Adaptive Corrosion Protection System for

Smart-Grid Applications

by

Ashraful Bari Chowdhury

B.Sc., Ahsanullah University of Science & Technology, 2013

Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the

Requirements for the Degree of

Master of Engineering

in the

School of Engineering Science

Faculty of Applied Sciences

© Ashraful Bari Chowdhury 2019

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

Spring 2019

Copyright in this work rests with the author. Please ensure that any reproduction or re-use is done in accordance with the relevant national copyright legislation.

ii

Approval

Name: Ashraful Bari Chowdhury

Degree: Master of Engineering

Title: Adaptive Corrosion Protection System for Smart-Grid Applications

Examining Committee: Chair: Atousa HajshirMohammadi Senior Lecturer

Bozena Kaminska Senior Supervisor Professor

Jasbir N. Patel Supervisor Post-doctoral Fellow

Date Defended/Approved: December 13th, 2018

iii

Abstract

Being one of the popular methods over decades, the utilization of the cathodic protection

system is proven to be cost-effective in some cases but demands constant observation

and monitoring of the corrosion status. Therefore, adaptive corrosion protection system

(ACPS) performs better since It always monitors the corrosion status at user-defined

intervals and the ACPS adapts the changes of the target metal structure to provide

protection against corrosion. In this project, my role is to understand the theoretical

concept and a practical case study of the protection system behaviour including the

analysis and improvement of the experimental performances. The project works are

evolved around three different sections of the ACPS which are firmware, interface and

hardware. The optimum goal is to validate the protection system to be more robust,

energy efficient and compatible for any kind of future integration.

Keywords: Adaptive corrosion protection system (ACPS); Cathodic protection;

Corrosion monitoring; Corrosion protection.

iv

Table of Contents

Approval .......................................................................................................................... ii

Abstract .......................................................................................................................... iii

Table of Contents ........................................................................................................... iv

List of Tables ................................................................................................................... v

List of Figures................................................................................................................. vi

Chapter 1. Introduction .............................................................................................. 1

1.1. What is Corrosion? ................................................................................................ 1

1.2. Effects and Economic Impacts of Corrosion .......................................................... 2

Chapter 2. Background, Motivation and Objective .................................................. 4

2.1. How to Prevent Corrosion ...................................................................................... 4

2.2. Research Collaboration ......................................................................................... 7

2.3. Why ACPS? .......................................................................................................... 7

2.4. Implementation of the ACPS in the Smart-Grid System ......................................... 9

2.5. Project Objectives ................................................................................................ 11

Chapter 3. Experimental Setups and ACPS System .............................................. 13

3.1. Project Overview ................................................................................................. 13

3.2. Firmware ............................................................................................................. 14

3.2.1. The Implementation of USB DFU Boot Loader ............................................ 16

3.3. Interface .............................................................................................................. 19

3.3.1. Different Versions of ACPS Interface and Testing Suite Interface ................ 20

3.4. Hardware ............................................................................................................. 24

Chapter 4. Future Work ............................................................................................ 26

4.1. Cyber-Physical Security and Authentication ........................................................ 26

Chapter 5. Conclusion ............................................................................................. 27

References ................................................................................................................... 28

v

List of Tables

Table 1. Map of Cost of Corrosion Studies to Economic Regions [2]. .............................. 2

Table 2. Global Cost of Corrosion by Region by Sector (Billion US$ 2013) [2]. ............... 3

vi

List of Figures

Figure 1. Image of Metal Corrosion ................................................................................. 1

Figure 2. Impressed Current Cathodic Protection Implementation [3] .............................. 6

Figure 3. ACPS for Smart-Grid System [6] .................................................................... 10

Figure 4. Experimental Setup of ACPS.......................................................................... 13

Figure 5. USB DFU Boot Loader for XMEGA Devices [8] .............................................. 14

Figure 6. Physical Environment of Boot Loader [8] ........................................................ 15

Figure 7. PDI Programming Block Diagram [9] .............................................................. 15

