Fuel Cells Keep Power Flowing

June 18, 2007: The UK’s UPS Systems plc has deployed what it claims is the UK’s first commercial fuel cell backup power system.

The system has been deployed by Winton Capital Management Limited, a managed futures and hedge fund manager in London. Due to the company being located in a dense residential area, diesel backup generators weren’t an option, and with limited office space, a bank of batteries was also out of the question.

According to continuitycentral.com, the system uses a Hydrogenics fuel cell engine and Proton Exchange Membrane technology. Hydrogen is passed over one side of the Proton Exchange Membrane and Oxygen over the other side. As the two meet they create water vapour and negative ions which are captured.

The system is connected via a 3-phase UPS, and in the event of a power outage can provide unlimited backup power – provided the supply of hydrogen is maintained.

The company says that hydrogen for these purposes is supplied in cylinder form and claims on its website that “each standard 'K' cylinder provides around 10kWh of mains electrical power. At a 5kW load you would therefore get 2 hours runtime per cylinder.”

“This customer is the perfect example of why Fuel Cell solutions are an important development for standby power,” said UPS Systems Sales Manager Lee Scott. “Without this alternative the customer would have been left with a less than satisfactory solution, however a Fuel Cell based system has given them the 24/7 power and protection they needed.”

UPS Systems says the solution compact as it provides up to 30kw in a 19” rack, it is virtually silent and, other than electricity and heat, produces only water vapour. The company also says it requires far less maintenance than traditional systems due to its lack of moving parts, and can be installed without planning approval.

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