Test Chamber Heat Sink for OTA Base Station Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current test systems for base stations are inefficient and cost-intensive due to their large size and complex cooling requirements, which are necessary to manage the high heat generated by high-power base stations during over-the-air (OTA) testing, making them unsuitable for production line testing.
Innovation Solution
A compact test chamber with a DUT receiving area formed by a portion of the test chamber wall, equipped with a heat sink to transfer heat outside the chamber, and an antenna arrangement that emits plane-waves for efficient OTA testing, allowing the base station to be fully enclosed while dissipating heat effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a large test chamber is used to accommodate high-power base stations during OTA testing, then the base station can be fully enclosed for testing, but the chamber size increases leading to higher costs and reduced suitability for production lines
Solution Approach 1:
The test chamber is segmented into a main enclosed testing volume and a separate heat dissipation region. The DUT receiving area is formed by a portion of the first wall, creating a thermal interface that separates the thermal management function from the electromagnetic testing function, allowing compact chamber dimensions while maintaining testing reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
A heat sink is introduced as an intermediary component between the DUT and the test chamber environment. The heat sink is integrated into the DUT receiving area and protrudes to the outside of the test chamber, serving as a thermal bridge that transfers heat from the high-power DUT to the external environment without requiring a large chamber volume.
2Temperature
If cooling equipment is added to manage heat from high-power base stations, then heat dissipation is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heat sink is designed to be passively integrated into the DUT receiving area, utilizing natural heat conduction and convection principles. The heat sink protrudes from the first wall to facilitate direct thermal coupling with the external environment, enabling the system to self-regulate heat dissipation without requiring active cooling equipment or complex thermal management systems.
3Device complexity
If the test chamber is made compact for production line suitability, then cost and complexity are reduced, but heat dissipation from high-power base stations becomes problematic
Solution Approach 1:
The test chamber employs localized thermal management by integrating the heat sink specifically at the DUT receiving area where heat generation is highest. This localized approach concentrates heat dissipation capability at the critical thermal interface rather than requiring uniform thermal management throughout the entire chamber, enabling compact dimensions while effective heat removal.
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
Enables high-power OTA testing of base stations in a compact, cost-effective manner within production lines, reducing the complexity and expense of cooling systems while maintaining accurate test results.
Implementation Method 1
the DUT receiving area is configured such that during test mode heat from the DUT is transferred to the outside of the test chamber
Implementation Method 2
heat from the DUT is transferred to the outside of the test chamber
Implementation Method 3
an antenna arrangement which is arranged in the form of a plane-wave synthesizing array and which is configured to emit plane-waves into the interior of the test chamber
Data Source
AI summary
This application relates to a test chamber for testing a device under test (DUT), the test chamber comprising: a plurality of chamber walls defining an interior of the test chamber which are configured to provide an anechoic and shielded test chamber, an antenna arrangement which is arranged in the form of a plane-wave synthesizing array and which is configured to emit plane-waves into the interior of the test chamber, a receiving area for receiving the DUT, wherein in a test mode the receiving area forms a region of measurement of the DUT, wherein the receiving area is formed by a portion of a first wall of the test chamber and wherein the receiving area is configured such that during test mode heat from the DUT is transferred to the outside of the test chamber. The application further relates to a test system comprising such a test chamber.