Development of a coupling system for medium voltage power line communication in the CENELEC A frequency band

In this paper the performances of a new power line communication (PLC) coupling system for medium voltage (MV) smart grids are investigated in the CENELEC A frequency band (i.e. 3–95 kHz). The new coupling solution is based on the use of the capacitive divider of the voltage detecting system (VDS) as PLC coupler to the MV network. According to IEC 61243-5, VDS are worldwide used to reveal the presence of the mains voltage to ensure the safety of the operators. A proper interface circuit has been invented and patented to couple the PLC signal through the VDS. In this way no dedicated MV PLC coupler is required, thus avoiding the related costs of the coupler, of its installation, and those of the associated temporary service interruption. In this paper, a laboratory characterization of the developed coupling solution is presented in the only standardized band, CENELEC A, reserved for the Energy Utilities in Europe.