Systems and methods for real-time communication among a cluster of impedance injection nodes in a power distribution system

1. A system for controlling power distribution in a power distribution system, comprising:

a first group of impedance injection nodes that includes two or more impedance injection nodes, wherein each of the impedance injection nodes of the first group is attached to a respective powerline of the power distribution system, and is configured to:

respectively receive messages from other impedance injection nodes in the first group sent at different respective time slots, wherein each of the received messages includes node information of at least one of the other nodes, and

broadcast a message to the other nodes in the first group at a time slot that is different from the respective time slots of the other nodes, wherein the broadcasted message includes node information of the impedance injection node, or node information of the at least one of the other nodes, or both;

wherein the impedance injection node includes a voltage converter that modifies one or more electrical characteristics of the respective power line it is attached to; and

wherein when the impedance injection node determines that one of other nodes has failed, the impedance injection node ceases to modify the one or more electrical characteristics of the respective power line it is attached to.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the impedance injection nodes of the first group is further configured to add a cryptographic message integrity code into the message prior to broadcasting the message, and to verify each of the received messages.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the cryptographic message integrity code is generated using a cryptographic encoding method including a keyed hash based on a pre-shared secret value.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the cryptographic message integrity code is generated using a using a block cypher with authenticated encryption.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the cryptographic message integrity code includes (i) the time slot, (ii) a node identifier (ID) of the impedance injection node, and (iii) node information of the impedance injection node, or node information of the at least one of the other nodes, or both.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the broadcasted message includes the node information of the at least one of the other nodes and a node identifier (ID) of the impedance injection node, wherein the node information of the at least one of the other nodes includes a functional status and a transmission time slot of each of the at least one of the other nodes.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein when the impedance injection node receives a first message indicating a failure of one of the other nodes, the impedance injection node is further configured to automatically mitigate the failure.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein when the impedance injection node fails to receive an expected message from one of the other nodes at a receiving time slot, the impedance injection node determines that the other node has failed.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more electrical characteristics include an impedance of the power line.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first group of impedance injection nodes comprises three impedance injection nodes, and wherein each node is installed on the respective power line carrying one phase of an electrical power transmission.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein when the impedance injection node receives a first message indicating a failure of one of the other nodes, the impedance injection node attempts to receive the first message from the other node on an alternate communication link.

12. A system for controlling power distribution in a power distribution system, comprising:

a first group of impedance injection nodes that includes two or more impedance injection nodes, wherein each of the impedance injection nodes of the first group is attached to a respective powerline of the power distribution system, and is configured to:

respectively receive messages from other impedance injection nodes in the first group sent at different respective time slots, wherein each of the received messages includes node information of at least one of the other nodes, and

broadcast a message to the other nodes in the first group at a time slot that is different from the respective time slots of the other nodes, wherein the broadcasted message includes node information of the impedance injection node, or node information of the at least one of the other nodes, or both; and

a second group of impedance injection nodes;

wherein each of the impedance injection nodes in the first group communicates with a corresponding node in the second group;

wherein when a first node of the first group is suspected to have failed, a second node of the first group communicates a first message to a third node of the second group indicating the suspected failure of the first node;

wherein the third node then communicates a second message to a fourth node of the second group indicating the suspected failure of the first node, wherein the fourth node is a corresponding node of the first node; and

wherein when the fourth node fails to receive a third message indicating a positive functional status from the first node after one or more attempts, the fourth node determines that the first node has failed.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the impedance injection nodes in the first group is further configured to send another message to a second impedance injection node on an alternate communication link or to a central controller in response to a determination that a first impedance injection node has failed, wherein the other message includes an indication of the failure of the first impedance injection node.

