An Attack-Resilient Middleware Architecture for Grid Integration of Distributed Energy Resources

Yifu Wu, Gihan J. Mendis, Youbiao He, Jin Wei, Bri-Mathias S. Hodge

Abstract: In recent years, the increasing penetration of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) has made an impact on the operation of the electric power systems. In the grid integration of DERs, data acquisition systems and communications infrastructure are crucial technologies to maintain system economic efficiency and reliability. Since most of these generators are relatively small, dedicated communications investments for every generator are capital cost prohibitive. Combining real-time attack-resilient communications middleware with Internet of Things (IoTs) technologies allows for the use of existing infrastructure. In our paper, we propose an intelligent communication middleware that utilizes the Quality of Experience (QoE) metrics to complement the conventional Quality of Service (QoS) evaluation. Furthermore, our middleware employs deep learning techniques to detect and defend against congestion attacks. The simulation results illustrate the efficiency of our proposed communications middleware architecture.