Project Background
Power utilities globally face significant challenges in establishing reliable and cost-effective communication between primary and secondary substations. The availability of suitable communication technology poses a significant challenge for many power utilities globally. Broadband Power Line (BPL) communication, which utilises the power line itself, offers a potentially cost-effective solution for data exchange between primary and secondary substations. Broadband Power Line (BPL) communication, which leverages existing power lines for data exchange, emerged as a promising solution, already being successfully deployed in networks like Iberdrola’s in Spain for over a decade. Recognising this potential, SP Energy Networks initiated a project to assess BPL’s suitability for control and monitoring operations within their 11kV distribution networks. The initial phase focused on demonstrating BPL’s performance at PNDC’s 11kV test facility.
Project Objectives
The primary goal of the testing at PNDC was to technically evaluate and demonstrate the performance and reliability of BPL capacitive couplers for data transmission over an 11kV network. This included verifying basic “Server to Intelligent Electronic Device (IED)” communication, assessing performance metrics like data rate and latency, and observing behaviour under both energised and de-energised conditions.
Methodology & Execution:
1. Coupler Installation:
With crucial support from the Iberdrola team in Spain, BPL capacitive couplers were designed and successfully installed into a PNDC Ring Main Unit (RMU) cable box.
Coupler and installation inside an RMU cable box at PNDC
Coupler and installation inside an RMU cable box at PNDC
2. Communication Kit Setup:
The associated BPL communication kit—including a 4G router, two BPL gateways (master and slave), two Generic Traffic/Test Points (GTP) devices (GTP 1 and GTP 2), and two laptops for configuration and data collection—was also installed. Deploying this in a field network does not require the GTP devices or the 4G router, as both were solely used to enable the test. The GTP devices and the 4G router were configured to generate and manage traffic for the iPerf3 test network. The iPerf3 tool is used to measure a network’s performance and characteristics, helping assess the throughput of the BPL connection in our test.
Near-End Communications Arrangement (i.e., GTP2, Corinex Master BPL and 4G Router)
Near-End Communications Arrangement (i.e., GTP2, Corinex Master BPL and 4G Router)
3. Testing Scenarios:
The test covered communication performance across various 11kV circuits within the PNDC facility. Key scenarios included:
Energisation Test:
The BPL network was kept in service for a continuous 48-hour period while the 11kV line was energised.
De-energisation Test:
An additional two days of testing were conducted with the 11kV line de-energised.
4. Performance Monitoring:
The test plan covered assessing channel latency, throughput (data rate), link availability, and channel signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).
Far-End Communications Arrangement (i.e., GTP1, Corinex and Repeater BPL)
Energisation Test:
The BPL network was kept in service for a continuous 48-hour period while the 11kV line was energised.
De-energisation Test:
An additional two days of testing were conducted with the 11kV line de-energised.
The test plan covered assessing channel latency, throughput (data rate), link availability, and channel signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).
Far-End Communications Arrangement (i.e., GTP1, Corinex and Repeater BPL)
Key Outcomes & Conclusions
The BPL testing at PNDC was successfully carried out without any notable operational issues, leading to several significant conclusions:
Proven Data Exchange Capability:
The test definitively demonstrated that BPL technology can effectively be used to exchange data between secondary substations over an 11kV power line.
Reliable Connection:
The BPL connection proved to be reliable, with its performance remaining stable across the various test scenarios, including when the 11kV line was both energised and de-energised. No observable issues were spotted in either condition.
Stable Performance Metrics:
An average data transmission speed of 7.8 Mbps was consistently achieved.
The average latency (Round Trip Time, RTT) was remarkably stable at 4.7 ms.
No Significant Concerns:
The multi-day testing confirmed the stability of the technology with no significant concerns observed during operation.
An average data transmission speed of 7.8 Mbps was consistently achieved.
The average latency (Round Trip Time, RTT) was remarkably stable at 4.7 ms.
The multi-day testing confirmed the stability of the technology with no significant concerns observed during operation.
