System and method for inferring schematic and topological properties of an electrical distribution grid

A method for inferring schematic and topological properties of an electrical distribution grid which vary over time, comprising transmitting messages from a Remote Hub connected at low voltage on a single phase main in a Transformer Area Network to an electrical distribution substation without requiring intervening apparatus to repeat or amplify a signal, the method comprising the steps of:

• a. identifying at least one frequency band in the candidate spectrum to form at least one transmission channel on the electrical distribution grid;
• b. loading the Remote Hub with information defining a policy for allowing said Remote Hub to transmit on the at least one transmission channel;
• c. obtaining a data payload;
• d. creating a message from the data payload and including information in the message to be transmitted to facilitate detection of the message and inference of the grid location of the transmitter;
• and
• e. transmitting the message onto the power line by injecting a modulated current signal into the at least one transmission channel.

A method for receiving a message transmitted from a Remote Hub situated on the low voltage side of a service transformer on one of at least one frequency band channel known to both the Remote Hub and a Substation Receiver, the method comprising:

• a. connecting the Substation Receiver to a bus of at least one substation transformer, wherein the Substation Receiver is connected by attaching current sensors to each of the three phases of at least one feeder attached to the bus;
• b. monitoring the output of each current sensor and digitizing waveforms detected thereon;
• c. detecting at least one message preamble in the digitized waveforms from at least one current sensor;
• d. extracting a message from the digitized waveforms based on the detection of the at least one message preamble;
• e. demodulating the message and forwarding the demodulated message to a Computing Platform;
• f. determining information about the grid location of the transmitter of the received signals;
• and
• g. extracting data from the message to derive additional information about the transmitter and any associated devices.

A system for sending and receiving messages on an electrical distribution grid from a low-voltage periphery of said grid to an electrical distribution substation without requiring intervening apparatus to repeat or amplify a signal and wherein said grid is used as a long-range data-bearing network, the system comprising:

• a. a converged network comprising at least one conventional network and at least one medium voltage electrical distribution grid, wherein the at least one medium voltage electrical distribution grid comprises at least one distribution substation containing at least one substation transformer, and at least one low-voltage network comprising a multi-phase service transformer supplying power to at least one consumer, a service area of the multi-phase service transformer comprising a plurality of Transformer Area Networks, a different Transformer Area Network of the plurality of Transformer Area Networks being associated with each phase of the multi-phase service transformer;
• b. a data center comprising a database containing a Grid Map and an Inventory and stored programs, attached to the conventional network;
• c. at least one Computing Platform for each of the at least one distribution substations containing at least one substation transformer, the Computing Platform comprising a database containing a subset of the Grid Map and a subset of the Inventory and the stored programs;
• d. at least one Substation Receiver hosted on or in communication with the at least one Computing Platform;
• e. at least one Transformer Area Network of the plurality of Transformer Area Networks supplied with power by the at least one substation transformer, the at least one Transformer Area Network comprising at least one Remote Hub sited on a low-voltage side of the service transformer, wherein the at least one Remote Hub is configured to transmit messages that are received and decoded by the Substation Receiver, without the use of repeaters, bridges, or other apparatus between the Substation Receiver and the at least one Remote Hub;
• and
• f. at least one additional Substation Receiver sited at an intermediate point on the at least one medium voltage electrical distribution grid between the at least one Transformer Area Network and the at least one substation transformer.

A system for sending and receiving messages on an electrical distribution grid from a low-voltage periphery of said grid to an electrical distribution substation without requiring intervening apparatus to repeat or amplify a signal and wherein said grid is used as a long-range data-bearing network, the system comprising:

