Reliability Estimation and Optimization of a Smart Meter Architecture Using a Monte Carlo Simulation

Abstract

The technological evolution is dominating the social change. There is a constant increase in the number of networked devices and the use of smart meters has become more relevant. A required feature of smart meter architectures is reliability, which ensures the continuous provision of the services of the system. In this article, the research question “How can a low-fault smart metering architecture be achieved based on constructive methods?” is answered with the objective of designing a low-fault smart meter architecture. By implementing optimization methods, an improvement in reliability can be achieved. A structured approach to reliability optimization using topological modifications to the architecture is described, along with evaluation of the improved reliability. For this purpose, reliability block diagrams are combined with Monte Carlo simulation to calculate the most realistic approximation of system reliability. Finally, the results of the individual reliability analyses are summarized and compared to show the optimization potential.