CFD Modeling of Environmental System Options Used for Cooling of Telecommunication Shelters

Telecommunication shelters form an important component at different levels of the wireless access network. They are commonly used as transmission hubs and base transceiver stations. The telecom shelter protects wireless transmitters and receiver electronics in the wireless network. They are stand-alone, modular structures that are supported with their own electrical and HVAC systems. Based on their locations they are designed to work over a wide range of environmental conditions with temperatures ranging from −40°C to 55°C and may be exposed to high humidity, and saline and corrosive environments. Cooling/heating systems typically consume 30% of the energy required to operate a wireless cell site. There is, therefore, an impetus to embark on initiatives to reduce this percentage as part of an effort to both save money, and to reduce the carbon footprint. In this paper various thermal design options to cut down on cooling/heating energy loads for these shelters are discussed. The effect of substituting active cooling/heating equipments used in shelter with a hybrid one. The hybrid cooling system consists of both the air conditioner and a blower. CFD analysis is performed to compare these designs and come up with a robust design solution. The best cooling methodology showed an energy saving of 40% with minimal impact on design temperature.