Figure 8. Layout (Top View) of AVR-ISP-MK2 [10] ........................................................ 16

Figure 9. On-chip USB DFU Boot Process [8] ............................................................... 17

Figure 10. The View of the Disassembly ....................................................................... 18

Figure 11. Corresponding Change of Lines in the Disassembly .................................... 18

Figure 12. Workflow of ACPS Interface ......................................................................... 19

Figure 13. Previous Version of ACPS Interface ............................................................. 20

Figure 14. The New Version of ACPS Interface ............................................................. 21

Figure 15. The Workflow of Testing Suite Interface ....................................................... 22

Figure 16. The Testing Suite User Interface .................................................................. 23

Figure 17. Layout of Booster Unit Connections with Micro-Controller ............................ 24

Figure 18. Schematic Diagram of Counter Electrode Integration ................................... 25

Figure 19.Schematic Diagram of Reference Electrode Intrgration ................................. 25

Figure 20. Booster Unit with Micro-Controller Text Procedure ....................................... 25

1

Chapter 1. Introduction

1.1. What is Corrosion?

Corrosion is the result of electrochemical reactions between metals and

substances surrounding their environments. These reactions can break down metals,

which in turn may not only be costly, but is the cause of some potentially dangerous and

life-threatening issues we are facing today. High-rise buildings and bridges are

collapsing, oil pipeline breaking down, leakage of chemicals etc. are all because of the

natural phenomena called corrosion. Moreover, fires can be caused because of

corroded electrical contacts, blood poisoning happens from corroded medical implants,

artworks around the world are in great danger through polluted air due to corrosion and

the existence of the safe disposal of the container for radioactive waste is compromised

only because of corrosion.

The process of corrosion occurs when metals lose electrons to substances such

as oxygen or water in their environment. In turn, the oxygen atoms gain the electrons to

form oxides with the metal. Most of the metals oxidized over time which damages the

outer surface of the metal [1].

Figure 1. Image of Metal Corrosion

2

The two most common types of corrosion types are Electrolytic and Galvanic

Corrosion. When water or any kind of moisture is trapped between two electrical

contacts and an electrical voltage is present, electrolytic corrosion begins. This can be

observed in any electronic accessory. In contrast, galvanic corrosion takes place due to

the reduction and oxidation of different kinds of metals.

1.2. Effects and Economic Impacts of Corrosion

On a global level, the National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) has

estimated the cost of corrosion to be $2.5 trillion (USD), based on studies from the past

few decades. This is equivalent to 3.4% of the global GDP (2013). There is an

estimation that a total savings of between 15 and 35% of the cost of corrosion can be

decreased by using available corrosion control procedures. This amount is actually

equivalent to between US$375 and $875 billion annually on a global basis. However, the

industries are now realizing the importance of corrosion protection due to the forced

shutdown and accidents. Proper corrosion management can save billions of US dollars

and provide a better lifetime of the assets.

Table 1. Map of Cost of Corrosion Studies to Economic Regions [2].

3

The financial studies done by the NACE is divided into three economic sectors.

These are Agriculture, Industry and Services. The World Bank economic studies and

GDP data were used for the analysis of the global cost of corrosion. The data included in

the impact study were: India 2011-2012, United States 1998, Japan 1997, Kuwait 1987,

and United Kingdom 1970.

Nowadays industries have realized that the corrosion control is profitable due to

the failures of equipment and assets during their performance. Cost-saving from

corrosion control is often not immediately evident, and there are a few reasons behind

this such as:

(1) Maintenance costs will decrease slowly.

(2) Inspection costs will decrease or inspection intervals will increase.

(3) Least number of failure will decrease injuries and property damages.

(4) Life extension of the assets will increase.

Table 2. Global Cost of Corrosion by Region by Sector (Billion US$ 2013) [2].

