffic patterns generated from running the simulation model are used in an experimental network based mainly on UBICOM IP2022 network processor platform (as the implementation of the proposed WSR). In order to decrease the power consumption of the suggested WSR and to extend the life time of the batteries, a new power management scheme called “Controlled Duty Cycling (CDC)-Event Driven Duty Cycling (EDDC)” is suggested and implemented. According to this method, the WSR must follow Sleep/Active periods scheme and perform based on its available energy. The service rate of the WSR is determined as a function of the WSRs’ power budget.