Feasibility study of ventilation cooling technology for telecommunication base stations in Guangzhou

Telecommunication base stations (TBS) in Guangzhou in China have large numbers, high inner heat density, long cooling season and high energy consumption. In order to make full use of the outdoor natural cooling resource, a ventilation cooling technology (VCT) was proposed. By applying VCT the inner heat generated by the telecommunication equipments can be directly taken away by the outdoor cool air and the air-conditioner running time can be shortened, resulting in significant energy saving. However, there are several practical problems in the application of VCT: The additional cost of control system, equipments for ventilation, installation and maintenance of filtration systems for purifying the outdoor air and reconstruction; guarantee of temperature and humidity environment for the equipmentspsila reliable operation; condensation risk on the internal surfaces of building envelopes. Based on the field investigation of a typical TBS in Guangzhou, the application feasibility of VCT for TBS in Guangzhou concerning above problems were systematically studied. The results show that the requirement of air temperature and humidity in TBS can be fully met under the integrated control of the fans and air-conditioner, the condensation risk is quite slight throughout a whole year and the chemically and mechanical active substance condition can be met by using filtration equipments. Cost-effectiveness analysis shows that the payoff period of VCT is less than two year. Remarkable economic and social benefits will be obtained, provided that VCT is broadly applied to TBS in Guangzhou.