Review and Progress towards the Capacity Boost of Overhead and Underground Medium-Voltage and Low-Voltage Broadband over Power Lines Networks: Cooperative Communications through Two- and Three-Hop Repeater Systems
This paper reviews and analyzes the broadband capacity and the coexistence potential of overhead and underground medium-voltage/broadband over power lines (MV/BPL) and low-voltage/broadband over power lines (LV/BPL) topologies when one and two repeaters are additively deployed between their existing transmitting and receiving ends (overhead and underground MV/BPL and LV/BPL topologies with two- and three-hop repeater system, respectively). The contribution of this paper is four fold. First, the factors that influence the broadband capacity performance of overhead and underground MV/BPL and LV/BPL topologies with multihop repeater systems are identified, namely the number of repeaters, the distribution power grid type—either overhead or underground, either MV or LV, the initial distribution BPL topology, the multiconductor transmission line configuration, and coupling scheme applied. Second, the well-validated applicability of two-hop repeater systems is now extended in overhead and underground LV/BPL and MV/BPL networks. The significant mitigating role of two-hop repeater systems against capacity losses due to aggravated topologies or different coupling schemes is verified. Third, the deployment upgrade of two- to three-hop repeater systems in distribution BPL topologies is first examined in terms of broadband capacity performance. To study the occurred capacity improvement, suitable capacity contour plots are first proposed. Fourth, multi-hop repeater systems are identified as valuable technology solution so that the required intraoperability between overhead and underground MV/BPL and LV/BPL networks, which is a prerequisite condition before BPL systems symbiosis with other broadband technologies (interoperability), is promoted. 1. Introduction The limited investments made in the energy sector during the last decades, as well as the integration of new smart grid (SG) requirements such as the renewable and distributed energy source integration, microgrids, demand side management, and demand response programs trigger significant efforts towards modernization of power distribution grid—either overhead or underground, either medium voltage (MV) or lowc voltage (LV) power grids—[1, 2]. The deployment of broadband over power lines (BPL) networks across the entire distribution grid can help towards the development of an advanced IP-based power system equipped with a plethora of SG applications [3–5]. Exploiting the strong aspects of multihop and relay-based communications, which have been studied either in wireless [6–8] or in BPL environments [9–15], the
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