Modelling cumulative high frequency radiated interference from power line communication systems

The protection of existing radio users is an important consideration in the design and deployment of high frequency (HF) powerline communication systems. Applicable radiated emission standards are now under development, most notably NB30, which is now in force within Germany. There remains, however, an ongoing debate as to the effectiveness of the currently specified field strength limits in protecting existing radio users. The problem may stem, at least in part, from a limited understanding of short range HF propagation in urban / suburban environments, i.e. likely sites for power line communication system deployment. This paper examines a number of HF propagation models along with the results of a propagation measurement survey. The paper then considers their application of these models to the theoretical evaluation of radiated emissions from a power line communication system. The paper goes on to consider the cumulative effects on radio reception, in the HF band, of a wide scale deployment of HF power line communication systems, based on a known maximum transmitted power spectral density (PSD).