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Overview
In recent years, China has designated the Internet of Things and smart grids as national priority projects. Integrating IoT technologies into smart grids enables better integration of generation, transmission, distribution, and consumption resources and infrastructure, improving informationization, intelligence, and integration of power systems and increasing utilization of power infrastructure.
IoT-based Smart Grid Architecture
The Internet of Things generally consists of three layers: the perception layer, the network layer, and the application layer. An IoT-based smart grid is commonly designed with four layers: the perception layer, the parsing layer, the data layer, and the application layer.
Perception layer
Data collection and sensing are used to gather information about power materials and equipment. In power IoT deployments, utilities in China encode information about materials, equipment, and assets into RFID tags, such as material classification codes, equipment classification codes, and functional location codes.
Parsing layer
RFID handheld terminals are used to parse and transmit perception-layer information reliably and securely.
Application layer
The application layer typically includes a support platform sublayer and an application service sublayer. The support platform often integrates with ERP systems. Application services include procurement management for power materials, equipment inspection and maintenance management, fixed asset management, and full asset lifecycle management built on these services.
Data layer
The data layer is not tied to a single IoT technology layer. It commonly uses secure PDA and related techniques to parse and forward data to a central data repository.
The system topology for an IoT-based smart grid places power equipment, inspection personnel, and attached electronic tags in the perception layer; PDA handheld devices in the parsing layer; and client PCs and servers in the application and data layers. An IoT solution for smart grids should primarily include perception, network, and application service layers. The perception layer gathers information across grid applications using technologies such as wireless sensor networks and RFID. The network layer relies on power fiber-optic networks, supplemented by power line carrier communications and wireless broadband to transmit information within local or wide-area scopes. The application service layer uses techniques such as intelligent computing and pattern recognition to perform integrated analysis and processing of grid information, enabling intelligent decision making, control, and services to raise the automation and intelligence of grid operations.
RFID Use Cases in Smart Grids
Power asset management
Traditional meter management often used barcodes, but barcodes are nonrewritable, have limited capacity, and labels can fall off or be damaged, leading to read failures. Utilities have adopted RFID to replace barcodes for effective meter management. RFID tags attached to meters allow data collection via RFID devices and enable fast inbound/outbound inventory control using RFID portals, supporting bulk identification of metering devices.
Tool and equipment management
Whether using a gate at a small storeroom or a platform for inventory, workers reading tool tags with handheld readers risk cross-reads or missed reads, making it unclear which tool was taken. By placing tools with RFID tags into specially designed intelligent tool cabinets equipped with RFID readers, the system records every removal and return in real time. The system can determine who removed which tool, the primary role of that person, the time of removal, and the return time. Access permissions can be enforced, and alerts can be generated if a tool is not returned within a defined period.
Typical operation flow
- A locked cabinet provides keyless access and simple tool storage.
- An employee authenticates at a touch screen using an ID card and logs in; the cabinet system authorizes access for the employee.
- The employee selects the required tool on the touch screen; the electromagnetically locked drawer for that tool opens, and the software logs the transaction and updates the database in real time.
- When the drawer is closed, the touch screen immediately displays the updated inventory status.
Document and archive management
RFID-based archive management systems typically consist of a backend system and terminal devices such as RFID tags, ultrahigh-frequency access gates, ultrahigh-frequency handheld terminals, RFID readers/writers, and card issuers. These terminals are key information input and output points. The system coordinates across all components to implement information management for archive storage, borrowing, return, and query. Handheld UHF terminals play an important role in enabling fast archive operations and queries.
Inspection and patrol management
Equipment inspection is fundamental to ensuring safety and reliability of power equipment and minimizing failure rates. RFID handheld terminals support paperless data collection and enable supervision of inspectors by equipment management departments. This digitizes and automates inspection work, improving efficiency and helping ensure safe, low-failure operation of power equipment.
Conclusion
Compared with traditional grids, smart grids achieve higher levels of intelligence by acquiring comprehensive information about the grid. RFID-based data collection is a prerequisite, and ensuring data security, stability, and reliability during transmission and conversion is essential. Smart grid deployments that use RFID enable full lifecycle management of equipment, reduce manual workload in inventory and inspections, and increase the automation level of equipment management.
