AFAR: A robust and delay-constrained communication framework for smart grid applications

The existing electrical grid is now experiencing a revolutionary change to a new paradigm, i.e., smart grid, due to the development of information and communication technologies. Communications among smart grid components such as sensors, intelligent electronic devices (IED), and smart meters of automatic metering infrastructure (AMI) are some of the key components to successfully build smart grid. To reduce installation costs and spatial limits, wireless communications are considered as effective communication techniques in smart grid. However, severe wireless interference due to the electromagnetic wave generated by electronic devices, and strict requirements of smart grid applications such as delay-constraint, short delay, reliability, and scalability are making existing network protocols inappropriate for smart grid applications. In this paper, we propose AFAR to provide robust and delay-constrained communication services to smart grid applications while satisfying their requirements successfully. This paper includes a detailed description of the framework, mathematical modeling, OPNET simulation, and co-simulation between OpenDSS and OPNET to evaluate AFAR under the specific smart grid application scenario.