WO2023274506A1

WO2023274506A1 - Antenna arrangement and base station comprising such antenna arrangement

Info

Publication number: WO2023274506A1
Application number: PCT/EP2021/067794
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ying Dong; Vadim Tsoi; Yasir ABDUL QUADIR; Long Li; Fredrik Ohlsson
Original assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2021-06-29
Filing date: 2021-06-29
Publication date: 2023-01-05
Also published as: CN117561649A

Abstract

An antenna arrangement (1) comprising an antenna structure (2) comprising at least one antenna element (3) configured to emit radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation, and a housing (4) at least partially transparent to said radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation. The housing (4) comprises a first wall section (5) configured to at least partially enclose said antenna structure (2), said first wall section (5) being separated from said antenna structure (2) by a first air gap (6). A second wall section (7) encloses said first wall section (5), said first wall section (5) and said second wall section (7) being separated by a second air gap (8). At least one pair of first openings (9) interconnect said second air gap (8) with an exterior of said antenna arrangement (1), said pair of first openings (9) allowing said second air gap (8) to form at least one air flow passage.

Description

ANTENNA ARRANGEMENT AND BASE STATION COMPRISING SUCH

ANTENNA ARRANGEMENT

TECHNICAL FIELD

The disclosure relates to an antenna arrangement comprising a housing and an antenna structure comprising at least one antenna element configured to emit radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation.

BACKGROUND

Stationary base stations usually comprise a housing covering the antenna elements of the station and, hence, shielding the antenna elements from the surrounding environment. This improves the base station reliability since the antenna elements are not affected by winds, rain, or ice. The housing can also improve antenna performance since high winds or temperature variations can distort the shape and pointing direction of the antenna reflector or phased array. Furthermore, such housings, also known as radomes, provide comfortable working conditions for personnel, especially in harsh weather such as extreme temperatures, blowing sand or dirt, salt sprays, and freezing rain. Additionally, radomes have proven to be very effective for reducing life cycle costs. Since the antenna elements are maintained in a protected environment, maintenance costs are kept to a minimum. The structural requirements of the antenna elements can be less stringent, leading to reduced fabrication and installation costs including the possibility to use smaller positioning motors.

A base station usually requires some cooling, due both to solar radiation and heat emitted by any active components located within the housing. Current solutions include improving the emissivity of the housing material, which is an inefficient way of cooling passive antenna elements. Other solutions suggest applying paint or film on the outer surface of the housing, but such solutions are expensive, have low reliability and are difficult to mass produce.

Paint can be suitable to improve both infrared emissivity and solar energy reflectivity. However, paint is easily subject to shedding, damages, and other types of failure, making paint unsuitable for outdoor use in particular in harsh climates. Furthermore, the paint manufacturing process makes it difficult to achieve both good enough infrared emissivity and good enough solar energy reflectivity, wherefore the thermal gains of the paint are limited.

Film, suitable for outdoor use, usually has excellent infrared emissivity as well as solar energy reflectivity, but the manufacturing process and related costs are unsuitable for large telecom applications. It is very difficult to apply such film on the surface of a large radome, which also makes the costs for mass production high.

Hence, there is a need for providing an improved flexible display stack that is suitable for foldable electronic apparatuses in general.

SUMMARY

It is an object to provide an improved antenna arrangement suitable for base stations. The foregoing and other objects are achieved by the features of the independent claims. Further implementation forms are apparent from the dependent claims, the description, and the figures.

According to a first aspect, there is provided an antenna arrangement comprising an antenna structure comprising at least one antenna element configured to emit radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation and a housing at least partially transparent to the radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation. The housing comprises a first wall section configured to at least partially enclose the antenna structure, the first wall section being separated from the antenna structure by a first air gap, and a second wall section enclosing the first wall section, the first wall section and the second wall section being separated by a second air gap. At least one pair of first openings interconnecting the second air gap with an exterior of the antenna arrangement, the pair of first openings allowing the second air gap to form at least one air flow passage.

Since the thermal conductivity of air is very low, such a structure prevents solar energy from being conducted from the exterior into the interior of the housing, reducing the impact of solar energy on the antenna structure. Furthermore, the housing is easily adapted to the specific needs and configuration of the antenna structure.