4

Chapter 2. Background, Motivation and Objective

2.1. How to Prevent Corrosion

Five primary methods of corrosion control are going to be discussed below:

Material Selection

Different metal and alloy show different and distinct corrosion behaviour. The

range of this behaviour changes from high resistance of noble materials (gold and

platinum) to low resistance of active metals (sodium and magnesium). Furthermore, the

surrounding environment of the metal is one of the significant factors for the corrosion

resistance. Such elements of the environment include chemical composition,

temperature etc., which all have vital roles to play for metal corrosion. The general

relationship between the rate of corrosion, the corrosivity of the environment, and the

corrosion resistance of a material are:

𝐶𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑒𝑛𝑣𝑖𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡

𝐶𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑎𝑙≈ 𝑅𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑎𝑐𝑘

For a constant value of corrosion resistance of the material, the rate of corrosion

changes according to the corrosivity of the of the environment [3]. Most of the time an

acceptable rate of corrosion is selected. Then the goal is to match the corrosion

resistance of the material and the corrosivity of the environment to be at or below the

specified corrosion rate. Through this material selection process, the most economical

solution for the particular service has been provided. The mechanical properties of the

alloy are considered as an important factor for the metal selection. A very common

practice is to switch the alloy with greater corrosion resistive alloy.

Coatings

Coatings for corrosion protection is categorized into two main categories:

metallic/organic coating and nonmetallic/inorganic coating. The purpose of both are to

isolate the underlying metal from the surrounding corrosive elements.

5

The concept of metallic coatings is simple. The idea is to apply the noble metal

coating on the active metal so that the metal with greater corrosive resistance can

deliver protection for the metal with lower corrosive resistance. This type of protection is

seen on tin-plated steel. On the other hand, the utilization of the more active metal is

another way to save the targeted metal. In this case, the sacrifice of the coating is made

intentionally. A common example of this type of protection is galvanized steel where the

zinc coating corrodes preferentially to protect the steel. Organic materials are also used

to isolate the metal from the corrosive elements of the surroundings. However, organic

coatings possess corrosion inhibitors

Porcelain enamels, chemical-setting silicate cement linings, glass coatings and

linings, and other corrosion resistant ceramics are found in inorganic coatings. The

inorganic coating is also similar to organic coating, both acting as a barrier coating. To

provide heat and water resistance, ceramic coatings such as carbides and silicides may

be implemented.

Inhibitors

There are some chemical products that stimulate corrosion and others that can

inhibit corrosion. Some common inhibitors are Chromates, silicates, and organic amines.

The working mechanism of the inhibitors is complex. The organic amines are absorbed

on anodic and cathodic sites to stifle the corrosion current. However, affecting either the

anodic or cathodic process is the main responsibility for most inhibitors. Furthermore,

inhibitors are preferably used in closed systems as this allows the concentration of the

inhibitor to be constantly maintained. The use of a cooling tower is essential for

stimulating the inhibitor packages to regulate corrosion. Inhibitors can also be used as a

primer for the coating.

Design

The elimination of the corrosion problem can be done through the appropriate

application of rational design principles. By implementing rational design principals, we

can reduce the time and cost required for the maintenance and repair of the corrosion.

Dead spaces are a more corrosive medium than others, so such areas can easily be

prevented by using skilled design processes. The possibility of stress-corrosion cracking

can be reduced by operating at stress levels below the threshold stress for cracking.

6

Skilful design can ensure maximum interchangeability of critical components and

standardization of components to avoid corrosion damage.

Cathodic Protection

Cathodic protection is used to regulate the corrosion current. The

corrosion current in turn is responsible for the damage happened in a carrion cell.

cathodic protection makes the current to flow through the metal structure which needs to

be protected. Two types of application methods are often used to implement this

phenomenon into practice. The type of application methods which need to be applied is

dependent on the source of the protective current. An impressed-current system is one

of the methods to provide cathodic protection. Here, a power source is used to force the

current force current from inert anodes to the structure being protected. Another method

to provide cathodic protection is the sacrificial anode system. Active metal anodes are

being used to implement cathodic protection such as zinc or magnesium. This is where

active metal anodes made of zinc or magnesium are implemented, and connected to the

structure to provide the cathodic-protection current.

