Secure and Robust Authentication for DC MicroGrids based on Power Talk Communication

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel power talk-based authentication framework for DC MicroGrids, enhancing security and reliability without additional hardware, and actively involving control systems in the process.

Contribution

It presents a new authentication method using power talk via primary control loops, eliminating the need for dedicated communication hardware in MicroGrids.

Findings

Simulation confirms the scheme's viability.

Power talk enables secure, hardware-free authentication.

Active control system participation enhances security.

Abstract

We propose a novel framework for secure and reliable authentication of Distributed Energy Resources to the centralized secondary/tertiary control system of a DC MicroGrid (MG), networked using the IEEE 802.11 wireless interface. The key idea is to perform the authentication using power talk, which is a powerline communication technique executed by the primary control loops of the power electronic converters, without the use of a dedicated hardware for its modem. In addition, the scheme also promotes direct and active participation of the control system in the authentication process, a feature not commonly encountered in current networked control systems for MicroGrids. The PLECS-based simulations verifies the viability of our scheme.