Understanding the Diversity of Communication Scenarios in Cyber-Physical Energy Systems

In Cyber-Physical Energy Systems (CPES), reliable operation depends on seamless information exchange between components through communication networks. Communication applications in CPES exhibit varying characteristics, such as frequency and data sizes, collectively referred to as communication traffic models. However, existing approaches to modeling these traffic models often rely on abstract representations, which fail to capture the complexity and diversity of real-world communication dynamics. In this paper, we present a methodology for automatically generating a wide range of application-based communication traffic models tailored to CPES. These models are simulated using communication network models derived from power networks. The simulation results provide insights into the variability of communication flows, quantified using the Fano factor. Our findings reveal how diverse communication applications impose distinct requirements on real-world communication networks, underscoring the limitations of abstract traffic models in capturing the full spectrum of CPES communication dynamics.