Slicing Bread with a Chainsaw

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rf_engineer

join:2003-08-04
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Slicing Bread with a Chainsaw

BPL for utility control is overkill. There's low bandwidth automatic meter reading systems in operation today that use PLC (the original low speed powerline network that is the predecessor to BPL) and don't interfere and are economically viable in rural areas. PPL has this running in PA, everywhere from center city to the boonies, and you don't see repeaters all over the place like you would with BPL.

permalink · 2005-03-07 11:16:30 ·

fireflier
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Re: Slicing Bread with a Chainsaw

Low bandwidth channels couldn't handle video surveillance at critical substations that some utilities may want to monitor for vandalism/terrorism/damage.

I'm not saying I think BPL is a good thing to roll out for consumer sales. In fact, I don't and I believe consumer BPL use can negatively impact reliability in some cases, but it can improve system reliability if used by the utility itself. A related but much cruder system--Power line carrier is already being used for transmission control systems. Security and high data telemetry are just a couple of useful examples.
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When people are free to do as they please, they usually imitate each other.

permalink · 2005-03-07 16:55:15 · Print ·

rf_engineer

join:2003-08-04
USA

Re: Slicing Bread with a Chainsaw

said by fireflier

:

Low bandwidth channels couldn't handle video surveillance at critical substations that some utilities may want to monitor for vandalism/terrorism/damage.

True, but BPL isn't a long haul technology. Chances are if they are injecting BPL at a substation for distribution on medium voltage lines, they are going to be backhauling the data via fiber or telco facilities at that point. To carry megs of video back to a network operations center via BPL would be costly.

permalink · 2005-03-07 17:39:50 · Print ·

fireflier
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Re: Slicing Bread with a Chainsaw

Utilities sometimes use OPGW (fiber embedded static wire) on the transmission level for various bulk purposes (including commercial telecom networks on occasion) so that wouldn't present a significant obstacle if they wanted to pursue it. But I'd still rather see the fiber used for utility infrastructure and not for consumers. Reliability of the electric system should be top priority.
--
When people are free to do as they please, they usually imitate each other.

permalink · 2005-03-07 18:40:21 ·

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