Using the POWDER Testbed to Evaluate Real-World Feasibility of 5G URLLC
In the ongoing transition to low-carbon energy, distributed energy resources (DER) such as solar, wind turbines, and battery storage are growing in popularity. However, the integration of these DERs into power distribution systems introduces several challenges for protection schemes and communications infrastructure. In particular, traditional protection schemes rely on fiber deployment, which is not economically and logistically feasible in wide geographic areas.
To explore communications system alternatives, researchers at North Carolina State University used the POWDER testbed to evaluate the real-world feasibility of using 5G ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) for wide-area electrical fault protection.
The experiments used commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware and open source software stacks to replicate a distribution system scenario with geographically separated substations and DERs. Researchers conducted long-term over-the-air (OTA) tests under varying signal conditions to capture latency and reliability performance in outdoor environments.
The results demonstrate that URLLC can achieve the required latency. However, the experiments identify a significant performance gap between simulation and hardware implementation performance in meeting wide-area protection requirements, which will be important as the use of DERs continues to proliferate.
Why it Matters
- This is likely the first study to report long-term outdoor hardware testing of 5G URLLC, specifically for wide-area protection applications.
- These experiments reveal critical discrepancies between simulation-based predictions and actual hardware performance, highlighting the limitations of current implementations and providing practical insights for deploying URLLC in mission-critical power system applications. These findings will be increasingly important as we modernize our energy grids.
- Through the POWDER testbed, researchers are continuing to bridge the gap between theoretical modeling and practical implementation that will ultimately strengthen our communications infrastructure.
Read more about these experiments conducted on the POWDER testbed.
Authors: Priya Raghuraman, Ismail Guvnec and Mesut Baran (North Carolina State University)
About POWDER
POWDER is part of the National Science Foundation’s Platforms for Advanced Wireless Research (PAWR) program and is funded in part by NSF and by the PAWR Industry Consortium.
