Fadhel Ghannouchi - The Schulich School of Engineering ...

PROFESSOR FADHEL M GHANNOUCHI
Making communications
more sustainable
Professor Fadhel M Ghannouchi is committed to the development of sustainable radio and communications
systems. Here, he describes the current research landscape, and details some of his successes to date
To begin, could you introduce your role
within the University of Calgary What led
you to this position
I joined the University of Calgary in 2005, and
I am currently a professor, Alberta Innovates
Technology Futures (AITF) Strategic Chair and
Senior Canada Research Chair in Green Radio
Systems. Alongside these positions, I am also
the Founding Director of iRadio Lab, which
operates within the Department of Electrical
and Computer Engineering of the Schulich
School of Engineering at the University of
Calgary. Over the course of my career, I have
held several invited positions at different
academic and research institutions in Europe,
North America and Japan, as well as providing
consulting services to a number of microwave
and wireless communications companies.
My research activities have led to over 600
refereed publications, nine patents and six
patent applications.
What are the central aims of your
current project How will you work to
meet this mission
and cognitive radio systems for green wireless
and satellite communication applications and
sensor networks.
The central aim of my research programme
is geared towards the development of green
and smart radio systems that can be used
concurrently across multiple standards and
applications, including communications,
broadcasting and sensors networks. Mixed
hardware-software solutions coupled
with novel and signal-robust digital radio
architectures are the pillars on which green and
smart radio systems will repose.
How will the technology that you are
developing meet the requirements
of current data traffic and wireless
systems Have these systems changed
over recent years
The next wave in the information revolution
will consist of bringing intelligence to the
information and communication technology
sector, allowing for seamless and intelligent
networking and communication between
different users using various services and
operators. This will lead to the convergence
of communication technologies aimed at the
development of cooperative and ubiquitous
networks that involve existing and future
wireless and satellite communication systems,
a critical element of which is the development
of SDR systems. Green and smart radio
technology will be a sustainable solution for
broadband radio terminals, since it will be
able to evolve with increased bandwidth and
speed demands while maintaining reasonable
energy consumption.
The systems you are developing are
expected to have a range of potential
applications. Where do you hope your new
technology will be used in Canada and the
world
areas as diverse as wireless communications,
satellite communications, digital broadcasting
terminals and sensor networks.
Have there been any major achievements
to celebrate thus far in the discovery of
greener radio systems Could you highlight
any of these
So far, we have succeeded in cutting the
energy consumption of typical fourthgeneration
wireless transmitters by 50 per
cent without sacrificing the signal quality or
data speed. This was accomplished using a
novel hardware-software solution based on
the co-adoption of all-digital transmitting
architectures and distortion mitigation, as well
as energy efficiency enhancement algorithms
applied to communication signals in the
baseband before their up-conversion
and amplification. Our new green
amplification solution on a global level
could save wireless operators more
than 50 TWh of electrical energy per
year, reduce their carbon dioxide footprint
by more than 20 million tons and cut their
energy bills by at least US $15 billion.
In parallel, we have also developed a new
broadband radio technology allowing
three wireless operators to share and use
concurrently the same base station across
different standards and protocols. This
is an important achievement, since it
will result in reducing the number of
base stations needed to be deployed,
thereby reducing the energy required
to power wireless infrastructure.
My research interests are in the areas of radio
frequency and wireless communications;
nonlinear modelling of microwave devices
and communications systems; the design of
power and spectrum-efficient radio systems;
and the design of software-defined radio (SDR)
The smart and green radio technology that
is being developed at iRadio Lab has the
potential to be used globally for multiple
applications. I am optimistic that the
techniques, equipment and approaches that
we are working with will have an impact on
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PROFESSOR FADHEL M GHANNOUCHI
Redesigning base stations
Given the rapid growth of communications networks, there is an urgent
need for more sustainable technologies. Pioneering research at the
University of Calgary, Canada, is making great strides towards this goal
AS BUSINESSES, GOVERNMENTS,
organisations and individuals across a diversity
of fields become increasingly reliant on computer
technology and growing levels of connectivity,
data traffic and wireless applications continue
to expand exponentially. The demand for everhigher
networking and communicational capacity
has necessitated a sharp increase in the number of
base stations and networks available, a trend which
is accompanied by an array of safety, economic,
environmental and logistical challenges.
