Why Monopole Towers Are Good Telecom Solutions
一、Energy saving advantages of single pole tower
Monopolar towers have significant energy-saving advantages in telecommunications solutions. Among them, a single base station can save 20% of electricity costs, which is mainly due to the application of peak shaving and valley filling power sources. The peak shaving and valley filling power supply stores energy during low electricity consumption periods and supplies power to 5G base stations during peak periods, greatly alleviating the biggest problem of "high power consumption" that troubles 5G operations.
Taking the largest 5G smart grid project in China as an example, the project is jointly developed by State Grid Shandong Qingdao Power Supply Company, China Telecom Qingdao Branch, and Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. As of now, the three parties have deployed more than 30 5G base stations in places such as Guzhukou on the west coast of Qingdao, Jinjialing in Laoshan, and Aofan Center. Specifically, peak shaving and valley filling power sources provide stable power supply for 5G base stations by utilizing electricity from different time periods in a reasonable manner. According to calculations, a single base station will save 20% of electricity costs. This 5G base station power supply intelligent peak shaving and valley filling solution can save 13800 yuan in electricity bills per year with just one base station. If the 14000 5G base stations expected to be built by the three major telecommunications operators in Qingdao can be widely promoted in the future, it will generate huge economic and social benefits.
二、Single pole tower assisted power line fault 'zero perception'
5G is combined with edge computing, network slicing and other technologies to provide a secure and isolated private network for the power grid, so that the power grid can automatically remove distribution line faults within tens of milliseconds, and users can "zero sense" when line faults occur. This advantage is due to the synergistic effect of multiple advanced technologies.
Edge computing gateway plays a key role in power system. It enhances the real-time performance of the power system by sinking computing and data processing capabilities to the network edge, avoiding the latency caused by data traveling back and forth to the cloud, enabling power grid managers to quickly access real-time data and make accurate decisions. For example, when a power grid fault occurs, the edge computing gateway can immediately collect, process and analyze the fault information, and trigger the emergency response mechanism to effectively shorten the fault recovery time and ensure the stability and security of power supply.
At the same time, edge computing gateway enhances the security of power system. As the first line of defense, it effectively prevents external attacks and illegal access by implementing authentication, data encryption, and access control for access devices. Moreover, its local processing capability can desensitize sensitive data, reducing the risk of data leakage. In the smart grid, the edge computing gateway can easily connect various heterogeneous devices and systems, realize data interconnection, and provide a solid guarantee for the stable operation of the power system.
In addition, the 5G smart grid also provides strong support for "zero perception" of line faults. Taking the 5G smart grid project jointly built by State Grid Qingdao Power Supply Company, China Telecom Qingdao Company, and Huawei as an example, the project deployed more than 30 5G base stations in Qingdao, empowering the transformation and upgrading of traditional power grids with 5G technology. Among them, the 5G peak shaving and valley filling base station has been put into operation, which stores energy during low electricity consumption periods and supplies power to the 5G base station during peak hours, balancing the overall load of the power grid during peak and valley periods and reducing the operation and maintenance costs of the 5G base station. At the same time, the advantages of low latency, low jitter, safety and reliability of 5G communication technology meet the needs of differential protection for distribution network lines. It can automatically cut off faults that occur on distribution lines within tens of milliseconds, so that users who are not in the fault area cannot feel the existence of the fault.
The combination of edge computing and 5G brings new opportunities for the future public power grid. Edge computing enables data to be processed at or near the data source. The availability of 5G wireless makes the advantages of edge computing more complex by realizing faster communication between edge devices and edge servers, thus allowing real-time or near real-time monitoring and control of devices. For example, in substations, edge computing creates greater autonomy for each substation, allowing real-time identification and response to events; In terms of on-site assets, edge computing enables utilities to dynamically monitor and manage such assets as poles, wires, switches and transformers; At the consumption point, the new generation of smart meters may have built-in analysis engines that can provide actionable insights for customers and grid operators.
