Fuel Cells: The Emerging Way of Ensuring Network Reliability

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Fuel Cells The Emerging Way of Ensuring Network
Reliability

• Marcos Villanueva
• Vice President, International Business
  Development
• June 2006

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Backup Power Industry Trends

• Natural disasters demonstrate the need to improve
  reliability.
• Communication networks are vital to national
  security and emergency response.
• Network operators are exploring alternatives to
  incumbent technologies.
• Expanding telecom services results in increased
  backup power requirements
• Developing countries need reliable quality power
  to sustain economic growth.

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Communications Systems Backup Power

• Historical
• Wireline carriers typical back-up objective 8
  hours
• Wireless carriers backup objectives range from 2
  hours to 8 hours
• Recent Events
• The importance of robust and reliable
  communications has come to the forefront in the
  minds of the consumer, corporations, policy
  makers and therefore the Carriers
• Natural Disasters
• Terrorism
• Critical Services
• Today
• Carriers are seeking extended power solutions to
  support their networks
• Expectation is up to 48 hours and even 72 hours
  without the need for site visits, refueling, or
  supplementary technology
• Traditional solutions pose increasing challenges
  related to refueling, environmental, reliability,
  and theft

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Incumbent Technologies

• Batteries (VRLA)
• Traditionally a primary design component of a
  reliable network
• Economical for short run times
• Issues
• Life of 3-5 years
• Higher temperatures lower life
• Extending reserve time increasing number of
  batteries proportionally
• Hazardous materials require special disposal
  conditions
• Inability to remotely monitor health or reserve
  time

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Incumbent Technologies

• Generators
• Traditionally a solution to battery limitations
• Economical for longer run time needs than
  batteries
• Issues
• Complexity increases threat of failure
• Maintenance costs / time
• Initial installation expense may be high
• Provides AC power
• Most communication sites need DC power
• Environmental restrictions
• Permitting
• Spill containment
• Potential contamination issues
• Noise restrictions

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Typical Back-Up Power System
UTILITY FEED
AC
RECTIFIER
DISTRIBUTION
PANEL
METERED DISCONNECT
Backup Run Time Determined by Size/Capacity of
Battery Bank
DC
BUS
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PEM Fuel Cell How It Works
ElectronsfromHydrogen
Electrical Load
Oxygen Molecules
Water molecules forming
Hydrogen Molecules
Proton exchangemembrane electrolyte
Catalyst/Electrode
Catalyst/Electrode
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A Modular, Cartridge-Based Design Fuel Cell

• An energy producing system
• PEM Fuel Cells use a chemical reaction to
• produce electric power
• Its fuel is Hydrogen
• Efficient mode to produce electricity
• Hot-swappable cartridges
• Failed membranes are bypassed
• Load is not interrupted
• Environmentally friendly

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Typical Back-Up Power System
UTILITY FEED
AC
RECTIFIER
DISTRIBUTION
PANEL
METERED DISCONNECT
Backup Run Time Determined by Size/Capacity of
Battery Bank
DC
BUS
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Typical Installations

• BTS Applications
• Limited Access/Remote Sites
• Long Drive Time to Sites
• Substantial Permitting Restriction
• Repeater Sites in Congested Areas
• Highway Sites
• Large Coverage Area/Minimal Overlap

• Microwave Applications
• Microwave Hub Sites
• High Traffic/Revenue Sites
• Multiple BTS Sites Dependent On Hub
• Lower Channel Count
• Microwave Repeater
• BTS Link to MSC
• BTSs daisy-chained to MSC

• Fiber Backhaul Applications
• Fiber Amplifier/Re-Gen Equipment
• High Volume of Traffic

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Applications

• Targeted Applications
• Microwave Hub/Repeater/Backhaul Sites
• Remote Base Station Backup
• Environmentally Restrictive Sites