Figure 2. Impressed Current Cathodic Protection Implementation [3]

7

2.2. Research Collaboration

The BC Hydro and Power Authority is a Canadian electric utility company,

commonly known as BC Hydro, is one of the prominent electric distributors, providing its

services to 1.8 million customers throughout the province of British Columbia. Alongside,

there is PowerTech, possessing one of the largest testing and research labs North

America, whose goal is to investigate, diagnose and solve complex problems within a

variety of markets One of their focuses is towards field testing of transmission and

distribution equipment to ensure safety. For almost 10 years a research team of Ciber

Lab under the supervision of Dr Bozena Kaminska is working relentlessly with BC Hydro

and PowerTech labs to deploy smart-grid energy systems with new technological

advancements. The primary target of this collaboration work is to protect the

infrastructure from environmental deterioration. Nano-devices centred security and

authentication is also another focus of the research work. This can deliver novel

nanotechnology-based solutions to enhance the performance of the smart power-grid

that provide environmental protection and cyber-physical system security using

autonomous nanostructures. The research project has moved past the proof of concept

stage, and the PowerTech Lab has already become engaged in the process of the field

test set-up. This proposed project of adaptive corrosion protection system (ACPS) will be

responsible for environmental protection of the smart-grid infrastructure. The proposed

system will observe the corrosion status of the transmission tower grillage foundations

and the grounding grids ceaselessly. ACPS will not only analyze the corrosion rate, but

will calculate and maintain the optimum cathodic current parameters so that it can

defend the smart-grid infrastructure from corrosion using newly adapted protection

parameters. This proposed ACPS detects and distinguishes the required changes in the

environmental conditions which are responsible for the corrosion rate of the smart-grid

infrastructure and then adapts for the protection as required by the present conditions.

2.3. Why ACPS?

Global electrical grids are one of the largest technological infrastructures in

recent time. Now they are converging towards major transformation in terms of

technology since the introduction of electricity into the home. The “grid” refers to the

electric grid, which is a network of transmission lines, substations, transformers that can

8

deliver electricity from the power plant to our home or business. After the introduction of

the digital technology to the electrical grids, two-way communication between the utility

and its customers has been made possible and the sensing along the transmission lines

is what makes the grid “smart”. Like the Internet, the Smart Grid consists of controls,

computers, automation, with new technologies and equipment working together, but in

this case, these technologies work with the electrical grid to respond digitally to quickly

changing electric demand. The Smart Grid represents an unprecedented opportunity to

move the energy industry into a new era of reliability, availability, and efficiency that will

contribute to our economic and environmental health. So, this grid is the modernization

of the existing electrical system that enhances customers’ and utilities’ ability to monitor,

control, and predict energy use.

After deployment, the smart-grid has seen tremendous social and technical

welfares despite several concerns arisen regarding the safety of the smart-grid itself. For

nearly ten years of collaborative research with BC Hydro and PowerTech Labs, the

focus has been of bringing in the novel innovation for energy systems in terms of

technology and delivering protection for the infrastructure from environmentally caused

deterioration. For effective corrosion protection, there are few integral demands which

need to meet such as cost-effectiveness, low maintenance, adaptive capabilities to

handle regular changes of metal and seamless monitoring capabilities. The proposed

ACPS solution has addressed all the required necessities. With ACPS we will get

improved power transmission that can decrease infrastructure maintenance cost for the

utility companies. Subsequently, the cost of power for the consumer will be reduced, and

as a result society will enjoy a secured higher quality of life. Additionally, adopting the

ACPS system for smart-grid will eventually reduce the waste from infrastructure material

and along with the generated power, will lead to greater environmental sustainability.