To sum up, the combination of 5G, edge computing, network slicing and other technologies provides a secure and isolated private network for the power grid, realizes the rapid and automatic removal of distribution line faults by the power grid, enables users to "zero sense" when line faults occur, and provides a strong guarantee for the stable operation and efficient service of the power system.
三、The advantages of single pole towers in mining affected areas
1. The use of a single pole tower can split the same tower double pole installation of a DC line into two single pole operations, avoiding excessive torque and torsional deformation problems, reducing the risk of damage to both poles at the same time, and increasing the safety and reliability of the line.
In the mining affected area, tower settlement is inevitable due to coal mining and other reasons. When using the same tower bipolar installation, excessive torque and torsional deformation may cause damage to the line, increase maintenance costs, and pose a risk of power outages. The design of a single pole tower can split the double pole installation of the DC line into two single poles for operation, effectively avoiding these problems.
For example, in the first "integrated wind solar thermal storage" ultra-high voltage power transmission project in China, Package 5 designed by Hunan Institute used 16 single pole towers in the mining affected area. In this way, the risk of damage to both poles at the same time is reduced, and the safety and reliability of the lines in the mining affected area are increased. At the same time, the design of the single pole tower also improves the stress situation of the tower and reduces the impact of foundation forces on the foundation.
2. After installing protective plates at the tower location in the mining affected area, it can effectively resist the uneven settlement of the lower soil, reduce the displacement of the transmission tower support and the stress of the upper structure, and alleviate the deformation of the upper tower members.
The uneven settlement of soil in the mining affected area is one of the important factors affecting the stability of transmission towers. To solve this problem, installing protective plates at the tower location is an effective measure.
Numerical calculations and experimental research have shown that the protective plate can effectively resist uneven settlement of the lower soil. For example, in the mining affected area, when the tower tilts, the protective plate can reduce the displacement of the transmission tower support and the stress of the upper structure, and alleviate the deformation of the upper tower members.
In the first "integrated wind solar thermal storage" ultra-high voltage power transmission project in China, Hunan Institute adopted 37 protective board foundations to improve the safety and reliability of line operation. The design of protective slab foundation can not only resist uneven settlement of soil, but also improve the deformation resistance of iron towers, providing strong guarantee for the safe and stable operation of transmission lines.
四、Innovation in the Construction Mode of Monopolar Towers
1. The "Tower Model" has become a benchmark for state-owned enterprise reform. China Tower has significantly improved the communication construction environment, achieved significant cost reduction and efficiency improvement, and outstanding social benefits by promoting the "legalization" and "standardization" of communication facilities.
As a state-owned large-scale communication infrastructure service enterprise, China Tower has actively promoted the "entry into law" and "entry into regulations" of communication facilities since its establishment. By consolidating industry cooperation and taking the lead in solving the issue of communication facility access rights, the "last mile" of network construction has been effectively opened up, significantly improving the communication construction environment.
In terms of cost reduction and efficiency improvement, over the past 8 years, the entire industry has saved a total of 172 billion yuan in investment through deepening sharing. China Tower has increased the sharing rate of tower resources and facilities, accelerated the process of network construction, and made network deployment more "fast, efficient, and cost-effective". For example, in the construction of base stations, China Tower extensively utilizes social resources such as lamp posts, monitoring poles, power towers, traffic signs, etc., making the sharing range larger, network deployment faster, and cost lower. Taking the 5G public network coverage of the entire Beijing Zhangjiakou high-speed railway as an example, China Tower has collaborated with the three major basic telecommunications operators to deepen resource sharing, striving for the support of the railway department to share and utilize 8 railway communication towers, 54 power box transformers, 120 equipment caverns, and 143 kilometers of channels, reducing the waste of resources caused by repeated tower construction, shortening the construction period for setting up base stations, and making the Beijing Zhangjiakou high-speed railway the world's first smart high-speed railway with full 5G network coverage.
In terms of social benefits, China Tower has saved a large amount of land, steel and other resources through deepening joint construction and sharing, equivalent to reducing carbon emissions by 26.7 million tons, and promoting the coordinated development of communication facilities such as towers with urban and ecological environments. At the same time, it has played an important role in promoting universal services, epidemic prevention and control, disaster prevention and reduction, and other shared benefits for the people.
