Fuel cell technology is one of the most interesting future technologies for power generation. As an emergency power supply for outdoor applications it has outstanding potential to replace conventional battery-based backup systems.
At CeBIT 2005, Rittal unveiled pioneering fuel cell technology for use as an emergency 48 V d.c. back-up supply for outdoor applications, based on its CS Outdoor enclosure and climate control technology. Hydrogen can be supplied, for example, in the form of gas bottles situated outside the enclosure or rack. H2 can also be supplied via alternative methods, such as natural gas or methanol, converted using the reformer system. Flexible supply management means that the backup time may be individually adapted for each location.
Rittal believes that in future, the clear advantages of fuel cell technology over battery-buffered 48 V d.c. backup systems will become apparent, particularly among globally linked network infrastructures of base stations for mobile communications. Advantages:
* A long service life helps to minimise essential servicing and maintenance work.
* Potential savings from an improved ability to adapt to temperature fluctuations.
* Flexible scalable backup times allow the costs per location to be individually optimised.
* Overall, the fuel cell reduces the total cost of ownership compared with current emergency power supply options.
Improved reliability
For applications with exacting demands on reliability, fuel cell systems offer an independent electricity supply of high dependability. Unlike conventional battery-buffered emergency power supplies, which are dependent upon temperature and sunlight, and which have disadvantages associated with ageing, as well as their size and weight, fuel cells from Rittal function well within a broad temperature range inside the enclosure. Fuel cells are also both low-maintenance and fully functional at all times, and have a significantly longer service life than batteries.
Particularly for critical high-availability applications, where reliable redundancy must be maintained, fuel cell technology offers a convincing alternative.
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