Ballard Power Systems Inc. offers Fuel cell-based backup power to India

Fuel cells offer a number of significant advantages over conventional batteries and diesel generators for backup power solutions. These include: greater reliability over a wide range of operating conditions; lower maintenance costs; longer operating life; reduced size, weight, installation footprint; and positive environmental impacts. Hydrogen-powered fuel cells are not only pollution-free, but also can have two to three times the efficiency of traditional combustion technologies. A conventional combustion-based power plant typically generates electricity at efficiencies of 33 to 35 percent, while fuel cell systems can generate electricity at efficiencies up to 60 percent (and even higher with cogeneration). These advantages make fuel cell technology ideal for telecommunications backup applications.

In the telecommunications environment, uninterrupted voice, data and video services are vital to business operation and competitive success. Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell is widely regarded as the most promising for light-duty transportation and stationary operations. In the Proton Exchange Membrane three layers of cathode, electrolyte and anode make up the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) of the proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell. The electrolyte is a thin film, usually a sulfonated, perfluorinated polymer. The catalysed electrodes are porous carbon. The operating temperature is less than 100C. Cell outputs generally range from 50 to 250 kW. The solid flexible electrolyte will not leak or crack but their fuels must be purified, and a platinum catalyst is used on both sides of the membrane which raises the costs.

Principle of operation

The principle is that hydrogen gas flows through channels to the anode, where a catalyst causes the hydrogen molecules to separate into protons and electrons. The membrane allows only the protons to pass through it. The protons are conducted through the membrane to the other side of the cell, where oxygen gas, typically drawn from the outside air, flows through channels to the cathode. The stream of negatively-charged electrons follows an external circuit to the cathode which is electricity. When the electrons return from doing work, they react with oxygen and the hydrogen protons (which have moved through the membrane) at the cathode to form water. This union is an exothermic reaction, generating heat that can be used outside the fuel cell.

Ballard Power Systems Inc., is a world leader in the development, manufacture, sale and servicing of hydrogen fuel cells having headquartered in Burnaby, British Columbia. Ballard provides complete backup power solutions to telecommunications providers. Ballard’s Mark1020 ACS™ fuel cell product provides significant advantages to system integrators, and enables an extremely compact and cost-effective backup power solution in power increments ranging from 300 watts to 5 kilowatts. Fuel cell-based backup power systems are designed to operate for approximately ten years, while incumbent technologies may need total replacement every three to five years. Additionally, fuel cell solutions require only minimal maintenance once every one to three years compared to monthly or quarterly site visits to lead-acid battery installations. Ballard Power Systems offers an air cooled, scalable proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell stack suitable to a wide range of light duty applications where durability, reliability and a simplified balance of plant are key requirements. According to Ballard their PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) fuel cell stack has advanced open cathode technology and a state of the art self humidifying membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs). These features completely eliminate the need for humidification systems and simplify system integration with no moving parts, high efficiency, and low thermal and acoustic signatures and produces clean DC power. The system start up to rated power 20 seconds has a steady state life 4000 hours and requires hydrogen gas of 99.95% or better. The stack efficiency 47% to 58% LHV and DC voltage range 24 to 30 Volts.

Ballard to supply Backup Power units for Telecom in India

Ballard Power Systems announced that it has entered into a high volume development and supply agreement, with an affiliate of the ACME Group and IdaTech, to supply net 5kW natural gas fuel cell products to India. The systems will be deployed by ACME, primarily for telecom backup power applications in India. ACME who is an infrastructure provider to telecom network operators and IdaTech will enter into an agreement to form a joint venture in India for the manufacture and assembly of this system. Ballard will be the exclusive supplier of fuel cells to this joint venture. This agreement provides a binding commitment for the purchase of approximately 1,000 units in 2009 and 9,000 units in 2010, subject to meeting product design and acceptance specifications. This high volume, binding agreement represents a big step forward for Ballard and the broader fuel cell sector and also popularise and establish the application in India and other developing countries. The ten-thousand unit volume will enable significant cost reductions and this new low cost, natural gas fuel cell product will be an important enabler for the acceleration of product adoption in other stationary power markets.