In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the air flow passage is configured to reduce the temperature of the antenna structure by means of convection cooling, such that no active components such as fans are necessary.

In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the first openings are arranged at opposite sides of the housing, such that the air flow passage extends through the housing between the first openings. This allows colder air to move, through the housing, from the bottom to the top of the antenna arrangement, any excessive heat within the housing being transferred to the cold moving air such that the heat is transferred outwards to the exterior.

In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the second air gap has a width of 15-30 mm, facilitating significant cooling while still shielding the antenna structure from the exterior.

In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, at least one of the first wall section and the second wall section is configured to reflect infrared electromagnetic radiation at least partially, further lowering the temperature within the housing. In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the housing comprises dielectric material, preferably plastic material. The dielectric material has no influence on the performance of the antenna structure.

In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the first wall section and the second wall section are interconnected by a web structure, the air flow passage negotiating the web structure. The web structure reinforces the housing, allowing the first wall section and the second wall section to be made of thinner materials and/or the housing to have smaller dimensions.

In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the first openings are formed between an edge of the first wall section and an adjacent edge of the second wall section, allowing the air flow passage to extend to the exterior without any further components or structures being necessary.

In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the edge of the first wall section and the adjacent edge of the second wall section are interconnected by a plurality of bridges, at least one space between a pair of adjacent bridges forming the first opening(s), providing an interconnection between housing components and connections between the interior and exterior of the housing at the same time.

In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the first wall section separates the first air gap from the second air gap, preventing or at least reducing the amount of wind, dirt, and rain reaching and hence affecting the antenna structure.

In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the first wall section comprises at least one pair of second openings, the second openings interconnecting the second air gap with the first air gap, providing additional air flow passage sections and, hence, improved cooling. In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the second wall section comprises a louvre structure comprising a plurality of third openings, the third openings interconnecting the second air gap with the exterior, providing additional air flow passage sections and, hence, improved cooling while still allowing the antenna structure to be completely shielded from the exterior and, furthermore, reducing the weight of the housing.

In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the first opening, the second opening, and/or the third opening has an area of at least 140 mm², providing a sufficiently large cooling interface without making the housing structurally unstable.

In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the housing further comprises a reflective layer applied onto a surface of the second wall section facing the exterior, the reflective layer being configured to reflect the infrared electromagnetic radiation, further lowering the temperature within the housing.

In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the reflective layer comprises black paint or film, which improves the cooling without adding much weight and which can be retrofitted.

In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the first wall section forms an inner cylinder and the second wall section forms an outer cylinder, the housing furthermore comprising a first end section and a second end section at least partially sealing an interior of the inner cylinder, the antenna arrangement being arranged in the interior. This allows for a solution wherein the antenna structure is sufficiently protected from the exterior in terms of temperature, moisture, and mechanical wear.

In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the antenna elements of the antenna structure are passive, not requiring electrical connections. In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the housing is a random providing sufficient shielding for both antenna structure and any personnel working on the antenna structure.

According to a second aspect, there is provided a stationary base station comprising an antenna arrangement according to the above, wherein the housing of the antenna arrangement is a housing of the base station, allowing the components of the base station to be well concealed while still sufficiently cooled.

These and other aspects will be apparent from the embodiment(s) described below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following detailed portion of the present disclosure, the aspects, embodiments, and implementations will be explained in more detail with reference to the example embodiments shown in the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a partial perspective view of a base station comprising an antenna arrangement in accordance with an example of the embodiments of the disclosure;

Fig. 2 shows a partial perspective view of a base station comprising an antenna arrangement in accordance with an example of the embodiments of the disclosure;

Fig. 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an antenna arrangement in accordance with an example of the embodiments of the disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Figs. 1 and 2 show partial perspective views of a stationary base station comprising an antenna arrangement 1, wherein the housing 4 of the antenna arrangement 1 is the housing of the base station. The housing 4 may be a radome, and the antenna arrangement 1 may be used for any suitable application other than stationary base stations.

Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate the antenna arrangement 1 which comprises an antenna structure 2 comprising at least one antenna element 3 configured to emit radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation, and a housing 4 at least partially transparent to the radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation. The housing 4 comprises a first wall section 5 configured to at least partially enclose the antenna structure 2, the first wall section 5 being separated from the antenna structure 2 by a first air gap 6, and a second wall section 7 enclosing the first wall section 5, the first wall section 5 and the second wall section 7 being separated by a second air gap 8. At least one pair of first openings 9 interconnect the second air gap 8 with an exterior of the antenna arrangement 1 , the pair of first openings 9 allowing the second air gap 8 to form at least one air flow passage.

The antenna arrangement 1 comprises an antenna structure 2. The antenna structure 2, in turn, comprises at least one antenna element 3 configured to emit radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation. The antenna elements 3 may be passive antenna elements.

The housing 4 is at least partially transparent to radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation, and may comprise dielectric material, preferably plastic material.

The housing 4 comprises, as shown best in Fig. 3, a first wall section 5 and a second wall section 7. One or both of the first wall section 5 and the second wall section 7 may be configured to reflect infrared electromagnetic radiation at least partially. The shape, materials, distances, and dimensions of the first wall section 5 and the second wall section 7 may be customized to a specific application. The first wall section 5 is configured to at least partially enclose the antenna structure 2 and is separated from the antenna structure 2 by a first air gap 6. The second wall section 7 encloses the first wall section 5 such that the first wall section 5 and the second wall section 7 are separated by a second air gap 8. In other words, the first wall section 5 may separate the first air gap 6 from the second air gap 8.

At least one pair of first openings 9 interconnect the second air gap 8 with an exterior of the antenna arrangement 1 , the pair of first openings 9 allowing the second air gap 8 to form at least one air flow passage. The second air gap 8 may have a width, i.e., a distance between the first wall section 5 and the second wall section 7, of 15-30 mm. The air flow passage may be configured to allow air flow within the second air gap 8, in other words, the air flow passage connects the second air gap 8 with the exterior, i.e., the surrounding environment. The air flow passage may be configured to reduce the temperature of the antenna structure 2 by means of convection cooling. Since the thermal conductivity of air is very low, this would prevent solar energy from being conducted from the exterior to the interior of the housing 4, reducing the impact of solar energy on the antenna structure 2.

The first openings 9 are arranged at opposite sides of the housing 4, such that the air flow passage extends through the housing 4 between the first openings 9. The first openings 9 may be arranged at the top and bottom short sides of the housing 4, and/or at opposite long sides of the housing 4. The first openings 9 may be arranged at an interface between a top or bottom short side and the long sides, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Furthermore, the first openings 9 may be formed between an edge of the first wall section 5 and an adjacent edge of the second wall section 7.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the edge of the first wall section 5 and the adjacent edge of the second wall section 7 may be interconnected by a plurality of bridges 11, at least one space between a pair of adjacent bridges forming the first openings 9.

The first wall section 5 may form an inner cylinder and the second wall section 7 may correspondingly form an outer cylinder, i.e., the housing 4 is a hollow structure enclosing the antenna structure 2. The housing 4 may furthermore comprise a first end section 16 and a second end section 17 at least partially sealing the interior of the inner cylinder, the antenna arrangement 1 being arranged in the interior. The first end section 16 and the second end section 17 form the top and bottom short sides of the antenna arrangement 1.

The first wall section 5 and the second wall section 7 may be interconnected by a web structure 10, as illustrated schematically in Fig. 3, the air flow passage negotiating the web structure 10. Hence, the web structure 10 may have any suitable configuration as long as it allows an air flow passage to be formed.

The first wall section 5 may comprise at least one pair of second openings 12, the second openings interconnecting the second air gap 8 with the first air gap 6.

The second wall section 7 may comprise a louvre structure 13 comprising a plurality of third openings 14, the third openings 14 interconnecting the second air gap 8 with the exterior.

The second openings 12 and the third openings 14 may be offset such that there is not direct, uninterrupted access to the interior of the housing and, hence, the antenna structure 2

The first opening 9, the second opening 12, and/or the third opening 14 may have an area of at least 140 mm².

