Fault-tolerant optimal routing of trust nodes in smart grid communications

The complex structure of the smart grid calls for a secure and reliable real-time communication network on top of the physical power system. The security of the smart grid communication system can be guaranteed by deploying the trust nodes to monitor the network traffic for malicious attacks. In order for trust nodes to function, an intelligent routing algorithm which is aware of the placement and status of trust nodes and can provide optimal routes at all times is needed. In this paper, we design and present such an algorithm. In addition, scenarios of searching for the optimal routes between the communicating nodes at different layers of smart grid network are illustrated in case of fault conditions, e.g., some trust nodes along the route fail to work. Simulation results show that the algorithm is promising by providing secure, efficient, and reliable communications in the smart grid network.