The Smart Grid Concept in Oil & Gas Industries by a Field Trial of Data Communication in MV Power Lines

• Main Authors: Leonardo R. M. Castor, Ricardo Natale, João P. Favero, Jair A. L. Silva, Marcelo E. V. Segatto
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Microondas e Optoeletrônica; Sociedade Brasileira de Eletromagnetismo
• Series: Journal of Microwaves, Optoelectronics and Electromagnetic Applications
• Subjects: Smart grid; overhead medium voltage; broadband powerline; Oil & Gas industries
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2179-10742016000200081&lng=en&tlng=en

Abstract Nowadays, communication and networking technologies are essential for Oil & Gas industries in order to guarantee reliability, safety and low costs in the producing process. Information access and commands and set-points transmission from/to automation systems are challenging tasks mainly due to distributed production areas and hostile environments. This paper presents a field trial of broadband power line communication over an overhead medium voltage grid as a data transport employing 200 Mb/s BPL modems. Throughput, frequency response, physical speed and latency are some of the investigated network parameters. Experimental results obtained after propagation through 1.63 km of a multipath MV power grid reveal the viability of the BPL technology as an access network for video and automation data transport in onshore Oil & Gas industries.