Fuel Cell Extended Runtime Stationary Power
Datacenter
Angelo Monteleone
Business Development Manager
November 2013
SHIFT POWER | ENERGIZE YOUR WORLD
There is a power shift happening worldwide
• From fossil fuels to a blend of renewable, accessible alternatives
• From volatility to user-controlled supply management
• From excess waste and emissions to sustainable energy
inventories and zero-emissions
• From single-resource dependence to multi-purpose energy
architectures
• From thinking backward to rebuilding energy confidence in the
future
CoverTel Power exists to accelerate this power
shift by engineering and building the
technologies needed to make it happen.
2
Extended Run-time UPS with Fuel Cells
Data Centre UPS
Ideal Requirements
 Compact, high-density power
generators in the racks next to the
loads
 Unlimited energy storage, moved out
of the data room
 Modular, plug-in power generation
units, easy installation, interface and
commissioning with standard UPS
models
 Easy future upgrade for increased
power by adding modules and racks
 No decay* due to operation
 No decay* due to disuse (dormancy)
 No decay* due to start/stop cycling
 No periodic start-up requirement
 Safety requirements easily met
 Reduced or eliminated maintenance
requirements
 Lower overall costs than pure battery
solution
 Exactly predictable run-time
 Run-time easily further extended while
operating online
* - performance as well as reliability!
Fuel Cell Extended Run UPS and
Stand-by Power System
10 kWnet
10 kWnet
10 kWnet
Fuel Cell Power
Module(s)





Stack
Air management
H2 management
FC Module Control
CAN-Interface
Rack






Fuel Cells
DC/DC’s
Cooling HEX
Ventilation
System Controller
Local LCD display
keypad user
interface
 19” Rack
Standard UPS
 APC Series
Smart-UPS VT or
Symmetra PX
 Grid connection
 Bridging power
 User
communication
 Inverters and
rectifiers
Fuel Cell
Extended Run
UPS / Standby System
 Rated 10, 20 or
30 kW
 N+1
redundancy
capable
Rack Arrangement
System Controller
(2U)
DC/DC #1
(3U)
Upper Infrastructure
interfaces
DC/DC #3
(3U)
DC/DC #2
(3U)
FC #1
(7U)
FC #2
(7U)
FC #3
(7U)
Ventilation and
exhaust duct, with
integrated H2 supply
quick-connect.
Pre-installed power
bus-bars,
communications
interfaces, cables
Quick-connect cooling
Cooling System
Heat Exchanger
Water Drain
H2 Supply
(10U)
Total 42U =
1.87 m
Heat exchanger, pump,
manifolds, drain
Fuel Cells combine the advantages
of batteries and gensets
Energy Storage Energy Density vs. Power Density
100000
Specific Power, W/kg
Super
Li-ion
Capacitors Very high
10000
power
Li-ion
High power
Lead acid
Spirally wound
Li-ion
High energy
A123
A123,
5kWhr Pack
1000
Toshiba, SCiB Standard
Module, TBP Series
100
EEStor
“Claim”
Thundersky -LFP
12kW HD FCPM, 350 bar H2,
270F Ultracap
ZEBRA
10
Ni-MH
Ni-Cd
Lead
acid
Ni-NiCQ
LiM-Polymer
1
00
20
20
40
40
60
60
80
0
80
100
20
100
120
12040
140 60 160
160 80 180
180 100200
200
140
Specific Energy, Wh/kg
300
120
400
140
500
160
600
180
700
200
Runtime Diagram: Fuel Cell with One H2 Bundle and
APC Symmetra PX 96 kW 400 V (SY…96H-PD)
> 30 kW is problematic with battery-only solution above 3 h runtime
> 40 kW is problematic with battery-only solution above 2 h runtime
> 70 kW is problematic with battery-only solution above 1 h runtime
Hydrogen Storage
FC Interfaces
H2 Feed
Line
Exhaust
Blower
Ventilation, Exhaust
Local Output
380/400 V
50 Hz
3-Ph AC
Mains
380/400 V
50 Hz
3-Ph AC
Coolant Return
Dry Cooler
or Chiller
Coolant Supply
OPTIONAL
Communications
UPS
Infrastructure
(Local
off-grid
“island”
Inverters)
Controller
DC-DC’s
Fuel Cells
-192 V
0V
+192 V
dc
3x 10 kW
UPS
Batteries
for
“Bridging
” power
and Steploads
Cooling
Fuel Cell-R10/20/30
Rack
Water Drain
APC
SMART-UPS VTP
or Symmetra PX
Grid
Synchronized
Output
400V 50 Hz
3-Ph AC
Data Center Application References
Reference Installations to 2009
DK
DK
UK
UK
Number of
Modules
1 X 10 kW
1 x 10 kW
1 x 10 kW
3 x 10 kW
 5 systems are fully populated with 3
modules
UK
SLO
CH
3 x 10 kW
3 x 10 kW
1 x 10 kW
 By Country:
CA
CA
US
US
US
US
6 Countries
2 x 10 kW
3 x 10 kW
1 x 10 kW
3 x 10 kW
1 x 10 kW
2 x 10 kW
25 Modules,
250 kW
End User
Country
APC Kolding
BankInvest Copenhagen
UPS Systems Hungerford
Winton Capital Management,
Kensington
Comtec Enterprises, Surrey
MoD
Swisscom / U. of Appl. Sc.
Lucerne
Interlink Toronto
NRCan Vancouver
APC West Kingston
US Department of the Army
US National Weather Service
True View Chicago
Totals: 13 Systems




