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| Reference Number | NIA_UKPN0106 | |
| Title | CommsConnect | |
| Status | Started | |
| Energy Categories | Other Power and Storage Technologies (Electricity transmission and distribution) 50%; Other Cross-Cutting Technologies or Research (Other Supporting Data) 50%; |
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| Research Types | Applied Research and Development 100% | |
| Science and Technology Fields | PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Computer Science and Informatics) 50%; ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Electrical and Electronic Engineering) 50%; |
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| UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation | Not Cross-cutting 100% | |
| Principal Investigator |
Project Contact No email address given UK Power Networks |
|
| Award Type | Network Innovation Allowance | |
| Funding Source | Ofgem | |
| Start Date | 01 January 2025 | |
| End Date | 31 March 2026 | |
| Duration | ENA months | |
| Total Grant Value | £512,000 | |
| Industrial Sectors | Power | |
| Region | London | |
| Programme | Network Innovation Allowance | |
| Investigators | Principal Investigator | Project Contact , UK Power Networks (99.998%) |
| Other Investigator | Project Contact , Eastern Power Networks plc (0.001%) Project Contact , South Eastern Power Networks plc (0.001%) |
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| Industrial Collaborator | Project Contact , UK Power Networks (0.000%) |
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| Web Site | https://smarter.energynetworks.org/projects/NIA_UKPN0106 |
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| Objectives | The project consists of two technical methods of data-gathering to better understand the resilience and power autonomy of public mobile networks:1. A software upgrade to existing mobile routers to use idle time to monitor surrounding mobile network availability. Mobile routers deployed across UK Power Networks operating regions would create a wide-area sensor network to detect and report any mobile outages.2. Direct engagement with mobile network operators to obtain the physical location of each mast, and if possible, the associated installed power autonomy available at each site.Method 1: Router software updatesMobile routers currently connect Remote Terminal Units (RTUs) located in substations to the central SCADA control system. Depending on the site-specific requirements, these routers are either polled by UK Power Networks Advanced Distribution Management Software (ADMS) continuously or periodically to check connectivity. Routers at sites which are polled periodically, e.g., secondary sites which are polled once every eight hours, remain idle the majority of the time, unless called upon by UK Power Networks Advanced Distribution Management Software, or if they require a message to be passed to UK Power Networks Advanced Distribution Management Software. As a result, it is possible to extend their functionality and use this idle time to monitor the surrounding mobile masts once their primary function of receiving and sending SCADA communications via UK Power Networks ADMS is not impacted.Conducting real-time mobile network monitoring would allow DNOs to better understand the available resilience and redundance within different parts of the public mobile communication network. Currently, public mobile coverage in urban areas is likely to be overlapping and redundant, whereas in rural areas coverage in rural areas more likely to suffer from single points of failure.The software update thus acts as a remedy to detect uneven public mobile network coverage. The proposal suggests to implement this solution in two phases:Phase 1To gather initial data, a suitable number of prototype sensor devices will be deployed across the UK Power Networks area to monitor the status of the surrounding mobile network.This data will be used to model predicted data consumption and data storage requirement. These prototypes will then be further employed to construct a detailed technical specification, including details on any implementation challenges that had been experienced in earlier course of deployment, such that equipment manufacturers can develop according firmware updates to include new scanning and reporting functionalities into existing mobile routers, thus avoiding the need for network-wide router replacement. A scoping phase for the specification will be concluded with a design freeze for new mobile routers; with the approval of a detailed technical specification used to inform future tenders of mobile routers. Simultaneously, a proof-of-concept centralised server will be developed to receive the data from the sensor devices. This data will then be analysed and presented to users.Phase 2In the second phase of this project, the equipment manufacturers will implement the developed technical specification on existing mobile routers and validate that existing firmware mechanism allows for remote firmware update. This process will be carried out with the close supervision of UK Power Networks subject-matter experts and follow the below process: Initially, software will be deployed to non-operational routers with close monitoring of their performance over a period of time. A variety of device hardware and firmware versions will then be tested to ensure compatibility. Should any issues arise, they will be flagged with the equipment manufacturers for resolution. The software will then be rolled out over the air to a small number of deployed routers in the field, all of which will be closely monitored. Should any issues arise, the devices will be rolled back to their previous software versions remotely. An allowance for site visits in the event that any issues cannot be addressed remotely has been factored into under the project budget. Once a satisfactory level of testing has been performed, a staggered and controlled rollout to a greater number of devices will commence. All data gathered will be sent back to a central server, where it will be stored for further analysis and reporting.Method 2: Data sharing agreements with Mobile Network Operators (MNOs)The project will engage MNOs to establish information about their communication network, such as the physical location of their mobile masts and the installed resilience/ power autonomy. This data will then be used to align particular mobile masts to electrical substations and knowledge of specific Meter Point Administration Numbers (MPANs) of the mobile masts to determine their LV feeding arrangement. This would enable a coordinated approach between DNOs and MNOs to quickly detect where faults lie in i.e., electrical or mobile network outages, and dispatch the relevant restoration team to address the situation. This would reduce site visits for DNOs if the fault is identified as a MNO communication fault; and vice versa for MNOs, thus avoiding unnecessary internal issue troubleshooting if incidents occur. Particularly, these benefits are expected to multiply within a storm situation such that limited restoration resources can be most efficiently allocated.During the second phase, the intention of the project is to establish a data-sharing agreement with the MNOs, and integrate shared information such as power autonomy, physical mast location, and MPAN with the centralised monitoring system. The development of this project will be broken down into two phases. The first phase will focus on proving the concept of the solution to deliver the intended service. Once the first phase is successful, the second phase will investigate the full integration of the solution and a streamlined operational process. Based on that, the project plan is as follows:Phase 1: Data-gathering and manufacturer specification development. Creation and deployment of data-gathering devices to gather early results. Creation of a centralised web storage system for automated data collection. Engagement with MNOs to outline a data-sharing agreement. Development of a shared firmware specification with existing device manufacturers.Phase 2: Solution testing, rollout, and implementation to BAU Demonstration that the developed firmware can be provided through the existing firmware update mechanism. Integration of a centralised storage system with long term UK Power Networks data repository. Deployment of the developed firmware to a select number of deployed devices for trial.Phase 2: Conclusion Publication of a project closedown report on ENA Smarter Networks Portal. Commence transition to BAU. The project aims to engage directly with MNOs to share knowledge about both DNO and MNO operational networks, including power autonomy available at each site and operational issues that may cause service interruption. The project aims to develop and test a software upgrade to extend the existing functionality of substation routers. The project aims to develop a technical specification for software upgrades. | |
| Abstract | CommsConnect aims to improve Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) visibility of the resilience of public mobile networks to understand the interdependence between these two systems. The project consists of two technical methods of data gathering to better understand the resilience and power autonomy of public mobile networks:1. A software upgrade to existing mobile routers to use idle time to monitor surrounding mobile network availability. Mobile routers deployed across DNO operating regions would create a wide-area sensor network to detect and report any mobile outages.2. Direct engagement with mobile network operators to obtain the physical location of each mast, and if possible the associated installed power autonomy available at each site. | |
| Data | No related datasets |
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| Projects | No related projects |
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| Publications | No related publications |
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| Added to Database | 09/04/25 | |