Utility companies around the world are currently using the sacrificial anode-based

corrosion protection system, which was first introduced nearly 70 years ago. So, the

demand for an alternative such as ACPS in the corrosion protection market is extremely

high. Most existing power-grid infrastructures were installed in the early 1900s, thus all

of them are experiencing the end of their life-span. Consequently, it is the right moment

to proceed with smart corrosion protection system to protect the smart-grid infrastructure

from the surrounding environment. In this way, the existing and newly installed

infrastructures will be saved. The testing and regulatory approval of ACPS and rapid

9

adoption in the utility market will be possible with the assist of BC Hydro and PowerTech

Labs. Few important characteristics of the ACPS system is mentioned here; (1) Adaptive

mechanism using a feedback loop, (2) The system is stand-alone, portable and modular,

(3) Updating protection parameters depending on the environment, (4) Electrochemical

sweep of the metal infrastructure, (5) Ability to update utility company regarding the

status of the metal of the infrastructure and (6) Reliability and cost-saving with short and

long term protection capability [5].

2.4. Implementation of the ACPS in the Smart-Grid System

The ACPS is capable of powering up either using a grid-tied system or an off-grid

solar system. The ACPS unit is directly connected to the smart-grid communication

network, which constantly updates the utility company by providing the current status of

the grid-towers or the grounding grids. The Blackouts can be avoided by integrating he

ACPS into a smart-grid system. Due to its ability to monitor the structural integrity of the

smart-grid infrastructure constantly, the high reliability of the grid performance is

ensured.

ACPS is the modification of the classical potential-sourced corrosion protection

systems. The approach is to provide adaptive protection with the full feedback loop

based measurement. This system is centred around a simple I corr -based current-

sourced corrosion protection system. Through this process, ACPS monitors the

corrosion status at user-defined intervals. Depending on the corrosion status, It protects

the tower grillage or grounding grid by adapting to the changes in the corrosion status of

the target metal structure. Here, the ACPS control module acts as an active feedback

loop system. The responsibility of the control module is to update the cathodic protection

parameters extracted from the electrochemical sweep of the metal infrastructure.

10

The execution process of the ACPS system is discussed below:

1. The preparation of the metal infrastructure to be protected and initialization of the

control unit is the first step towards the implementation of the ACPS. After the

completion of the primary preparation, the connection between the target

infrastructure and the control unit is completed. The next concern is to set the

interval to update the protection parameters and the manual update of the

interval time is possible any time as per requirement [5].

2. After conclusively calculating the test parameters, the electrochemical

measurement is executed and Tafel plot of the target infrastructure is acquired.

3. The Tafel plot is used to extract the value of I corr. Afterwards, the value of the

cathodic current is updated so that the system can adopt changes in the

corrosive state of the target infrastructure [7].

4. Step 3 will be executed repeatedly to get the updated value of the protection

current (i corr). This allows for the infrastructure to be continuously protected until

the time interval to update the protection parameters is reached.

5. The complete cycle of the ACPS is re-initialized from step 2 after reaching the

time interval to update the protection parameters.

Figure 3. ACPS for Smart-Grid System [6]

11

For the proposed ACPS, the control unit is a stand-alone embedded module and

a graphite bar is used as an electrode. Both are very low priced, so the overall

implementation of the proposed ACPS can be very cost effective This protection system

is also simple enough for application in the real smart-grid environment. Another

effective use of the ACPS is to diagnosis to determine exact corrosion state of the target

infrastructure.

2.5. Project Objectives

The objectives of my project are classified into three categories:

Firmware:

To enable in-system programming (ISP) from a USB host.

To perform in-system programming (ISP) from a USB host controller

without removing the hardware from the system and without any external

programming module.

Interface:

To design a simple, user-friendly interface compatible with different operating

systems for ACPS field test.

To redesign the ACPS interface to be more user-friendly and remove

complex parameter settings for performance and user experience

enhancement.

To design a simple and OS independent installation platform for the

updated ACPS interface.

Hardware:

To design, fabricate and test modular power-booster unit that can be directly

adapted to the existing controller hardware.

12

This project allows me to involve myself in three different sections of the ACPS

which are firmware, interface and hardware. The proposed corrosion protection system

ACPS is observed to learn the system’s functionality and test the system for better

performance. Therefore, the required solutions for solving associated technical issues of

the system can be delivered to prepare ACPS for the future field tests. Ultimately the

goal of the project is to make the ACPS system more robust and user-friendly for the

consumers.