• a. a converged network comprising at least one conventional network and at least one medium voltage electrical distribution grid, wherein the at least one medium voltage electrical distribution grid comprises at least one distribution substation containing at least one substation transformer, and at least one low-voltage network comprising a multi-phase service transformer supplying power to at least one consumer, wherein a service area of the multi-phase service transformer contains a single Transformer Area Network, with a master Remote Hub on one phase of the multi-phase service transformer, and a Proxy Hub on each phase of said multi-phase service transformer not having the master Remote Hub;
• b. a data center comprising a database containing a Grid Map and an Inventory and stored programs, attached to the conventional network;
• c. at least one Computing Platform for each of the at least one distribution substations containing at least one substation transformer, the Computing Platform comprising a database containing a subset of the Grid Map and a subset of the Inventory and the stored programs;
• d. at least one Substation Receiver hosted on or in communication with the at least one Computing Platform;
• e. the single Transformer Area Network supplied with power by the at least one substation transformer, the single Transformer Area Network comprising the master Remote Hub sited on a low-voltage side of the multi-phase service transformer, wherein the master Remote Hub is configured to transmit messages that are received and decoded by the Substation Receiver, without the use of repeaters, bridges, or other apparatus between the Substation Receiver and the master Remote Hub;
• and
• f. at least one additional Substation Receiver sited at an intermediate point on the at least one medium voltage electrical distribution grid between the single Transformer Area Network and the at least one substation transformer.

A system for sending and receiving messages on an electrical distribution grid from a low-voltage periphery of said grid to an electrical distribution substation without requiring an intervening apparatus to repeat or amplify a signal and wherein said grid is used as a long-range data-bearing network, the system comprising:

• a. a converged network comprising at least one conventional network and at least one medium voltage electrical distribution grid, wherein the at least one medium voltage electrical distribution grid comprises at least one distribution substation containing at least one substation transformer, and at least one low-voltage network comprising a service transformer supplying power to at least one consumer;
• b. a data center comprising a database containing a Grid Map and an Inventory and stored programs, attached to the conventional network;
• c. at least one Computing Platform for each of the at least one distribution substations containing at least one substation transformer, the Computing Platform comprising a database containing a subset of the Grid Map and a subset of the Inventory and the stored programs;
• d. at least one Substation Receiver hosted on or in communication with the at least one Computing Platform;
• e. at least one Transformer Area Network supplied with power by the at least one substation transformer, each Transformer Area Network comprising at least one Remote Hub sited on a low-voltage side of the service transformer, wherein the at least one Remote Hub is configured to transmit messages that are received and decoded by the Substation Receiver, without the use of repeaters, bridges, or other apparatus between the Substation Receiver and the at least one Remote Hub;
• and
• f. at least one additional Substation Receiver sited at an intermediate point on the medium voltage electrical distribution grid between the at least one Transformer Area Network and the at least one substation transformer.

A system for sending and receiving messages on an electrical distribution grid from a low-voltage periphery of said grid to an electrical distribution substation without requiring intervening apparatus to repeat or amplify a signal and wherein said grid is used as a long-range data-bearing network, the system comprising:

• a. a converged network comprising at least one conventional network and at least one medium voltage electrical distribution grid, wherein the at least one medium voltage electrical distribution grid comprises at least one distribution substation containing at least one substation transformer, and at least one low-voltage network comprising a service transformer supplying power to at least one consumer;
• b. a data center comprising a head end of an advanced metering infrastructure attached to the at least one conventional network, a concentrator configured to provide data blocks to the head end for broadcast over the advanced metering infrastructure, and a database containing a Grid Map and an Inventory and stored programs, attached to the at least one conventional network;
• c. at least one Computing Platform for each of the at least one distribution substations containing at least one substation transformer, the Computing Platform comprising a database containing a subset of the Grid Map and a subset of the Inventory and the stored programs;
• d. at least one Substation Receiver hosted on or in communication with the at least one Computing Platform;
• e. at least one Transformer Area Network supplied with power by the at least one substation transformer, each Transformer Area Network comprising at least one Remote Hub sited on a low-voltage side of the service transformer and configured to receive the data blocks broadcast over the advanced metering infrastructure, wherein the at least one Remote Hub is configured to transmit messages that are received and decoded by the at least one Substation Receiver, without the use of repeaters, bridges, or other apparatus between the at least one Substation Receiver and the at least one Remote Hub, wherein the service transformer is a multi-phase service transformer, and wherein a service area of the multi-phase service transformer contains a single Transformer Area Network, with a master Remote Hub on one phase of the multi-phase service transformer, and a Proxy Hub on each phase of said multi-phase service transformer not having the master Remote Hub;
• and
• f. at least one additional Substation Receiver sited at an intermediate point on the at least one medium voltage electrical distribution grid between the at least one Transformer Area Network and the at least one substation transformer.