25 Modules
250 kW net
13 Systems
6 Countries
 2 systems are with 2 modules
 6 systems are with 1 module
• UK: 7 modules,
• US: 7 modules
• CA: 5 modules
• SLO: 3 modules
• DK: 2 modules
• CH: 1 module
 13 modules in Europe
 12 modules in North America
APC HQ, West Kingston Rhode Island
PDU
FCXR
UPS
H2 Storage
Interlink Connectivity, Toronto
 5th floor of a 21-story building in downtown Toronto
built in the 1920s
• Battery bank option was too bulky and heavy
• Diesel generation installation was too costly
 30 kW system
• air conditioning load
• and server load
 Fuel cell and UPS
in the server room
 Hydrogen storage located in
an adjacent room
Swisscom, Lucerne
 Swisscom mobile
• R&D Partner and host site: Lucerne University of Applied
Science
• Connected to APC DP310E UPS in an outdoor container – up
to 10 kW
• Super-capacitors for bridging power
• Up to 6 h of backup with antenna load of 2.4 kW, or 2 h at 10
kW
• 256 simulations of grid-failure up to 8.5 kW loads in the first 2
year project
• Project extended for a 2nd 2-year term
Comtec Enterprises, Surrey
 30 kW, 30 kVA
 ICT Communications Company,
Reigate, Surrey, UK
 Datacentre, 24/7 Network
Operations Centre
 “Eco-Structure” Web-Hosting
environment
 Winner of Datacentre 2007 Award
for Innovation in Micro-Datacentres
15
H2KT Project: Nuuk, Greenland
 Nukissiorfiit: Energy Utility, End Client
 H2Logic: System Integration &
Project Management
Scope:
Grid
Inverters
Controller
DC-DC’s
Fuel Cells
Local
Inverters
2 x 10 kW
Cooling
Hybrid
energy
storage
16
H2 Mini Grid System: Rotherham, Yorkshire
 Hydrogen Mini-Grid System
 Yorkshire Forward’s
Advanced Manufacturing Park,
Environmental Energy Technology Center
Rotherham (Sheffield), Yorkshire
 Environmentally-Efficient Building
Hydrogenics Scope:
Scope:
FC Rack
Fuel Cell
Modules
(30 kW)
 UPS Systems PLC: FC Integration,
Power Electronics and Control
17
(Herten, Germany)
Scope of supply:
• Fuel Cell -R, 50kW Fuel Cell System
• Fuel Cell -30 Electrolyzer, Indoor Version
• Equipment delivered 2012-08
HyPM ™-R, 50kW
fuel cell system
HySTAT™-30
electrolyzer
Sir Samuel Griffith Center,
Brisbane, Australia
Delivery Scheduled 2Q 2013
Electrolyzer30
(2) Fuel Cells 30kW FC Racks
Controller
DC-DC’s
Fuel Cells
6 x 10 kW
= 60 kW
Cooling
Ideal Spatial/Efficiency Attributes
Modular plug-in
power generation
units, easily installed,
interfaced and
commissioned with
standard UPS
models
Energy
storage
moved out of
the data
room
Compact, highdensity power
generators in
the racks next
to the loads
Easy power
capacity
upgrade by
adding modules
and racks
Valuable data
center space is
saved for revenuegenerating
equipment
(servers!)
Ideal Performance Attributes
Energy
Certainty.
Reliable.
Impervious,
Stable.
Bankable.
Safe.
No decay
due to
start/stop
cycling
Safety
requirements
easily met
No decay
due to
dormancy
No periodic
start-up
requirement
No decay
due to
operation
Ideal System Merits
Extends
UPS
runtime from
Minutes to
Days
Runtime
easily
extended
from Days to
Weeks
Run time is
predictable
with total
accuracy
Extended-run
Rack and
Stand-by
Generator
All-in-one
Runtime easily
continued
online by tank
hot-swap
Higher
Efficiency
than IC
Engines
In Conclusion
Combines the
Advantages of
Batteries and
Gensets but
without the
disadvantages
Less
maintenance
than batteries
and gensets
No energy
storage decay
100% Clean
as with
and Sustainable
batteries
with energy from
renewable
sources Especially
well suited for
pollution "nonattainment"
zones
More reliable
than IC engine
+ Genset + ATS
combination
Cost of Ownership vs Run-time: 30 kW
SYCFXR48-9
Indoor
8 Batt Racks
2 UPS Racks
6 Batt Racks
2 UPS Racks
SY32K48H-PD
…
Fuel Cell Solution
Fuel Cell 30 kW
Indoor
Total Cost of Ownership 
Battery-only Solution
4 Batt Racks
1 UPS Rack
Outdoor
3 Batt Racks
1 UPS Rack
SY32K48H-PD
2 Batt Racks
1 UPS Rack
…
1 Batt Rack
1 UPS Rack
0 Batt Racks
1 UPS Rack
FC is more economical
when:
- Runtime > 2.5 h
- Battery Racks > 3
1 FC Rack
1 UPS Rack
1 H2 Bundle
1 FC Rack
1 UPS Rack
2 H2 Bundles
Fuel Cell Cabinet
Hydrogen Cylinder
Shroud
Fuel Cell Cabinet
Note: There is capacity for 8
cylinders (4 shown)
Fuel Cell
5 or 8 kW each
Fuel Cell Cabinet
Integrated with Storage
Product Testing (Mississauga)