International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET)
e-ISSN: 2395 -0056
Volume: 04 Issue: 02 | Feb -2017
p-ISSN: 2395-0072
www.irjet.net
TECHNICAL OVERVIEW OF ALL SOURCES OF ELECTRICAL POWER USED IN BTSs IN NIGERIA Nnoli Kosisochukwu Pal1, Bolu Jones Ifeanyi2 2Field
1Department
of Electrical Engineering, University of Rostock, Germany Service Engineer (FSE), Maintenance Department, MP-Infrastructure Limited, Nigeria
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Abstract - The power consumption of wireless access
microwaves antennas, optical fibres, switching equipment and the power generating sources for both the data and voice transmissions across the country.
networks have become a major economic and environmental issue in Nigeria. Providing dedicated low cost power supply to off-grid cell sites located in the rural and sub-urban areas in Nigeria is most challenging, as most of the rural areas are not connected to the national electricity grid and, even though they are connected, the availability of the supply is very limited to providing uninterrupted power supply. Base Transceiver Station (BTS), the network security and availability with respect to transmission of radio signals is a direct consequence of power availability on site. Choosing diesel as the main power source for base stations, or as the backup for an unreliable grid, is becoming increasingly hard to justify both economically and environmentally, hence the need to incorporate other sources of power with serious cost considerations geared towards providing adequate and steady power supply to GSM Base transceiver stations (BTS) across the country. This paper is geared towards exposing technically, various electrical power sources and power components used in day to day running of telecommunication sites in Nigeria.
In Nigeria, national power grid supply is a major concern and has affected GSM telecommunication operations in terms of costs and reliability. More than half of the sites are off-grid and usually powered by diesel generators with huge operating expenses. The remaining gridconnected sites suffer due to the poor quality of power supply and frequent outages lasting long hours. This has led to a heavy dependence on diesel generators for the gridconnected sites as well. Subsequently, the operators and tower companies are struggling with unreliable and expensive power for existing networks. Choosing diesel as the main power source for base stations, or as the backup for an unreliable grid, is becoming increasingly hard to justify both economically and environmentally, hence the need to incorporate other sources of power with serious cost considerations geared towards providing adequate and steady power supply to GSM Base transceiver stations (BTS) across the country.
Key Words: Base Transceiver Stations (BTS), Electrical Power sources, Rectifier, Generators, Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS), e-site, Backup systems, Hybrid Systems and Site maintenance.
1.INTRODUCTION The telecommunications development in Nigeria since 2001 has been phenomenal. We have witnessed notable and rapid transformation following the liberalization of the communication sector since 2001. This has given rise to the enviable jump in both the number of active subscriptions and tele-densities from the meager 350,000 active lines and tele-density of 0.43 in 2001 to the 150,262,066 active lines and a tele-density growth of 109.65% as of October 2016 with the number of active lines and connected lines clocking a total of 153,514,107 and 230,153,092 respectively and these are expected to continue increasing [1]. This development has necessitated the fast and huge deployment of such related procured equipment and infrastructure/facilities as, Base stations, mast/towers, transmitting antennas, mobile stations, satellite dishes,
Š 2017, IRJET
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Impact Factor value: 5.181
Fig -1: A typical View of a Telecommunication Site/complex in Nigeria.
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