Radio Access Network Energy Management for Emissions and Waste Heat
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current energy management approaches in radio access networks (RAN) primarily focus on increasing energy efficiency without considering dynamic energy costs, carbon dioxide emissions, and waste heat reuse opportunities, leading to suboptimal energy consumption and environmental impact.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an energy and waste heat management function (EWHMF) that optimizes energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by managing traffic load, heat distribution, and energy sources across multiple RAN nodes, using centralized control to balance energy demand and supply, and accounting for fluctuating costs and legal frameworks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If energy efficiency is increased by traditional methods, then energy consumption is reduced, but carbon dioxide emissions and waste heat reuse opportunities are not optimized
Solution Approach 1:
The energy management function is designed to simultaneously optimize multiple objectives including energy consumption, carbon dioxide emissions, and waste heat reuse opportunities. This multi-functional approach allows the system to address various environmental aspects through a unified management framework rather than separate optimization processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adapts to fluctuating energy costs and changing environmental conditions by continuously adjusting energy consumption patterns. The optimization policies are updated in real-time based on current energy prices, carbon dioxide emission factors, and waste heat demand, enabling the system to respond to dynamic environmental and economic conditions.
2Productivity
If centralized control is implemented to balance energy demand and supply, then energy optimization is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A centralized energy management function acts as an intermediary between network elements producing energy (and waste heat) and network elements consuming energy. This mediator coordinates energy exchange, balances supply and demand, and optimizes overall system performance without requiring direct complex interactions between all system components.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the energy management function continuously monitors energy consumption, production capability, and waste heat generation of network elements. Based on this feedback, the system dynamically adjusts energy policies and coordination strategies to optimize performance while managing system complexity through iterative improvement.
3Loss of energy
If dynamic energy cost optimization is implemented, then energy costs are reduced, but compliance with legal frameworks becomes more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates legal frameworks and compliance requirements into the optimization process in advance. By pre-configuring the optimization algorithms with relevant legal constraints and emission standards, the system ensures that cost-saving measures automatically comply with applicable regulations without requiring separate compliance verification processes.
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed is a method comprising receiving, from one or more network elements of a radio access network or a core network, information indicating an energy production capability of the one or more network elements; determining one or more policies for optimizing at least one of energy consumption or carbon dioxide emissions of the one or more network elements, wherein the determination is based at least on the information indicating the energy production capability, and an energy demand level of one or more consumers of energy produced by the one or more network elements; and transmitting, to the one or more network elements, information indicating the one or more policies.