Can wind energy be used to power mobile phone base stations?

Worldwide thousands of base stations provide relaying mobile phone signals. Every off-grid base station has a diesel generator up to 4 kW to provide electricity for the electronic equipment involved. The presentation will give attention to the requirements on using windenergy as an energy source for powering mobile phone base stations.

Why do off-grid telecommunication base stations need generators?

As the incessant demand for wireless communication grows, off-grid telecommunication base station sites continue to be introduced around the globe. In rural or remote areas, where power from the grid is unavailable or unreliable, these cell sites require generator sets to provide power security as prime power or backup standby power.

Do base station antennas increase wind load?

Base station antennas not only add load to the towers due to their mass, but also in the form of additional dynamic loading caused by the wind. Depending on the aerodynamic efficiency of the antenna, the increased wind load can be significant. Its effects figure prominently in the design of every Andrew base station antenna.

How do base station antennas affect tower load?

It is therefore important for wireless service providers and tower owners to understand the impact that each base station antenna has on the overall tower load. Base station antennas not only add load to the towers due to their mass, but also in the form of additional dynamic loading caused by the wind.

How do you calculate wind load on an antenna?

The drag coefficient is a key component in calculating wind load on an antenna. Its value varies for each antenna shape and must be determined experimentally or with the aid of Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) analysis. If the drag force on an antenna is known, the antenna’s drag coefficient can be calculated using the following equation.