14. A method for controlling power distribution in a power distribution system, the method being performed by each impedance injection node of a first group of two or more impedance injection nodes, wherein each impedance injection node is attached to a respective powerline of the power distribution system, wherein each impedance injection node of the first group includes a voltage converter that modifies one or more electrical characteristics of the respective power line it is attached to, the method comprising:

respectively receiving messages from other impedance injection nodes in the first group sent at different respective time slots, wherein each of the received messages includes node information of at least one of the other nodes;

broadcasting a message to the other nodes in the first group at a time slot that is different from the respective time slots of the other nodes, wherein the broadcasted message includes node information of the impedance injection node, or node information of the at least one of the other nodes, or both; and

in response to determining that one of other nodes has failed, ceasing to modify the one or more electrical characteristics of the respective power line it is attached to.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

adding a cryptographic message integrity code into the message prior to broadcasting the message; and

verifying each of the received messages.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the cryptographic message integrity code is generated using a cryptographic encoding method including a keyed hash based on a pre-shared secret value.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the cryptographic message integrity code includes (i) the time slot, (ii) a node identifier (ID) of the impedance injection node, and (iii) node information of the impedance injection node, or node information of the at least one of the other nodes, or both.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the broadcasted message includes the node information of the at least one of the other nodes and a node identifier (ID) of the impedance injection node, wherein the node information of the at least one of the other nodes includes a functional status and a transmission time slot of each of the at least one of the other nodes.

19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising: in response to receiving a first message indicating a failure of one of the other nodes, automatically mitigating the failure of the other node.

20. The method of claim 14 , in response to failing to receive an expected message from one of the other nodes at a receiving time slot, determining that the other node has failed.

21. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first group of impedance injection nodes comprises three impedance injection nodes, and wherein each node is attached to the respective power line carrying one phase of an electrical power transmission.

22. The method of claim 14 , further comprising: in response to receiving a first message indicating a failure of one of the other nodes, attempting to receive the first message from the other node on an alternate communication link.

23. A method for controlling power distribution in a power distribution system, the method being performed by each impedance injection node of a first group of two or more impedance injection nodes, wherein each impedance injection node is attached to a respective powerline of the power distribution system, the method comprising:

respectively receiving messages from other impedance injection nodes in the first group sent at different respective time slots, wherein each of the received messages includes node information of at least one of the other nodes;

broadcasting a message to the other nodes in the first group at a time slot that is different from the respective time slots of the other nodes, wherein the broadcasted message includes node information of the impedance injection node, or node information of the at least one of the other nodes, or both; and

in response to suspecting that a first node of the first group has failed, communicating a first message to a second node of a second group of impedance injection nodes indicating the suspected failure of the first node;

wherein the second node then communicates a second message to a third node of the second group indicating the suspected failure of the first node, wherein the third node is a corresponding node of the first node; and

wherein when the third node fails to receive a third message indicating a positive functional status from the first node after one or more attempts, the third node determines that the first node has failed.

24. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

sending another message to a second impedance injection node on an alternate communication link or to a central controller in response to determining that a first impedance injection node has failed, wherein the other message includes an indication of the failure of the first impedance injection node.

25. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a second group of impedance injection nodes;

wherein each of the impedance injection nodes in the first group communicates with a corresponding node in the second group;

wherein when a first node of the first group is suspected to have failed, a second node of the first group communicates a first message to a third node of the second group indicating the suspected failure of the first node;

wherein the third node then communicates a second message to a fourth node of the second group indicating the suspected failure of the first node, wherein the fourth node is a corresponding node of the first node; and

wherein when the fourth node fails to receive a third message indicating a positive functional status from the first node after one or more attempts, the fourth node determines that the first node has failed.

26. The system of claim 12 , wherein when the impedance injection node receives a first message indicating a failure of one of the other nodes, the impedance injection node is further configured to automatically mitigate the failure.

27. The system of claim 12 , wherein when the impedance injection node fails to receive an expected message from one of the other nodes at a receiving time slot, the impedance injection node determines that the other node has failed.

28. The system of claim 12 , wherein when the impedance injection node receives a first message indicating a failure of one of the other nodes, the impedance injection node attempts to receive the first message from the other node on an alternate communication link.

29. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

in response to suspecting that a first node of the first group has failed, communicating a first message to a second node of a second group of impedance injection nodes indicating the suspected failure of the first node;

wherein the second node then communicates a second message to a third node of the second group indicating the suspected failure of the first node, wherein the third node is a corresponding node of the first node; and

wherein when the third node fails to receive a third message indicating a positive functional status from the first node after one or more attempts, the third node determines that the first node has failed.