Discovering a Sustainable Power Solution for Next Generation 5G Railway Communication

乘客数量在过去20年里翻了一番，并将在未来25年内再翻一番。铁路行业不能依赖更多的轨道来满足这种增长。为了解决这一挑战，提高铁路能力，全球铁路行业和政府正在为下一代及更高水平准备5G通信基础设施，旨在提供具有毫秒级延迟、千兆位每秒传输速率和密集覆盖的超高性能连接，使更多连接设备、运营、乘客和干预能够安全、可控、可靠和可用。5G需要沿大型地理铁路线分布的大规模小蜂窝基站，这些基站补充了高塔基站的能力，使信号更接近列车和乘客，并实现超高速覆盖和密集的乘客连接。然而，由于所需的基站密度高(大约每几十米需要一个基站)和相关的电源，5G的部署在基础设施中安装小型蜂窝基站方面一直滞后。在这种情况下，沿着铁路线铺设电缆到路旁电源或使用电池为基站供电都不是可行的选择。在现有的高压25/50千伏铁路电气化系统上安装变压器等新设备为低电压小型基站供电在经济上是不合理的。在如此庞大的地理铁路线上扩大连接和覆盖对于5G部署至关重要，但必须有一个不需要电源线、不需要电池且易于安装的解决方案。解决这一问题的一个有效方法是使用新的能源收集(EH)技术发现可持续的电力解决方案。这里提出的工程研究思路是通过收集电气化铁路系统围绕桅杆周围的电流产生的高电磁场通量能量，为下一代5G铁路通信的小蜂窝基站供电，从而发现一种可持续的、自给自足的解决方案。这里提出的设想和假设是，使分布广泛的铁路线沿线的每个电气化铁路桅杆成为可持续的电源，在列车运行和经过时收集高电磁通量能量，将其转化为足够的可用电能，并为小型蜂窝基站供电。这项研究是第一次探索EH铁路桅杆周围的这种能源，使其能够提供足够的可用电力来为小型蜂窝基站供电。预计一旦成功，这项拟议的技术将彻底改变下一代5G铁路通信如何以自主和可持续的能源方式供电。该项目将通过4个工作包来验证提出的投机性想法和假设。WP1将彻底了解电气化铁路系统中的电流，并进行能源收集机的初步设计。WPS 2和3侧重于通过能源收割机的建模、设计、实施和测试来了解电磁通量EH能力。WP4是一项示范性研究，项目产业合作伙伴是：Network Rail的电信(英国)、铁路行业协会(英国)和COMSA公司(西班牙)，均来自铁路行业。

Passenger numbers have doubled in the last 20 years and are set to double again in the next 25 years. Rail industry can't rely on more track to cater for this growth. In order to unlock the challenge and increase rail capability, the railway industry and governments worldwide are preparing 5G communication infrastructure for the next generation and beyond, aiming to provide ultra-high performance connection with millisecond latency, gigabit per second transmission rate, and dense coverage to enable more connected devices, operations, passengers and interventions for safety, controllability, reliability and availability. 5G requires massive small cell base stations spread along large geographical railway lines, which complement high tower base station capability, bringing signals closer to the trains and passengers and enabling ultra-high-speed coverage and dense passenger connections. However, 5G rollout has lagged in installing small cell base stations within infrastructure due to the required high density of base stations (one base station is needed approximately every tens of meters) and the associated power supply. Running cables alongside the railway lines to wayside power sources or powering the base stations using batteries are not viable options for such scenarios. Installations of new equipment such as transformers to power the low voltage small cell base stations from the existing high voltage 25/50 kV rail electrification systems are not economically justifiable. Greater connectivity and coverage along such large geographical railway lines is critical for 5G rollout, but must have a solution that requires no power cables, no batteries and is easy to install. One powerful approach to solving such an issue is discovering a sustainable power solution using a novel energy harvesting (EH) technology. The engineering research idea proposed here is to discover a sustainable, self-powered solution by harvesting high electromagnetic field flux energy generated by currents of electrified railway systems around masts to power small cell base stations for the next generation of 5G railway communication. The speculative idea and hypothesis proposed here are to enable every electrified railway mast along the widely distributed railway lines to become a sustainable power source, harvesting high electromagnetic flux energy when the trains operate around and pass by, converting it into sufficient usable electrical power and powering small cell base stations. This research is the first time exploration of such an energy source around the railway masts for EH, enabling the supply of sufficient usable power to power small cell base stations. It is expected that once successful, the proposed technology will radically revolutionise how the next generation of 5G railway communication will be powered in an energy autonomous and sustainable way.The project is to test the proposed speculative idea and the hypothesis through 4 work packages. WP1 is to thoroughly understand electrical currents in electrified railway systems and perform initial designs of energy harvesters. WPs 2 & 3 focus on understanding electromagnetic flux EH capability via modelling, design, implementation and testing of energy harvesters. WP4 is a demonstration study.The project industrial partners are: Network Rail's Telecoms (UK), Railway Industry Association (UK) and COMSA Corporation (Spain), all from Railway industry.