Link supportability analysis of digital channelised satellite communication system using min-max optimisation and variable neighbourhood search algorithm

In a frequency-division multiple access satellite communication (SATCOM) system, how to effectively reduce the non-linearity of high-power amplifier to improve the transponder power utility and system capacity, which is the key goal of link supportability analysis, is a challenging and essential step in system design. In this study, the authors creatively model the link supportability analysis problem as a min-max optimisation for a digital channelised SATCOM system, and propose an effective variable neighbourhood search (VNS) algorithm for the established optimisation. By minimising the maximum of carrier powers output from the satellite transponder, the established min-max optimisation model aims at reducing the difference among carrier powers in the satellite transponder as much as possible to avoid carrier power being irregular so that the authors can optimally set the transponder´s operating point to improve the transponder power utility, and minimise each terminal´s uplink effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) so that as many links as possible could be supported in the system and thus the system capacity could be enhanced. Practical examples are also presented to verify the proposed approach´s superior performance in improving a digital channelised SATCOM system´s transponder power utility and the system capacity.