2. Explore a new model of transforming "social tower" into "communication tower" and "communication tower" into "digital tower", and make extensive use of social resources in base station construction, with a larger sharing range, faster network deployment, and lower costs.
China Tower is daring to innovate in the construction mode of communication facilities, based on resource sharing, and comprehensively promoting the strategic layout of "one body, two wings". Taking the telecommunications industry oriented operator business as one entity, and the social oriented intelligent connectivity business (formerly cross industry business) and energy business as two wings, we will continue to expand and share collaborative articles.
In the construction of base stations, China Tower actively explores new models of transforming "social towers" into "communication towers" and "communication towers" into "digital towers". For example, Gehu Lake is the second largest lake in southern Jiangsu after the Taihu Lake Lake. An 8.8 km long high-speed railway crosses the lake. To solve the problem of railway public network coverage, the construction team of Jiangsu Tower has repeatedly certified and incorporated it into the main bridge engineering design during the early stage of railway design, making 5G public network coverage on the bridge possible. At the same time, 48 customized "micro towers" - micro signal transmission stations have been set up along the Gehu section of the railway, solving the problems of coverage and interference. The construction cost of this plan is two-thirds lower than the traditional cable leakage plan, and it also fills the gap in the public network coverage of the domestic cross lake and cross sea railway super large bridge.
In addition, China Tower will also transform communication towers into digital towers to provide information services for various industries. At the "Healthy Yangtze River Taizhou Command Center", China Tower Jiangsu Branch has built high-altitude video surveillance and radar monitoring on communication towers along the Yangtze River, using information technology such as AI, AR enhanced display, and big data analysis to assist in the daily management of ecological protection in the Yangtze River. In Xinxian, Xinyang Tower and the "Changyou Xinxian" 5G+smart cultural and tourism project, jointly built by Xinyang Tower and the local area, utilize the tower site to mount panoramic cameras and combine VR, AI, cloud computing, big data and other technologies to transform traditional communication towers into "digital towers" that can perceive and speak, creating new slow live streaming, VR and other services, and promoting the construction of a cultural and tourism integration development demonstration zone in Xinxian. In Henan, Henan Tower relies on tower site resources to achieve "mounting equipment+industry applications", providing tower video, data monitoring, and comprehensive integration services to various levels and types of institutions, efficiently meeting the digital needs of thousands of industries in our province.
Through this new model, China Tower extensively utilizes social resources in base station construction, resulting in a larger sharing range, faster network deployment, and lower costs. At the same time, it also empowers the digital transformation in various fields of the economy and society, effectively enhances the value of existing communication resources, and expands new driving forces for the digital development of the communication industry.
五、Optimization analysis of monopolar tower
The finite element method was used to analyze and compare three types of grounding wire arrangements: pole conductor hanging on the cross arm, pole conductor hanging on the tower body jumper grounding wire not sharing the cross arm, and pole conductor hanging on the tower body jumper grounding wire sharing the cross arm. The results showed that pole conductor hanging on the tower body can reduce the eccentric force on the tower and reduce the weight of the tower. Among them, the layout of pole conductor jumper and grounding wire sharing the cross arm has the best economic indicators.
Single pole terminal towers are usually arranged in an "F" shape, with the pole conductor cross arm, metal return wire cross arm, and ground wire bracket arranged on one side of the tower body. It is a typical asymmetric eccentric force structure, and the tower body will bear large bending moments and torques. It is necessary to increase the tower body width and slope to increase the ability to resist bending moments, torques, and deformations. To reduce eccentric force, three hanging methods are proposed: hanging the polar wire on the cross arm, and using V-series jumper wires; The polar wire is hung on the tower body, and the jumper and ground wire do not share the cross arm; The polar wire is hung on the tower body, and the jumper and ground wire share the same cross arm.