In response, ongoing studies at the University of
Calgary, Canada, are pursuing a holistic, end-toend
comprehensive approach to devising novel,
sustainable and energy-reducing technologies.
The research is being led by Dr Fadhel M
Ghannouchi, who is a Fellow of the Institute
of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IEEE),
the Institute of Engineering and Technology
(IET), the Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC),
the Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE)
and the Royal Society of Canada (RSC), as well
as holding the position of IEEE Distinguished
Microwave Lecturer Emeritus. Working in close
collaboration with his fellow researchers both at
Calgary and elsewhere, Ghannouchi is optimistic
that his groundbreaking approach to intelligent
and green radio systems can have widespread
social, environmental and economic benefits.
THE CURRENT SITUATION
There are already over 5 million base stations
in operation across the globe, a figure which
is rising at a rate of between 10 and 15 per
cent annually. As well as raising a number of
pressing issues on the grounds of sustainability
and environmental impact, this is also causing a
significant escalation in both the operating and
capital costs of establishing and maintaining
communications networks.
The energy consumed by information and
communication technology (ICT) infrastructure
currently constitutes around 5 per cent of total
global energy consumption, and there is widespread
consensus that this will rise by as much as 20 per
cent over the next three to four years. “Across the
globe mobile networks alone currently consume
approximately 120 terawatt hours of electricity per
year, with between 50 and 70 per cent of this being
consumed by the power amplifiers of base stations,
and their related components,” Ghannouchi
explains. In Canada, there are over 30,000 such
base stations, with each one consuming an average
of 30 megawatt hours per year. This amounts to a
total cost of over $100 million which, translated
into carbon dioxide (CO 2
) emissions, equates to
around 1.5 million tons.
In an attempt to curb these figures and to reduce
both their operating costs and CO 2
emissions,
a large number of providers and operators of
wireless infrastructures have begun to invest
in greener technologies. Ghannouchi, however,
believes that more can be done, as he argues:
“The reduction of power consumption in this
area can be achieved more effectively by
adopting a more holistic approach than the
one these companies are pursuing”. To this end,
his team is seeking an approach which crosses
the seven different layers of the Open System
Interconnection (OSI) model. These layers
range from the application layer’s processing
algorithms to the physical layer’s front-end
design for signalling and transmitting at radio
frequency (RF), which comprises the power
amplifier – the base station’s most energyconsuming
component.
A DUAL APPROACH
In addition to his professorship at the University
of Calgary and his fellowships elsewhere,
Ghannouchi is also the founding Director of
iRadio Lab at the University of Calgary, a position
which gives him the perfect opportunity to
promote this interconnected, comprehensive
methodology. This, he believes, will be essential
in developing a range of technologies which will
improve the energy efficiency and effectiveness
of base stations. In addition, he and his
colleagues are also working on a novel hybrid
power grid which puts a greater emphasis on
renewable energy, and which can be combined
with existing base station technologies. The
researchers at iRadio Lab are optimistic that their
approach will have the dual impact of not only
reducing the amount of energy being consumed
by communications infrastructure , but also
making the energy which is being consumed
greener. Consequently, it is estimated that the
results of Ghannouchi research could lead to a
reduction in the energy consumed by Canada’s
communications network by 50 per cent, saving
Canadian organisations over $100 million and
750,000 tons of CO 2
emissions per year.
NETWORK OPTIMISATION AND RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT
The first task for Ghannouchi and his colleagues
at GreenCom is the ongoing investigation
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PROFESSOR FADHEL M GHANNOUCHI
into network architectures, and how the
management of resources within them can be
optimised in order to minimise the amount of
power required to transmit each bit between
users. These enquiries operate at a network
level, and involve finding methods of adopting
a smart power-grid in order to increase endto-end
reliability, flexibility, security and
quality. Building on existing studies in this field,
Ghannouchi proposes to consider network
topology in greater detail, and the role it plays
in enabling broadband networks to achieve their
anticipated performance level.
Traditional approaches to this area have
involved moving from macrocell environments
to smaller femtocell scenarios. The drawbacks
of this, however, include rendering inefficient
conventional network management techniques
and protocols, and the creation of new problems
surrounding resource allocation, network
layout and the optimisation of protocols.