13

Chapter 3. Experimental Setups and ACPS System

3.1. Project Overview

The ACPS consists of five main components. The heart of the protection system

is the booster unit which has four branches. They are working electrode, a reference

electrode, a counter electrode and DC/DC converter.

The low-cost raspberry pi is powered up from the booster unit and it is connected

with our micro-controller. The responsibility of the raspberry pi is to deliver the required

power to the micro-controller and transfer data. The graphic user interface (GUI) is

running on the raspberry pi and programmed in the Python language. A micro-controller,

8/16-bit Atmel XMEGA A3U Microcontroller is used; the exact model being

ATxmega256A3U, with low power and high-performance capabilities. The operating

voltage is 1.6 – 3.6V and It has 50 programmable I/O pins. One of he most desired

feature is that it possesses a USB device interface which is a USB 2.0 full speed

(12Mbps) and low speed (1.5Mbps) device compliant. The micro-controller is connected

with the booster unit through three electrodes such as working, reference and counter.

From the booster unit, all three electrodes are going to the in field electrodes for

collecting real-life data from the grillages. To power up the booster unit off-grid or grid

Figure 4. Experimental Setup of ACPS

14

powered, either can be used. In our Ciber lab, a 100W monocrystalline solar panel is

being used to power up the booster unit.

3.2. Firmware

The implementation of the USB DFU (Device Firmware Upgrade) boot loader is

the primary goal for the firmware improvement. The in-system programming (ISP) from a

USB host controller can be performed with this USB boot loader. For this purpose,

neither removing the part from the system nor any external programming interface other

than the USB connector is required. Atmel AVR XMEGA devices are capable of

implementing and using the USB. The XMEGA devices with USB interface devices can

easily be factory configured or reprogrammed with a USB boot loader. The boot loader is

located in the on-chip flash boot section of the controller. A USB host loader application

called FLIP is provided by the Atmel. Flip works with various windows operating

systems.

The main features of the USB DFU Boot Loader for XMEGA devices are: (1) In-

system programming, (2) USB DFU Atmel protocol, (3) Read/write flash and EEPROM

on-chip memories, (4) Read device ID, (5) Full chip erase and (6) Start application

command.

The boot loader is found in the boot section of the on-chip Atmel AVR XMEGA

flash memory, and is capable of managing the USB communication protocol. It can also

perform read/write operations to the on-chip memories (flash/EEPROM).

Figure 5. USB DFU Boot Loader for XMEGA Devices [8]

15

The previous approach for programming and on-chip debugging the micro-

controller of the ACPS was the Program and Debug Interface (PDI). It is an Atmel

proprietary interface which is capable of high-speed programming of all Non-Volatile

Memory (NVM) spaces; Flash, EEPROM, Fuses, Lock-bits and the User Signature Row.

The PDI was a 2-pin interface; one is using the Reset pin for the clock input (PDI_CLK)

and another pin is dedicated for data input and output (PDI_DATA).

For PDI programming, AVR-ISP-MK2 programmer from Olimex! Was chosen. It

is a ready-to-use programmer. The behaviour of the board is similar to Atmel AVRISP

mkII. AVR-ISP-MK2 can program tinyAVR and megaAVR devices using the ISP

Interface, tinyAVR devices using the TPI interface, and AVR XMEGA devices using the

PDI Interface.

Figure 6. Physical Environment of Boot Loader [8]

Figure 7. PDI Programming Block Diagram [9]

16

3.2.1. The Implementation of USB DFU Boot Loader

At the beginning, the micro-controller needs to be configured. It can be

configured by downloading the on-chip boot loader firmware into the part using regular

Atmel AVR tools. Then the fuses and lock bits of the XMEGA devices need to be

configured. After the completion of the configuration of the device, the boot loader is

executed at each reset/power-on sequence. The device needs to be connected to the

USB host. Then the boot loader performs DFU execution and the device will enumerate

as a USB DFU device. The Windows operating system users can use the PC user

interface software (FLIP) to erase, read or write the on-chip memories using the DFU

protocol.

