Next Generation Wireless Telecoms Analysis

Objective(s)

The Project will be centred on the WPD license areas in order to establish the traffic characteristics and operational communication needs of both planned and anticipated ‘Smart Grid’ deployments. Once the traffic profile and area of service have been established the network modelling will produce a Radio Network Design that will:

• Define the scale of equipment and infrastructure deployment necessary;
• Determine the performance characteristics that can be sustained in a robust and resilient manner;
• Characterise the functionality available to enable ‘Smart Grid’ operations;
• Identify the amount and characteristics of radio spectrum needed; and
• Network Design Learning can be leveraged across other use cases and DNO areas.
• Inform the investment requirements for future communications capability;
• Facilitate awareness raising with Government & Ofcom; and
• Inform the business case for system roll-out that will be a key enabler of the DNO to DSO transition.

Problem(s)

Electricity distribution networks face unprecedented challenges. More and more distributed generation is embedded in their networks, much of it intermittent and at the edges of the networks, with significant increases in loading, driven by electrification of transport and heat as the UK seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Re-enforcement of the networks has traditionally been the response but at significant cost and disruption. Alternatively, making the networks more intelligent and responsive can often delay or even avoid such investments, minimising the cost and disruption to customers.

The key to the intelligent energy network of the future is enhanced visibility of the network assets in real time, allied to secure and fast switching to ensure a rapid response to changes in the energy supply dynamic. This will enable supply and demand to be balanced on a minute by minute basis at the Distribution Network Operator (DNO) level and will be a key component of the transition of the Distribution Network Operator (DNO) to becoming a Distribution System Operator (DSO).

Utilities already have extensive and varied radio networks connecting thousands of monitoring and control points. However, these systems need to be expanded and enhanced to manage the increasingly diverse and dynamic electricity networks they control with the anticipated replacement of legacy systems in the process. More intelligent networks will be able to prevent some outages; but when they do happen, advanced telecommunications help restore supplies more quickly. Applying more intelligence into the networks will also avoid or delay more costly re-enforcement investments.

Method(s)

Project will be delivered over a 12 -13 month’s period in 4 overlapping phases below:

• Project initiation and mobilisation;
• Refine designs and services ;
• Optimisation; and
• Analysis and Close Down (Analyse results, evaluate Next Generation Wireless Telecoms solution).

The project will be delivered by JRC with support of the WPD Project Manager working in collaboration with personnel from WPD Telecom. A detailed scope shall be established contractually between the two parties at the Project Plan agreement phase (Milestone 1). The Project Manager shall ensure that all deliverables are met within the timeframe.

• Scope

  The project will build on an existing WPD telecommunications trial by expanding from a single site trial into a full network design. This will require:

  • Estimating what are the key parameters and the resolution of their values to calculate the data volume from each point to be monitored;
  • The total number of points on the network requiring communications and their geographic disposition; and
  • RF Coverage design based upon existing WPD sites employing eLTE technology (TDD / FDD). Establishing Power Density at sub stations and distribution poles for data communications and taking into account electrical systems operational requirements.

   

  These data flows will be turned into a geographic data traffic profile in order to establish radio network capacity. This will allow radio channel bandwidth options to be derived to support asset visibility and control on a location by location basis.

  Having determined an idealised network model, sophisticated radio planning tools (referencing International technology standards), terrain height databases and clutter data will be utilised to envision the underlying radio network capable of delivering this service. The radio traffic requirements will be overlaid on a database of existing WPD radio base stations to create a practical implementation of the radio network required to deliver the desired capacity and coverage.

  In order to undertake this modelling, the initial assumption will be to use eLTE technology currently being trialled by WPD.

• Success Criteria

  The project will document the outputs of the radio network design, the system interfaces and will also provide insight on the existing communications infrastructure that will enable us to continue to the next steps towards a commercial solution. The success will be based on:

  • Ability to define the scale of equipment and infrastructure deployment necessary;
  • Understanding of the performance characteristics that can be sustained in a robust and resilient manner;
  • Ability to characterise the functionality available to enable ‘Smart Grid’ operations;
  • Understanding of the amount and characteristics of radio spectrum needed;
  • A tool-kit for radio network design and deployment that can be leveraged across other use cases and DNO areas;
  • Define the investment requirements for future communications capability;
  • Case for spectrum access established to facilitate negotiating with Government & Ofcom; and
  • The development of the planning rules for operational telecommunications network design to facilitate Smart Grid functionality.
• Potential for New Learning

  The establishment of an optimised radio network design to support the enhanced data traffic needs of future active networks serving the whole of the WPD region will allow a detailed understanding of how the radio network can be optimised to support the traffic needs of a diverse range of topographies, communities, energy network configurations and demand profiles. This diversity of use cases across the WPD footprint allows the project to develop the tool-kit of design solutions and network performance characteristics to represent ‘use-cases’ across the GB network footprint and ultimately establish a methodology for optimised radio network design for all DNO’s. Moreover, the establishment of an optimised solution based on eLTE will offer the potential for enhanced functionality within the operational communications capability of the DNOs, to support enhanced voice, teleprotection, etc. which would further enhance the benefits of scale economies from the design learning that could be leveraged by the GB DNOs.

• Documents and Links

  Registration Form

  Closedown Report

• Monthly updates

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