This necessitates a shift towards cooperative
networks and the incorporation of novel physical
layer processing and radio head architectures
into the network.
In anticipation of these issues, Ghannouchi and
his colleagues are working on strategies which
will assist in the development of cooperative
and cognitive network architectures, which are
expected to improve the allocation of resources
in order to reduce the amount of energy
required to transport each bit, without having
a negative impact on the quality of service.
This study will be executed using a cross-layer
approach, considering all interactions between
the various OSI layers in order to devise a
comprehensive solution.
SIGNAL PROCESSING FOR GREEN RADIOS
A further key aspect of Ghannouchi’s work
is his studies into how energy consumption
in base stations, mobile stations and relay
infrastructure can be reduced through improving
signal processing algorithms by conditioning the
signal and/or control RF front-end and network
infrastructure. Often, interference and hardware
impairments caused by stressful communication
signals with high dynamic range and wide
bandwidth occur as a result of multiuser access,
reconfigurability and infrastructure sharing of
radio channels. This can have a negative effect
on the overall power efficiency of the radio.
For green radio systems and networks to replace
these conventional systems, there is a need to
develop signal processing algorithms which can
preprocess and condition communication signals
for improved linearisation and energy efficiency.
This in turn calls for a co-design approach to RF
and digital signal processing in order to maintain
reconfigurability and agility between the two
ends of the communication link.
As part of their ongoing studies, Ghannouchi
and his collaborators are conducting extensive
investigations into efficient transmission
Ghannouchi and his collaborators are also heavily involved in developing
ways for communications networks to run on energy from more
sustainable, greener sources
technologies and coding techniques, with
their findings anticipated to form the basis
of novel solutions that further reduce energy
consumption in terminals.
SOFTWARE-DEFINED RADIO SYSTEMS
Ghannouchi is also assessing the potential of
intelligent software-defined radio (SDR) and
cognitive radio (CR) systems to further shrink
the CO 2
footprint of communications networks.
Transmitting and receiving of communications
via radio frequencies relies on a transceiver, a
central unit responsible for both the sending and
receiving data. As part of his studies, Ghannouchi
is working to develop SDR transceiver which is
capable of running on different standards and
frequencies concurrently. Such a system would
have the ability to monitor its electromagnetic
environment with relation to spectrum and
power, opening up the possibility for transceivers
to assess radio activity in their vicinity in real
time and transmit signals on a selected and less
crowded spectrum, and with the appropriate
power level. “This would result in technology
which makes better use of resources – both
power and bandwidth – and, at the same time,
minimises the interference between users,”
Ghannouchi enthuses.
INTRODUCING RENEWABLE ENERGY
Finally, in addition to their substantial body of
work focused on making technologies more
efficient, Ghannouchi and his collaborators are
also heavily involved in developing ways for
communications networks to run on energy
from more sustainable, greener sources. Whilst
previous studies have made attempts to use
renewable energy to power medium- and lowpower
base stations, such efforts were focused
on very specific, localised installations, and were
not coupled with attempts to reduce base station
energy consumption, making them unworkable
on a network level.
Ghannouchi believes that a more comprehensive,
thorough method is needed in order to make best
use of incorporating renewable technologies into
communication networks. This approach also
improves the longevity of base stations through
better consideration of the balance between
the availability of the energy source and the
performance and integrity of the network. In this
endeavour, the researchers will consider a wide
variety of renewable energies, from harvested
forms such as wind and solar power to recycled
varieties such as electromagnetic radiation and
thermal dissipation. The coordination of power
usage in hybrid power micro-grids will also be
examined by the researchers, leading them
to consider small-scale photovoltaic panels,
wind turbines and battery storage as potential
sources of renewable energy, in conjunction with
traditional fossil fuel approaches. Ghannouchi
and his colleagues are confident that their work
in this area will result in a greater understanding
of the interface between more efficient radio
infrastructures and greener, more sustainable
hybrid power grids.