Figure 8. Layout (Top View) of AVR-ISP-MK2 [10]

17

Once an application is loaded by DFU, the boot loader execution can be initiated.

So, the execution will be done by forcing at power-on by connecting a specific pin to

ground. For the ACPS setup, ATxmega256a3U is being used. The default I/O pin for this

exact model is PE5 which needs to be connected to the ground.

One of the challenges is to use the USB DFU Boot Loader from all platforms

which means the boot loader should be compatible not only for windows but also for

Linux and Mac OS. To do so instead of using the user interface Flip, AVRDude is being

used. It is a command-line driven user interface which is used for in-system

programming for the Atmel AVR microcontroller devices. The main feature of AVRDude

is its compatibility with any platform for the purpose of reprogramming the micro-

controller devices.

Figure 9. On-chip USB DFU Boot Process [8]

18

So, the default boot loader pin PE5 needs to be switched, hence the

atxmega256a3u_104.hex file needs to be edited. By running the following command;

avr-objdump -m avr -D atxmega256a3u_104.hex >> disassembly.txt, the disassembly

will appear.

Now the next step is to find the current pins which are being used and the pin

number needs to be changed in the existing hex file. Changing the numbers in each line

should be done according to using the complete xmega manual [11]. After all the

changes have been made, the file must be saved with the same name and reprogram.

Figure 10. The View of the Disassembly

Figure 11. Corresponding Change of Lines in the Disassembly

19

3.3. Interface

The ACPS interface has two responsibilities such as (1) Graphic User Interface

management and (2) Run required experiments. The workflow of the ACPS interface is

discussed below:

Figure 12. Workflow of ACPS Interface

20

At the starting point, the interface will setup the graphic user interface (GUI) and

appear in front of the user. Then the user will input the desired values for the ACPS to

run several experiments. So, the interface will select an experiment according to the

programming and start the experiment. During the process of the experiment, the

interface will continuously collect data from the serial thread and will update the GUI.

When an on going experiments come to an end, the interface will decide whether it will

start a new experiment or will exit to show the results.

3.3.1. Different Versions of ACPS Interface and Testing Suite Interface

For the ACPS, two versions of the interface have been developed. The old

version of the interface features numerous setting options such as Potentiostat Settings,

Material Properties, Tafel Measurements, Chronopotentiometry Parameters, Variable

Extraction and Protection Mode.

Figure 13. Previous Version of ACPS Interface

21

The old version of the ACPS interface was effective but complex with lots of

settings options and features that might create a distraction for the users. This reason is

enough to develop the new version of ACPS interface. This version of the interface is

simplified and more user-friendly. A new plot button has added into the interface to show

the plot on a separate window and the window resize issues occurring with the old

version is also resolved.

Figure 14. The New Version of ACPS Interface

22

The testing suite interface is developed to manage and organize a large number

of micro-controller devices for ACPS. The testing suite interface is capable of checking

the hardware values. It is also designed to compile and program the firmware. Then the

interface will update the GUI and show us the results. The workflow of the testing suite

interface has given below:

Figure 15. The Workflow of Testing Suite Interface

23

Figure 16. The Testing Suite User Interface

24

Few challenges are faced during developing the user interface for ACPS. The

interface was required to run continuously on different platforms for several weeks to find

out system flaws. Additionally, different applicable values are tested through the

interface to observe any unexpected behaviours which need to be resolved.

3.4. Hardware

The goal is to integrate the power booster unit with the existing ACPS hardware

seamlessly. The hardware of the ACPS system has two main components; the booster

unit and the micro-controller. All the connections of the booster unit with the micro-

controller are tested thoroughly before any kind of wire connection has been

implemented.

For the experimental setup at Ciber lab, the booster unit is connected with the

micro-controller through working electrode, reference electrode and counter electrode.

The working electrode from the micro-controller goes to the ADC of the booster unit. The

5V and the GND of both booster unit and micro-controller are connected to each other.