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Competitive Advantage

• Fuel Cells vs. Incumbent Technologies

ReliOn Batteries Generators
Fuel Cells Modular Hot-swappable Simple
Design Environmentally Friendly Low
Maintenance Low Installation Costs Extended
Run-time Solutions
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Value Proposition for Fuel Cells as Backup Power

• Flexibility Fuel cells are scalable and can be
  configured according to the load and supplied
  with fuel to allow various runtimes depending on
  site requirements.
• Cost Factoring in capital and operational costs,
  many fuel cells are cost effective compared to
  batteries or generator sets.
• Reliability ReliOn fuel cells have been
  thoroughly tested resulting in measured
  reliability and availability of 99.8.
• Simplicity ReliOn fuel cells are modular and
  simple to maintain and, if needed, to repair
  using hot-swappable, field replaceable devices.
• Environmental Hydrogen fuel cells are quiet and
  clean producing only heat and water as
  byproducts. Compressed hydrogen is proven and
  safe without the need for spill containment or
  abatement.

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Outdoor Installations

• Backup for Existing Installations
• Critical Installations/Unreliable Power
• Installation Options
• Cabinetized Sites
• Sheltered Sites

ReliOn Outdoor Enclosure
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Indoor Installations

• Basic Integration Into Shelter
• Fuel Storage Outdoors
• Fuel Cell Installed Inside and Integrated with
  Rectifiers Battery String
• Optional Indoor Fuel Storage
• No External Impact to Shelter
• Fuel Storage Room
• Fuel Cell Installed in Equipment Room

Rack Mountable Indoors
Outdoor Fuel Storage
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Installations Bahamas Telephone Company

• First Installations August 2004
• Rollout Underway
• Wireline wireless sites
• One to three kilowatts 48kWh runtime
• Backup Power
• OPM DLC sites
• Neighborhoods, industrial, remote
• Frequent Power Outages
• Hurricanes
• Poor power infrastructure

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Fuel Cells as Backup Power

• Reliability ReliOn fuel cells have been
  thoroughly tested resulting in measured
  reliability and availability of 99.8.
• Results in revenue protection
• Cost Factoring in capital and operational costs,
  fuel cells are cost effective compared to
  batteries or generator sets.
• Lower life cycle costs
• Environmental Hydrogen fuel cells are quiet and
  clean, producing only heat and water as
  by-products. Compressed hydrogen is proven and
  safe without the need for spill containment or
  abatement.

Fuel cells offer a modern, effective,
forward-looking method for increasing network
dependability, while reducing costs!
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THANK YOU!!Fuel Cells The Emerging Way of
Ensuring Network Reliability

• Marcos Villanueva
• Vice President, International Business
  Development
• June 2006

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Hydrogen Basics

• Hydrogen First Discovered 1766 Henry Cavendish
• Named for being a water former
• 1 Proton, 1 Electron
• H2 Diatomic Molecule, 2 Protons, 2 Electrons
• Colorless, Odorless and has no Taste
• Lightest Element in the Universe
• Disperses Rapidly 1/16 the density of air
• Non-toxic
• Environmentally-friendly

H
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Hydrogen Solutions
261 CUF

• Existing Solution Compressed Hydrogen
• AirGas, Air Liquide, Linde, Praxair, Air
  Products, Locals

197 CUF
Hydrogen is sold in high pressure steel or
aluminum bottles which come in many different
sizes. The actual storage capacity is dependent
on bottle volume and fill pressure.
80 CUF
60
33 CUF
Example Bottles Sizes
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Backup Solutions
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Environmentally Restrictive Applications

• Fuel Cells Solve Problems Encountered Due To
• Air Resources Boards/Local Municipalities
• Generator Emission Noise Limits/Regulations
• Fuel Containment Limitations
• Generator Fuel Storage and Permitting
• Potential Cost of Fuel Leaks
• Battery Restrictions
• Electrolyte Level Limitations NFPA Local
  Jurisdictions
• Additional Costs for Spill Containment