In this article, we will discuss the general principle and need of self-healing in smart grids. Let us start with the basic definition of self-healing in a smart grid.
Self-healing is
the property of a smart grid that enables a system to:
- Know that it is not working properly.
- Makes necessary adjustments to restore itself to normal working conditions without any human intervention.
The smart grid uses smart meters and sensors to perform
these two operations.
What is the Principle of Self-Healing in a Smart Grid?
The smart grid has the ability to self-heal when a fault
occurs in the system. The self-healing property of the smart grid automates the
manual fault restoration procedure. To understand the principle of a
self-healing grid, consider a small number of substations fitted with
automation equipment. When a fault occurs in the system, the self-healing grid
is able to restore the power supply as much as possible using the automation
equipment.
The self-healing mechanism of the smart grid uses automated
services to acquire various wireless environment parameters. It uses these
parameters to adapt and tune the network parameters such as MAC retransmission
cunt, Bit error ratio, and received signal strength. The system uses and
modifies these parameters to detect various types of problems in the network.
Finally, based on these detections, the network adaptively enforces its
transmission policies to heal from these problems.
Thus, the self-healing property of the smart grid helps in
increasing the packet delivery and the real-time properties of the wireless
network. This also provides higher reliability for smart grid services.
What is the Need of Self-Healing in a Smart Grid?
As we know, self-healing is one of the most important
features of a smart grid. The primary need of self-healing in the smart grid is
to automate the healing process of the entire power system. For this, wireless
networking and communication protocols are used in the smart grid system to
maintain high standards of reliability and to provide efficient means of
self-healing procedures.
However, in smart grid systems, self-healing issues are
vital problems that need to be solved to provide highly reliable services.
Hence, the self-healing mechanism in the smart grid must be able to enforce
appropriate policies.
Some other major needs of self-healing in smart grid are as
follows:
- The implementation of the smart grid must be examined upon simulation-based actual test beds to determine the performance of the system in reality.
- The components of the self-healing system like smart sensors, and IEDs (Intelligent Electronic Devices) are to be connected wirelessly to improve the performance of the real-time information system. So that the self-healing system can determine the fault area, and send the information in real-time to monitor the network. Using this information, the network then controls the affected area by isolating it from the grid and restores electricity to the unaffected power lines to reduce the outage regions.
- The self-healing protection system needs a large number of sensors and controllers installed nearby to improve performance. These sensors and controllers allow better coverage over the power grid with a cloud of communications that operates wirelessly within a smart grid.
Related Articles
- What is Smart Grid? - Definition, Needs and Benefits
- Elements and Technologies of Smart Grid System
- Functions and Characteristics of Smart Grids
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