Energy Efficiency Augmentation in Massive MIMO Systems through Linear Precoding Schemes and Power Consumption Modeling

Massive multiple-input multiple-output or massive MIMO system has great potential for 5th generation (5G) wireless communication systems as it is capable of providing game-changing enhancements in area throughput and energy efficiency (EE). This work proposes a realistic and practically implementable EE model for massive MIMO systems while a general and canonical system model is used for single-cell scenario. Linear processing schemes are used for detection and precoding, i.e., minimum mean squared error (MMSE), zero-forcing (ZF), and maximum ratio transmission (MRT/MRC). Moreover, a power dissipation model is proposed that considers overall power consumption in uplink and downlink communications. The proposed model includes the total power consumed by power amplifier and circuit components at the base station (BS) and single antenna user equipment (UE). An optimal number of BS antennas to serve total UEs and the overall transmitted power are also computed. The simulation results confirm considerable improvements in the gain of area throughput and EE, and it also shows that the optimum area throughput and EE can be realized wherein a larger number of antenna arrays at BS are installed for serving a greater number of UEs.