There are 7 CTRL pins on the booster unit which are connected to the 7 unused pins of

the micro-controller to deliver several controlling options for the booster unit. These 7

unused pins on the micro-controller are thoroughly checked before the final connection

has made with the booster unit.

Figure 17. Layout of Booster Unit Connections with Micro-Controller

25

The counter electrode and the reference electrode are not connected to the booster unit

directly. Instead, they go through a small booster integration part and are connected with

the metal. However, the booster integration section will become part of the whole

booster unit before launching the ACPS in the market.

Figure 18. Schematic Diagram of Counter Electrode Integration

Figure 19.Schematic Diagram of Reference Electrode Intrgration

Figure 20. Booster Unit with Micro-Controller Text Procedure

26

Chapter 4. Future Work

4.1. Cyber-Physical Security and Authentication

ACPS is developed for the environmental protection of the smart-grid

infrastructure. However, providing the newest nano-devices based security and

authentication for the smart grid is also part of the future plans to make the smart-grid

infrastructures more secure than ever. Cyber security is essential in all domains of the

smart-grid to protect confidentiality, privacy, value and allows the reliable fusion and

integration of a variety of electronic devices, sensors and technologies. The researchers

of the Ciber labs are in the process of developing a new class of authentication and

security identifiers using nano-optical devices, systems, and fabrication methods. These

autonomous devices will be responsible for the secure authentication solution which

cannot be interrupted or corrupted by the main electronic system. The important features

of the cyber-physical security for smart-grid will be (1) authentication based on optical

variable nanostructures, (2) machine-readable, (3) contain digital or analog information

or both and (4) anti-counterfeit and difficulty to replicate [4]. Such independence and

parallel security infrastructure with local verification and connection to transmission have

the potential to mitigate cyber attacks and unauthorized access to data and systems.

27

Chapter 5. Conclusion

The adaptive corrosion protection system (ACPS) is the next generation of

protection for the smart-grid from the deterioration caused by the environment. ACPS is

designed to monitor the corrosion status of the transmission-tower grillage foundations

or the grounding grids, analyze the corrosion rate, calculate the optimum cathodic-

current parameters and protects the smart-grid infrastructure with newly adapted

protection parameters including off-grid solar power solution. The current version of

ACPS is capable of performing in-system programming (ISP) from a USB host controller.

The implementation of a simple and OS independent ACPS interface has made the user

experience more agile and intuitive, in addition the integration between the power-

booster unit and the currently existing ACPS hardware is executed flawlessly. Due to

these improvements, the ACPS is now more reliable by offering real-time monitoring of

the smart-grid infrastructure and is environmentally beneficial by reducing waste of the

infrastructure material.

28

References

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2. ECONOMIC IMPACT. (2019). Retrieved from http://impact.nace.org/economic-impact.aspx#

3. Britton, J., & Baxter, R. (2013). Cathodic Protection 101. Retrieved from http://www.cathodicprotection101.com/

4. ASM International. (2000). Corrosion: Understanding the Basics. Materials Park, Ohio, USA.

5. B. Kaminska, J. Patel, D. Patel and Y.Kachhela, "Nanotechnology Solving Environmental Protection (Corrosion) and Cyber-Physical Security: A Smart Power-Grid Application," BCTech Summit; 2018 May 14-16; Vancouver, CA

6. Y.Kachhela, J.Patel and B.Kaminska, "Risk Management of Metal Structures Using Adaptive Corrosion Protection System," National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) Corrosion Risk Management Conference, Houston, Texas, USA, June 2018

7. Patel, J., Chang, A., Shahbazbegian, H., & Kaminska, B. (2016). Adaptive Corrosion Protection System Using Continuous Corrosion Measurement, Parameter Extraction, and Corrective Loop. International Journal Of Corrosion. Retrieved from https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijc/2016/9679134/

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10. Olimex Ltd. (2018). AVR-ISP-MK2 programmer USER’S MANUAL (pp. 1-30).

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