BROADBAND COMMUNICATION USING

HIGH ALTITUDE AERONAUTICAL PLATFORM

STATIONS (HAAPS)

PRESENTED BY: KAUSTUBH S. ILMULWAR

COMPUTER SCIENCE & ENGG. THIRD YEAR (B.TECH)

OVERVIEW

WHAT IS HAAPS?

NEED FOR HAAPS IN BROADBAND COMMUNICATION?

HOW HAAPS WORKS?

DIFFERENT PROJECTS IN HAAPS COMMUNICATION?

ADVANTAGES OF HAAPS COMMUNICATION?

WHAT IS HAAPS?a) High altitude aeronautical platform stations (HAAPS) is a

technology that is/can be used for providing broadband and narrowband telecommunication services as well as broadcasting services with either airships or aircrafts (both manned as well as unmanned).

b) The HAAPS are made to operate at altitudes between 17 to 22 km which belongs to the stratospheric layer of earth’s atmosphere. Also, HAAPS are designed in a way to cover a service area of up to 18’000 sq.km

c) The platforms may be aircrafts or airships (essentially balloons) and may be manned or unmanned (UAV’s) with autonomous operation coupled with remote control from ground.

NEED FOR HAAPS IN COMMUNICATION

a) Provision of bandwidth that can service multimedia applications like

Internet Telephony, Radio services, Television, video-on-demand and the

most relevant “INTERNET”.

b) Ability to operate in high frequency band on the Radio spectrum so as to avoid congestion and to provide the much needed bandwidth.

c) Provision of increased capacity (up to 3G and more), either by

supporting more users/cells without degrading performance or

providing high bandwidth(s).

HAAPS NETWORK

COMMUNICATION STRUCTURE

The platform is positioned above the coverage area called as “CELLS”.

There are basically two types of HAAPS. Lighter than air HAAPS are kept stationary while aircraft-based HAAPS are flown in a tight circle.

For broadcast applications, a simple antenna beams signals to terminals on ground stations.

For individualized telecommunication such as “telephony”, cells are created on ground by some beam forming technique in order to reuse channels for spatially separated users, as is done in cellular telecommunication services.

POWER SYSTEM AND MISSION

REQUIREMENTS

The aircraft power system consists of photovoltaic cells and regenerative fuel cells.

The main advantages of this method over open cycle combustion engines or air breathing fuel cells is that it eliminates the need to carry fuel and to extract and compress fuel at altitudes.

The propulsion system consists of gear box, propeller and an electric motor.

A single HAAPS can cover an entire metropolitan city like New York, Shanghai and Mumbai under high speed broadband connection.

THE STRATXX X-STATION

The picture shows the 18’000 cubic m STRATXX X-STATION at Zeppelin Hangar at Friedrichshafen, Germany.

The X-STATION is unique due to its innovative design which allows communication payloads to be lifted and maintained in the environment prevailing at high altitudes (low temp, low density and high radiation)

By using solar powered propulsion systems, there is minimal environmental impact. Also, its perfect line of sight minimises the electro-smog at ground level.

WHY THE X-STATION?

The X-STATION utilizes thoroughly tested and proven technologies for high altitude balloons and UAV’s.

The X-STATION is the high altitude design platform incorporating a blimp and communication plane.

The X-STATION solves ascent, descent and geostationary problems, and has low ground infrastructure requirements.

The X-STATION was the first platform to validate the Exhaustive Technical Feasibility Studies (ETFS).

THE STRATXX X-TOWER

Consists of Geostationary antenna carrier at lower stratospheric altitudes to provide GSM, TETRA and WIMAX communication.

The X-STATION has a completely autonomous flying capability, up to 160 miles/h wind force.

The operation cost is much higher as compared to the STRATXX X-STATION because of its automatic nature of operation.

THE NASA PATHFINDER

PLUS It was one of the two aircrafts

developed by AEROVIRONMENT INC. under the NASA’s Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST).

The task was to study them as an alternative for “atmospheric satellites” and to provide telecommunication services.

The solar arrays (19% efficiency) provide power for aircraft’s motors, avionics and telecommunication payloads.

Can provide 1000 times the fixed broadband communication capacity using the same frequency bands.

COMPARISON OF HAAPS WITH COMPETING TECHNOLOGIES

• COMPARED TO SATELLITE COMMUNICATION

1. Less expensive2. Better link budgets.3. Easy to recover and upgrade.4. Fast to deploy.5. Easy to relocate.

• COMPARED TO TERRESTRIAL RADIO NETWORKS

1. Less environmental impact.2. Large coverage areas.3. Less rain attenuation.4. Better Line of Sight.5. Fast to deploy.

ADVANTAGES OF HAAPS OVER SATELLITE COMMUNICATION

HAAPS proximity to the earth’s surface will allow several transmission technologies to operate on the same platform – including TV and radio broadcast, mobile telephony, VOIP, remote sensing and GPS.

HAAPS technologies can be deployed, redeployed and upgraded rapidly.HAAPS provide infrastructure solutions with easy upgrades and are

favourably comparable with the existing communication infrastructures such as terrestrial wireline or wireless communication.

HAAPS infrastructures are much cheaper than wireless terrestrial as well as satellite telecommunication.

HAAPS are sustainable and environment friendly.Estimated cost for HAAPS communication is around $ 20million and is

50 times lesser than satellite launching expenditure.

GO GREEN…