The calculation results show that the main material specifications and tower weight of the first layout form are significantly larger than those of the latter two forms. This is because the tension of the polar conductor is transmitted to the tower body and tower feet through the cross arm, which bears a large tension. At the same time, due to the eccentric force, the tower body also needs to bear a large bending moment and torque, resulting in an overall increase in tower weight. The specifications of the main materials and the weight of the tower in the latter two forms are relatively close. Moving the pole conductor hanging point to the tower body significantly improves the eccentric force of the tower, eliminates the torque caused by the eccentricity of the pole conductor, and reduces the tower weight by about 30.4%.
Due to the change in the hanging method, the cross arm only needs to bear its own weight and the weight of the jumper. Although the second layout form of the iron tower structure is clearer, the third layout form effectively utilizes the height and offset requirements of the ground wire bracket, pole conductor, and return wire. The ground wire and jumper are arranged on the same cross arm, resulting in the optimal economic indicators for the iron tower.
六、Market prospects of monopolar towers
1. The global and Chinese telecom tower markets are constantly growing, and as a type of telecom tower, single pole towers have broad market prospects.
◦ The research report on telecom towers shows that the global and Chinese telecom tower markets will reach 304.947 billion yuan (RMB) and 121.948 billion yuan respectively in 2023, and the global telecom tower market will grow at a CAGR of 4.39% to 390.328 billion yuan by 2029. As one of the important types of telecommunications towers, the monopolar tower has a very broad market prospect with the continuous growth of the telecommunications tower market.
◦ The global and Chinese tower market capacity forecast analysis report states that the global tower market size will reach billion yuan (RMB) in 2023, and the Chinese tower market size will reach billion yuan. By 2029, the global tower market is expected to reach billions of yuan, and during the forecast period, the annual compound growth rate of the global tower market will reach%. Telecom towers can be further subdivided into lattice towers, monopole towers, Guyed towers, stealth towers, etc. Monopolar towers also have an important position in the entire tower market.
◦ The research report on the capacity and growth trend of the tower industry in 2024 shows that the global and Chinese tower market capacity in 2022 will be billion yuan (RMB) and billion yuan respectively. It is expected that the global tower market will grow at a CAGR of% during the forecast period and reach billions of yuan by 2028. As one of the sub types of towers, the monopolar tower will also usher in broad development space with the growth of the tower market.
2. Monopolar towers have many advantages in the telecommunications field, such as simplicity and aesthetics, small footprint, fast construction and installation speed, etc. The downstream demand is large and will continue to increase, and there are new demands brought by government policy support and 5G development.
◦ In the introduction of communication towers and computer room types, it is mentioned that single pole towers (a type of single pole tower) have the advantages of simplicity, aesthetics, small footprint, and fast construction and installation speed. Suitable for various scenarios with lifting equipment operation conditions, these advantages make single pole towers highly attractive in the telecommunications field.
◦ The report on the telecommunications tower industry points out that the advantages of the telecommunications tower industry include no substitute products, high downstream demand that will continue to increase, and relatively stable business. Monopolar towers, as a type of telecommunications tower, also benefit from these advantages. With the development and popularization of 5G networks, the demand for telecommunication towers will continue to increase, and the downstream demand for single pole towers will also continue to grow.
◦ The industry research report mentioned that with the arrival of the 5G+era, top-level policy guidance has promoted the maturity of the industry, and key progress has been made in the development of 5.5G, catalyzing new demand for base station RF. The development of 5G and 5.5G will bring about a new round of large-scale networking demand, and single pole towers, as a telecommunications solution, will play an important role in the construction of 5G and 5.5G networks. At the same time, the government's support for 5G/6G systems also provides policy guarantees for the development of monopole towers.
◦ The analysis report on the current operation status and development trend of the telecommunications tower market points out that a key factor driving the growth of the global telecommunications tower market is the continuous increase in investment in Long Term Evolution (LTE) - Advanced, and the commercial application of 5G networks will bring a new round of large-scale networking demand. Monopolar towers have unique advantages in meeting these needs, such as simplicity and aesthetics, small footprint, and fast construction and installation speed, making their market prospects broad.
