A smart grid technology for electrical power transmission lines by a self-organized optical network using LED

Abstract

We have demonstrated a new smart grid model by our novel green photonics technology based on self-organized optical networks realizing an autonomous peer-to-peer electric power transmissions without centralized control for the power grid. In this optical network, we introduced an adaptive algorithm for concurrent peer-to-peer communications, with a simple optical-electrical hybrid bistable circuit composed of such as light emitting diode (LED) and photo diode (PD) by utilizing optical nonlinearity depending only on the signal strength passing through the network. In the experiment, the method uses a simple, local adaptation of transmission weights at each network node, which we call a power gate unit (PGU) that enables self-organizing functions of the network. Based on this method, we have demonstrated experimentally a new smart grid model applicable for ad-hoc electric power distribution systems mediated power consumptions. In this model, electric power flow is controlled autonomously through the self-organized network nodes associated with individual power facilities having photovoltaics and electric storage devices, etc., and the nodes convert the amounts of electric power supply and/or consumption to the light intensity values using above mentioned transmission weights at each node. As a consequence, we have experimentally demonstrated a simple short haul system model for ad-hoc electric power distribution with a self-organized optical network as a novel green photonics technology application for smart grid consumptions. In this model, electric power flow is controlled autonomously through the selforganized network nodes associated with individual power facilities having photovoltaics and electric storage devices, etc., and the nodes convert the amounts of electric power supply and/or consumption to the light intensity values using above mentioned transmission weights at each node. As a consequence, we have experimentally demonstrated a simple short haul system model for ad-hoc electric power distribution with a self-organized optical network as a novel green photonics technology application for smart grid.