UAV Battery Recharging for Base Station Outage Mitigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Base stations in communication networks face power failures due to unreliable primary power supplies, leading to prolonged outages and connectivity losses, especially in remote or hard-to-access locations, as secondary power supplies may not suffice for extended durations.
Innovation Solution
Deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to charge batteries providing a secondary power supply for base stations, with the UAVs selecting an appropriate power source using a predictive model developed via machine-learning algorithms to ensure continuous operation during primary power supply failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If secondary power supplies (batteries or generators) are provided at base stations, then power supply reliability is improved, but the duration of operation during primary power supply failure is limited
Solution Approach 1:
A UAV acts as an intermediary mobile charging platform that transfers energy from remote power sources to base station batteries. The UAV carries charging equipment and flies to inaccessible base stations to replenish their battery power, extending operational duration without requiring permanent infrastructure at the base station location.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution transitions from ground-based power supply infrastructure to aerial three-dimensional space. UAVs operate in the air dimension to reach remote base stations that are inaccessible by ground vehicles, delivering power in previously unreachable locations and extending operational duration.
2Reliability
If engineers perform site visits to restore primary power supply, then power supply is restored, but time loss occurs due to travel and accessibility constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical ground-based engineer travel system with an aerial UAV system. UAVs can rapidly fly to remote base stations and perform wireless or wired charging without the travel time constraints of ground vehicles, significantly reducing restoration time.
Solution Approach 2:
Base stations can receive power restoration automatically through UAV deployment without requiring manual engineer intervention at the site. The system can detect power failures and dispatch UAVs autonomously to recharge batteries, enabling self-service restoration.
3Reliability
If multiple secondary power supplies are provided sequentially, then power supply reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The UAV serves multiple functions: it acts as a mobile power source, a delivery vehicle for energy, and a remote maintenance platform. This single multi-functional system replaces the need for multiple separate secondary power supplies and engineer deployment mechanisms, reducing overall system complexity.
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 solution delays or prevents interruptions to base station operations by replenishing batteries, thereby extending their lifespan and performance, and ensures continuous service even in areas with frequent power outages or reliance on renewable energy.
Implementation Method 1
JENNIFER JOHNSON AT AL: 'Charge selection algorithms for maximizing sensor network life with UAV-based limited wireless recharging', IEEE 8th International Conference on Sensor Networks and Information Processing, 2013 discloses to utilize an UAV system to recharge a select number of nodes through wireless power transfer system
Data Source
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AI summary
The disclosure provides methods, apparatus and machine-readable mediums for mitigating power failures in base stations in wireless communication networks. In one aspect of the disclosure, a method for mitigating power failures in a wireless communication network is provided. The method comprises, responsive to a determination that a primary power supply for a base station in the wireless communication network has failed or is predicted to fail, initiating deployment of an unmanned aerial vehicle to the base station to charge one or more batteries providing a secondary power supply for the base station.