Super Capacitor Reactive Power Control for 5G Bus Voltage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current power systems for 5G radio/NR and distributed cloud infrastructure fail to manage transients on system bus voltage, leading to increased reactive power demand from the AC grid, which results in power losses and higher electricity bills.

Innovation Solution

A method and controller that utilize a super capacitor unit connected to the power system, activated based on data traffic workload predictions to smooth out transients on the system bus voltage, reducing the need for reactive power from the AC grid.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If data traffic workload is increased in 5G radio/NR systems, then mobile data transmission capability is improved, but transients on system bus voltage are generated which increase reactive power demand

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemobile data transmission capabilityVSAvoidreactive power demand
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The controller predicts future data traffic workload and activates the super capacitor unit in advance before transients occur. By scheduling the workload information and estimating power requirements beforehand, the system prepares the energy storage device to compensate for upcoming voltage transients, thereby preventing reactive power demand increases while maintaining high data transmission capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

A super capacitor unit is introduced as an intermediary energy storage device between the power supply and the 5G radio/NR system. This intermediate component absorbs and releases energy rapidly to counteract voltage transients caused by data traffic variations, decoupling the relationship between data transmission activity and reactive power demand from the AC grid

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of energy

If power saving features and discontinuous transmission are applied, then energy efficiency is improved, but transient behavior on system bus voltage is generated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy efficiencyVSAvoidsystem bus voltage stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The super capacitor unit acts as a cushioning element that is pre-charged and ready to compensate for voltage transients. When power saving features cause sudden power consumption changes, the super capacitor releases or absorbs energy to smooth out the transient behavior, protecting the system bus voltage from instability while allowing aggressive power saving modes to be used

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

3Adaptability or versatility

If elastic random access networks distribute data to allocate resources, then resource allocation flexibility is improved, but transients are generated on distributed cloud infrastructure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource allocation flexibilityVSAvoidtransients on power system infrastructure
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The controller continuously monitors data traffic workload and power consumption patterns, using this feedback information to predict future power requirements and control the super capacitor unit accordingly. This closed-loop control enables the system to adapt to dynamic resource allocation in elastic random access networks while maintaining voltage stability and minimizing transients on the power infrastructure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach stabilizes the system bus voltage, minimizes transient behavior, and reduces the demand for reactive power, leading to improved power efficiency and lower electricity bills by 3-4%.

Implementation Method 1

A power system for a processing arrangement has been disclosed, comprising a power supply unit, a power distribution unit, a super capacitor unit and a controller

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCapacitance: Capacitance

Data Source

PatentEP3756254B1Reactive power control in power systems
Publication Date: 2022.06.29 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)
  • EP3756254B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3756254B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3756254B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The present disclosure relates to reactive power control in a power system (28). Based on information from a controller (25, 70) scheduling data traffic in a processing arrangement (26), a super capacitor unit (29) is activated, whereby reactive power is fed to a system bus of said power system (28). The controller (25) is configured to have information at time t(n) about the data traffic workload of the processing arrangement at time t(n+1). By triggering discharge of the super capacitor unit based on super capacitor data at time t(n+1), transients on a system bus voltage are, at least in part, smoothed out at time t(n+1), which reduces the need for reactive power of the power system, where said transients are related to the data traffic workload of the processing arrangement. The power efficiency of the power system (28, 38, 48) can be improved by 3 - 4 % by the reduction of the need for reactive power from a power grid (21, 31, 41), for which reason the electrical bill of an operator is reduced.