Optimum sizing of photovoltaic-battery power supply for drone-based cellular networks

In order to provide Internet access to rural areas and places without a reliable economic electricity grid, self-sustainable drone-based cellular networks have recently been presented. However, the difficulties of power consumption and mission planning lead to the challenge of optimal sizing of the power supply for future cellular telecommunication networks.

In order to deal with this challenge, this paper presents an optimal approach for sizing the photovoltaic (PV)-battery power supply for drone-based cellular networks in remote areas. The main objective of the suggested approach is to minimize the total cost, including the capital and operational expenditures.

The suggested framework is applied to an off-grid cellular telecommunication network with drone-based base stations that are powered by PV-battery systems-based recharging sites in a rural location. The PV-battery system is optimally designed for three recharging sites with three different power consumption profiles with different peak and cumulative loads.

Results show that the optimal design of the PV-battery system is dependent on geographical data, solar irradiation, and ambient temperature, which affect the output power of the PV system, as well as the power consumption profile, which affects the required number of PV panels and battery capacity.