BALISES

Fuel cell technology serving cellular telephones

The "Balises" project is an applied R&D project, part of the PAN-H (National Hydrogen Action Plan) program run by ANR (France's National Research Agency).
It consists in powering remote cellular telephone sites in France with electricity produced with a clean energy carrier for a three-year period (from December 2005 to December 2008).
                           

. Why the "Balises" project ?
The project objective is to evaluate the performance of hydrogen energy and fuel cell technology, whether supplied with hydrogen alone or in a hybrid layout using photovoltaic solar panels as the basic or backup source of power for isolated facilities.
Four GSM telecom system cabinets of Bouygues Telecom are powered by this technology. The test focuses primarily on the behavior and performance of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC) operated under real-life weather conditions

The project's partners are testing the viability of this hydrogen based technology to: 
        . Expand the installation of cellular telephone relay stations working from a
          renewable energy source that is environmentally friendly, safe and efficient;
        . Offer an alternative solution for powering relay stations that are isolated or
          hard to connect to the main power grid.

. In practice, what is the "Balises" project?

It comprises four full-time experimental sites and one occasional site for four kind of applications:

. Trie-sur-Baïse site (near Tarbes): stationary base load application 100% fuel cell and hydrogen solution

Operation: the fuel cell system is installed as the single electric power source for the GSM relay station. In this configuration, the relay station is not connected to the electric utility's network. The fuel cell provides 100% of the site's power needs, 24 hours a day.
        . Service introduction: March 2007.
        . Installed power: 2.5 kW 230 VAC (a CommPACTM fuel cell system powered with one
          EvoPACTM).
        . Average power consumed: 1 kW.
        . Supplied  by 6 hydrogen blocks comprising of eighteen 10 m3 50 l gaseous cylinders
          at 200 bar.
        . Average operating range between hydrogen supplies: three weeks.
        . Availability rate (since December 2007): 100%.
        . 8,000 hours of uninterrupted operation using the same fuel cell, with no need for
          maintenance (MTBF > 8000 hours the last on-site service call  took place on 21 November 2007).
        . Total operating time: 10,000 hours.

. La Nouaille site (Limoges): Stationary base load application - "hybrid fuel cell hydrogen + solar" solution

In this site, the electric power supply system comprises of a fuel cell coupled to a set of solar panels to provide 100% of the site's power needs throughout the year (24/7).
        . Service introduction: March 2007.
        . Installed fuel cell power: 5 kW (CommPACTM fuel cell system powered with two EvoPACTM).
        . Supplied  by 5 hydrogen blocks comprising of eighteen 10 m3 50 l gaseous cylinders at 200 bar).
        . Average operating range between hydrogen supplies: one (winter) to two months (summer).
        . 60 m2 of solar panels.
        . Photovoltaic generating capacity installed: 8 kW.
        . Average power consumption: 1.8 kW.
        . Proportion of solar power used: between 40% (winter) and 85% (summer) of total energy
          needs.
        . Availability rate (since December 2007): 97%.

. St Laurent-Lolmie (Agen) and Menville (Toulouse) sites: "stationary  backup mode application

Operation: Back up of the utility network power supply . The system starts up automatically in the event of a utility power cut. This type of installation is designed to make up for power outages in areas subject to electrical storms and to provide back up power during occasional utility network outages.
        . Installed power: 2.5 kW (a CommPACTM fuel cell system powered with one
          EvoPACTM).
        . Hydrogen supply: Six  10 m3 cylinders (50 l-200 bar), contained in the CommPACTM
          system gas cabinet.

 

. St Jean d'Illac (Bordeaux) site: mobile backup application type for occasional use

This demonstration installation was setup to supply an "instant" and occasional backup for a Telecom relay antenna installation (with a power of 1.2 kW), to provide temporary power in case of an emergency due to a power outage from the local utility.
        . Hydrogen supply: 2 2.1 m3 (11 l-200 bar) or 3.5 m3 (20 l-200 bar) cylinders.
        . Capacity: 2.5 kW (one EvoPACTM).

For Axane, this approach comprises:

        - A full service solution 
Axane has worked in close cooperation with Bouygues Telecom and the other parners to investigate the optimum operating mode for fuel cells used to power stand alone Base Transceiver Stations (BTS).
Axane offers a full-service solution including operation and maintenance and handling of the hydrogen supply, reporting, etc., thanks to a high performance remote management system.
This system ensures real-time communication where every site is linked at all times by a GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) link and effective remote control:

         . onitoring the various current, voltage, pressure and temperature levels. 
           Data is automatically collected every 10 minutes, 24 hours a day.
         . Log (since September 2007).
         . Alarms.

A secure access for all parties (customer, partners, etc.) makes a certain amount of data available via the internet in real time.

- An approach that manages and controls the risks entailed

. Installations certified by Bureau Veritas.
. Inspections performed cover all safety aspects: ATEX zoning, equipment, signposting, 
  safety distances?
. Installation, commissioning and start up, deliveries and maintenance operations are
  performed by qualified and certified Axane and Air Liquide staff.

. There are 6 partners in the project

         . Axane: Project coordinator, supplies the fuel cells, manages hydrogen supplies
           and installation maintenance.
         . Bouygues Telecom: User, manages the end application (GSM transmitter) 
           and site commercial operations.
         . 3M: Developing the membranes that form fuel cell core.
         . Université de Savoie - University of Savoie (LMOPS lab): analyses core 
           membrane aging in fuel cells and develops predictive tools.
         . Armines (école des mines de Paris) - Paris School of Mine Engineering: 
           processes the field data feedback by the fuel cell system.
         . Soprano: studies and perfects electronic components
 

. Some promising operating results!

Some of the operating data recorded from the fuel cell system installed at Trie-sur-Baïse in "base mode", as collected in early September 2008:

        . More than 7,000 hours (i.e. almost 300 days in a row) of uninterrupted operations using the 
           same fuel cell and with no maintenance.
        . The battery core membranes have reached 7,500 hours of operation without requiring replacement.
        . Wide amplitude and rigorous climatic conditions endured:
        . From -5°C to 33°C (down to -14°C at the La Nouaille site) with humidity levels ranging from 
           26% to 100% (down to 9% at the La Nouaille site).

The "Balises" project was approved by the TENERRDIS (Technologies Énergies Nouvelles Énergies Renouvelables Rhône-Alpes, Drôme, Isère, Savoie - New and renewable energy technologies, Rhône-Alpes, Drôme, Isère, Savoie) Competitivity Group.