Power line communication (PLC), which is often used in advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), may be disturbed by adjacent high-power converters. Due to the inherent features of this type of communication, classic methods of improving communication reliability (filtration and circuit separation) cannot be fully applied. Information coding (modulation) methods are used in PLC to increase the data transfer rate and improve noise immunity. Random modulations (RanM) are used in converters to lower emission levels. Therefore, we investigate how the converters’ modulation parameters and coding methods may affect PLC communication reliability in the paper. To this end, we employ an experimental approach. In particular, the analysis of the influence of deterministic modulation (DetM) and (RanM) on the performance of narrowband G3-PLC is shown. We emulated an actual situation where EMI generated by the DC/DC converter disturbed the PLC transmission. The experimental results show the transmission error rates for different operating scenarios. The natural (experimental) system results, due to the complexity of the disturbing signals, differ from the literature data obtained by simulation for normalized signals.

Power Line Communication (PLC) technologies are being used in many applications and offer the advantage of utilizing existing power cables for both power and data transmission, thus minimizing cost and complexity. Nevertheless, PLC technology requires further investigation to solve possible co-existence issues. Indeed, recent studies confirmed that alternative modulation schemes such as Random Pulse Width Modulation (RPWM), applied to switching-mode power converters to minimize conducted emissions, detrimentally interfere with the PLC system. This paper presents an experimental test campaign aimed at investigating the effects of RPWM on the G3-PLC system, with the final goal of understanding the conditions under which RPWM schemes can be considered as an effective alternative to conventional Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) in applications involving PLC systems. In details, the effects of different RPWM parameters such as switching frequency, modulation index, and Random Number Update Rate (RNUR) on the G3-PLC is investigated. In addition, different RPWM schemes such as Random Frequency Modulation (RFM) and Random Pulse Position Modulation (RPPM) are compared in terms of performance so as to highlight which RPWM is best suited to assure coexistence with PLC systems. The impact of RPWM on the communication channel is evaluated in terms of Frame Error Rate (FER), Channel Capacity, and Channel Capacity Loss metrics. Experimental results confirmed that randomly modulated converters with switching frequencies near the G3-PLC bandwidth cause more significant disturbance and possible coexistence issues than the switching frequencies out of this range. Results also show that the modulation index and the RNUR of RPWM have a direct effect on the communication channel. Moreover, a trade-off between Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) reduction and coexistence issues is observed: RFM, which is very effective for EMI reduction, is found to be very disruptive for G3-PLC, compared to alternative random modulation techniques such as RPPM.

Power converters in the smart grid systems are essential to link renewable energy sources with all grid appliances and equipment. However, this raises the possibility of electromagnetic interference (EMI) between the smart grid elements. Hence, spread spectrum (SS) modulation techniques have been used to mitigate the EMI peaks generated from the power converters. Consequently, the performance of the nearby communication systems is affected under the presence of EMI, which is not covered in many situations. In this paper, the behavior of the G3 Power Line Communication (PLC) channel is evaluated in terms of the Shannon–Hartley equation in the presence of SS-modulated EMI from a buck converter. The SS-modulation technique used is the Random Carrier Frequency Modulation with Constant Duty cycle (RCFMFD). Moreover, The analysis is validated by experimental results obtained with a test setup reproducing the parasitic coupling between the PLC system and the power converter.

Due to the global vision and actions taken to lower the CO2 and decrease the emitted greenhouse gases, there has been a boost and encouragement for deploying photovoltaic systems in Poland and many other countries. However, the extensive installation of photovoltaic units in residential prosumers has led to a new electromagnetic compatibility problem. This problem is the overvoltage resulting from high penetration of the photovoltaic units. Energy companies started to receive complaints from customers about service interruptions. However, in many cases, these overvoltage incidents were not detected by the companies’ metering systems, making it difficult to identify the root cause of the problem. This paper presents a field investigation showing the recognized electromagnetic compatibility issue, highlighting how high PV penetration can lead to overvoltage in the low-voltage distribution network. It also explains why the energy companies fail to detect overvoltage. Additionally, the paper provides insight into the photovoltaic inverters operation and protection in accordance with the IEC standard.

With the expanding use of modular multilevel converters in power installations it became more important to lower the total conducted emissions. One of the most important key factors in controlling electromagnetic interference emissions is the type of submodules used and the utilized switches. This paper compares three well-known submodules which are half bridge, full bridge and double-clamped half bridge effect on the electromagnetic interference emissions. For making the model more accurate the parasitic components were included in all the circuits Additionally, the same configurations are carried out and compared under two switches which are insulated gate bipolar transistors and metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors operating at two different switching frequencies. The results were obtained by a simulation in a Matlab/Simulink environment.