The housing 4 may further comprises a reflective layer 15 applied onto a surface of the second wall section 7 facing the exterior, as shown in Fig. 3, the reflective layer 15 being configured to reflect the infrared electromagnetic radiation. The reflective layer 15 may comprise black paint or film. The various aspects and implementations have been described in conjunction with various embodiments herein. However, other variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed subject-matter, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word “comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measured cannot be used to advantage. The reference signs used in the claims shall not be construed as limiting the scope. Unless otherwise indicated, the drawings are intended to be read (e.g., cross-hatching, arrangement of parts, proportion, degree, etc.) together with the specification, and are to be considered a portion of the entire written description of this disclosure. As used in the description, the terms “horizontal”, “vertical”, “left”, “right”, “up” and “down”, as well as adjectival and adverbial derivatives thereof (e.g., “horizontally”, “rightwardly”, “upwardly”, etc.), simply refer to the orientation of the illustrated structure as the particular drawing figure faces the reader. Similarly, the terms “inwardly” and “outwardly” generally refer to the orientation of a surface relative to its axis of elongation, or axis of rotation, as appropriate.

Claims

1. An antenna arrangement (1) comprising

-an antenna structure (2) comprising at least one antenna element (3) configured to emit radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation; and

-a housing (4) at least partially transparent to said radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation; said housing (4) comprising

—a first wall section (5) configured to at least partially enclose said antenna structure (2), said first wall section (5) being separated from said antenna structure (2) by a first air gap (6), and

—a second wall section (7) enclosing said first wall section (5), said first wall section (5) and said second wall section (7) being separated by a second air gap (8),

—at least one pair of first openings (9) interconnecting said second air gap (8) with an exterior of said antenna arrangement (1), said pair of first openings (9) allowing said second air gap (8) to form at least one air flow passage.

2. The antenna arrangement (1) according to claim 1, wherein said air flow passage is configured to reduce the temperature of said antenna structure (2) by means of convection cooling.

3. The antenna arrangement (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said second air gap (8) has a width of 15-30 mm.

4. The antenna arrangement (1) according to any one of the previous claims, wherein at least one of said first wall section (5) and said second wall section (7) is configured to reflect infrared electromagnetic radiation at least partially.

5. The antenna arrangement (1) according to any one of the previous claims, wherein said first wall section (5) and said second wall section (7) are interconnected by a web structure

(10), said air flow passage negotiating said web structure (10).

6. The antenna arrangement (1 ) according to any one of the previous claims, wherein said first openings (9) are formed between an edge of said first wall section (5) and an adjacent edge of said second wall section (7).

7. The antenna arrangement (1) according to claim 6, wherein said edge of said first wall section (5) and said adjacent edge of said second wall section (7) are interconnected by a plurality of bridges (11), at least one space between a pair of adjacent bridges forming said first opening(s) (9).

8. The antenna arrangement (1) according to any one of the previous claims, wherein said first wall section (5) comprises at least one pair of second openings (12), said second openings interconnecting said second air gap (8) with said first air gap (6).

9. The antenna arrangement (1 ) according to any one of the previous claims, wherein said second wall section (7) comprises a louvre structure (13) comprising a plurality of third openings (14), said third openings (14) interconnecting said second air gap (8) with said exterior.

10. The antenna arrangement (1) according to any one of the previous claims, wherein said first opening (9), said second opening (12), and/or said third opening (14) has an area of at least 140 mm².

11. The antenna arrangement (1) according to any one of the previous claims, wherein said housing (4) further comprises a reflective layer (15) applied onto a surface of said second wall section (7) facing said exterior, said reflective layer (15) being configured to reflect said infrared electromagnetic radiation.

12. The antenna arrangement (1) according to claim 11, wherein said reflective layer (15) comprises black paint or film.

13. The antenna arrangement (1) according to any one of the previous claims, wherein said first wall section (5) forms an inner cylinder and said second wall section (7) forms an outer cylinder, said housing (4) furthermore comprising a first end section (16) and a second end section (17) at least partially sealing an interior of said inner cylinder, said antenna arrangement (1) being arranged in said interior.

14. The antenna arrangement (1) according to any one of the previous claims, wherein said antenna elements (3) of said antenna structure (2) are passive.

15. A stationary base station comprising an antenna arrangement (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the housing of said antenna arrangement (1) is a housing of said base station.