IRADIO LAB AND BEYOND
In parallel to his other work, in 2005 Ghannouchi
established iRadio Lab, which has received
funding both at governmental and university
level. One of three university spin-off companies
which Ghannouchi has been involved in cofounding,
iRadio Lab aims to develop new
knowledge and novel enabling technologies
which have a relevance to the intelligent and
green radio systems which he is committed to
enhancing. This is being achieved by targeting
the future generations of wireless and satellite
communications which will cover the RF to
millimetre-wave bands. This work provides
Ghannouchi with a valuable opportunity to
develop practical knowledge in conjunction
with partners and sponsors within the industry.
It also ensures that the lab’s work is as relevant
as possible, finding practical and workable
solutions to real world problems.
Ghannouchi also considers harnessing the
potential of students as a crucial part of his
work: “iRadio Lab’s mandate is also to train
highly qualified personnel in nanoelectronics,
wireless sensor networks and wireless
and satellite communications science and
technology,” notes Ghannouchi. Over the
course of his career he has been responsible for
graduating more than 100 Master’s, PhD and
PDF students, either as a lecturer or personal
mentor. Having been guided by Ghannouchi, an
international leader in his field, these students
have been provided with a strong platform
from which to become the next generation of
communications researchers.
Through a combination of excellent teaching
and world-class research Ghannouchi and his
colleagues are not only making great practical
and theoretical strides in their attempt to
minimise the environmental and economic
impact of communications networks, but also
in laying the foundations for this work to be
continued by future generations. There is much
cause for optimism that their research can
succeed in developing the technologies required
and can result in significant social benefits.
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INTELLIGENCE
INTELLIGENT AND GREEN
RADIO SYSTEMS
OBJECTIVES
• To develop innovative digitally enhanced and
all-digital radio systems for the next generation
of broadband green radio systems
• To design and develop innovative energyefficient
and environmentally friendly
transceivers for broadband wireless, satellite,
sensing and broadcasting applications
KEY COLLABORATORS
Dr M Helaoui, PhD, Assistant Professor at
University of Calgary • Dr M Fattouche,
Professor University of Calgary • Dr K Rawat,
Indian Institute of technology, Delhi, India • Dr
R Negra, Aachen RWTH University, Aachen,
Germany • Dr M S Hashmi, Indraprastha
Institute of Information Technology, Delhi, India
• Dr W Chen, Tsinghua University, Beijing China
• Dr T Liu, Ningbo University, China • Dr S-C
Jung, SungKyunKwan University, South Korea •
Dr A S Bassam, QUALCOMM, San Diego, USA
• Dr S Bensmida, Bristol University, Bristol, UK
• Dr A Mohammadi, Amirkabir University of
Technology, Tehran, Iran • Dr D Wang, New
York Institute of Technology (NYIT), Nanjing,
China • Dr O Hammi, King Fahd University
of Pertolum and Minerals, Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia • Dr A B Kouki, Ecole de Technologie
Supérieure, Montreal, University du Quebec,
Canada • Dr F Falcone, Public University of
Navarra, Spain • Dr S Tatu, Institut de recherche
Scientifique du Quebec, Montreal • Dr C Akyel,
Ecole Polytechnqiue de Montreal, Canada • Dr
A Gharsallah, University of Manar, Tunisia • Dr
Ghazel, University of Carthage, Tunisia
MAIN INDUSTRIAL PARTNERS
Ericson Canada • Agilent Technologies •
Focus Microwaves • Canada Microelectronics
Corporation • Altera Corporation • Xilinx
Corporation • Canadian Space Agency
MAIN FUNDING SOURCES
Alberta Innovates Technology Futures,
Strategic Chair program: Chair in Intelligent
Radio Technology. • Canada Research Chair
Program: Chair in Green Radio Systems • Canada
Foundation of Innovation • Alberta Enterprise
and Advanced Education • University of Calgary
CONTACT
Dr Fadhel M Ghannouchi
Principal Investigator
Department of Electrical and Computer
Engineering
Schulich School of Engineering
The University of Calgary
ICT 336, 2500 University Drive NW
Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
T +1 403 220 5807
E fadhel ghannouchi@ucalgary.ca
www.iradio.ucalgary.ca
FADHEL M GHANNOUCHI is Professor in
the Department of Electrical and Computer
Engineering of the Schulich School of
Engineering at the University of Calgary and is
the founding Director of iRadio Lab. He is also
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