Paper Title
Stand-Alone Hybrid Solar-RF Energy Harvester: Power Solution for Mini–Base Transceiver Stations
Abstract
Mini-Base Transceiver Stations (mini-BTS) are compact components of cellular network infrastructure that
facilitate wireless communication within a particular coverage area. They are designed to provide localized coverage in areas
with low subscriber density or limited space and are smaller in size than conventional BTS units.The mini-BTS is deployed
in locations with abundant solar and radio frequency (RF) energies in the Frequency Modulation Band (FM) set within a
range of 87.5–108 MHz without a grid nor diesel generators. The objective of this paper is to convert ambient environmental
energy into usable electricity to power mini-BTS. The paper proposes a hybrid energy harvesting system capable of
collecting RF/FM and solar energy simultaneously. The power sources are combined to improve the energy efficiency of the
mini-BTS in rural areas. The hybrid RF-solar energy harvester system is designed with circuits, simulated, and applied to the
mini-BTS. CST Studio Suite software is used to design, simulate, and optimize the FM band printed folded dipole antenna,
and PSIM software is used to design the circuits and simulate them to access the voltage and current. The results show that
the hybrid RF-solar energy harvester generates 28 VDC and 140 Amperes at peak, enough to fully charge the lithium-ion
battery and supply power to the mini BTS. The proposed RF-solar energy harvester has the potential to resolve the power
supply problem for mini-BTS, extend network coverage to remote regions, and reduce operational costs.
Keywords - mini- BTS,DC-DC Converter, CST, PSIM, Hybrid Energy Harvester System, RF Harvester, Solar PV System