THE NEED TO REDEFINE EMC STANDARDIZATION: POWER SPECTRAL DENSITY LIMITS OF NON-INTENTIONAL EMISSIONS FOR RELIABLE NB-PLC COMMUNICATIONS

Abstract

Existing problems from Non-Intentional Emissions (NIE) over NB-PLC devices are well known to the community as well as widely covered in related researches and in reports of technical committees. Currently, the various limits set in different EMC standards for compatibility levels below 150 kHz are neither based on total power injected, nor based in real field measurements, so their validity may be questioned. In this sense, this paper presents a set of tests aiming at addressing both the influence of different emissions over different NB-PLC metering devices and the need to fix limits in the unintentional power injected in NB-PLC bands. The results and conclusions of the study present a valuable input for a fair coexistence between NB-PLC and electrical and electronic devices that can disturb signalling over LV grids below 150 kHz.The paper gives details of the performance evaluation of NB-PLC technologies, relevant for practicable smart meters implementation to improve resistance against NIE. Furthermore, the paper demonstrates that the power density of NIE should be limited in EMC standards to ensure a correct coexistence of NIE sources and NB-PLC technologies.