GatesAir Breaks Ground with Liquid-Cooled Flexiva™ FLX Transmitter
New medium-to-high-power, high-efficiency series delivers a greener plant and a quick ROI for FM, digital radio broadcasters
CINCINNATI, April 1, 2015 — GatesAir, a global leader in wireless, over-the-air content delivery solutions for radio and TV broadcasters, will help its high-power FM analog and digital radio (HD Radio and DRM+) customers significantly cut cooling costs and power bills with the new Flexiva™ FLX range of liquid-cooled transmitters. Merging the market leading performance and reliability of the Flexiva air-cooled platform with the proven ultra-high-efficiency, liquid-cooled technology of GatesAir’s Maxiva™ TV and DAB Radio transmitters, the FLX portfolio will help broadcasters establish a greener facility and a quick return on investment for stations and networks operating between 5kW and 80kW.
Flexiva FLX liquid-cooled systems are carefully engineered to remove heat from the RF plant in the most efficient possible manner. The modern design incorporates a heat-to-liquid transfer that is considerably more efficient than air-cooled processes, especially at higher power levels. The process eliminates the overhead of heating and then subsequently cools the air, moving transmitter heat to the outside via a liquid-to-air heat exchanger with redundant fan systems.
Redundancy is a key design benefit across the entire liquid-cooled architecture. To obtain maximum efficiency, the system, in most installations, integrates low-noise pump modules within the transmitter to further reduce its already compact footprint. Two fully redundant cooling pumps operate in a closed-loop design, with auto-changeover capability in the event of a module failure to ensure proper and constant transmitter cooling. The pump and heat exchanger motors are speed-controlled to lower operating costs and provide optimum cooling performance over an array of weather conditions.
At the 2015 NAB Show, GatesAir will demonstrate a 10kW liquid-cooled model on the exhibit floor (April 13-16, Las Vegas Convention Center, Booth C3107).
“The introduction of our Flexiva FLX liquid-cooled FM transmitters exemplifies our continued investment in solving problems for our customers,” said Rich Redmond, chief product officer, GatesAir. “GatesAir is the only broadcast manufacturer with experience across FM, HD Radio™, and high-power liquid-cooling systems, and our expertise in efficient transmitter design ensures broadcasters will receive the lowest total cost of ownership possible today.”
The innovative liquid-cooled design is among the groundbreaking attributes of GatesAir’s PowerSmart® 3D architecture, which overall reduces carbon footprint and operating costs by as much as 50 percent. When combined with PowerSmart 3D’s unique broadband amplification to enhance power density, broadcasters see the additional benefits of reduced transmitter footprints, weights and rack space requirements (up to 75 percent); as well as a modular, customer-friendly build that streamlines maintenance and spare parts management.
GatesAir will offer customers both Flexiva high-efficiency air-cooled and liquid cooled transmitters, ensure they can apply the best solution to each facility. With PowerSmart 3D at the core of both cooling designs, Flexiva liquid- and air-cooled transmitters deliver the lowest total cost of ownership in the industry for analog and digital radio broadcasters, delivering lower utility bills and higher performance over the transmitter’s lifecycle.
About GatesAir
GatesAir, Inc. provides complete solutions for over-the-air radio and television broadcasting, leveraging wireless spectrum to maximize performance for multichannel, mission-critical services. Powering over-the-air networks worldwide with unparalleled reliability for nearly 100 years, GatesAir’s turnkey solutions enable broadcasters to create, transport and transmit radio and TV content. With customers in more than 185 countries, the company leads the industry in innovation and design breakthroughs, improving efficiency and reducing total cost of ownership. Visit www.gatesair.com for more information, and follow us on Twitter at @GatesAir.
