Jul 23 2008
Chloride has expanded its technology options to offer customers more choice in selecting the most appropriate power protection solution for their application. Whilst developing ever more efficient battery-based Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems in the drive for greener credentials, it has also extended the scope of back-up power options by embracing flywheel and fuel cell alternatives.
For most applications, traditional lead-acid batteries remain the most commonly used energy storage solution and Chloride continues to develop ever more efficient battery backed UPS systems. There are however some specific industrial applications where alternatives to batteries can be considered and may be employed successfully. Accordingly, Chloride has entered into agreements with leading developers of the main alternative technologies - Vycon (flywheels) and IdaTech (fuel cells). This enables the Company to offer, where appropriate, flywheel options with its advanced 80-NET systems and fuel cells for low power UPS applications.
The flywheel energy storage option may offer a practical alternative to lead-acid batteries in some specific types of application requiring only short autonomy times. Where an application demands only a few seconds of autonomy, the flywheel can deliver significant improvement in Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) of the power supply. This will be attractive to certain industrial manufacturing and processing customers for ‘glitch protection’. Flywheels may also be employed in parallel with batteries to provide ‘battery hardening’ in hybrid applications where severe battery duty risks shortening battery life.
Integration of fuel cell technology with low power UPS can provide an opportunity for extending autonomy times into days for critical applications at remote locations or areas known to experience long power outages.
Chloride was recently acclaimed as Frost & Sullivan European UPS Company of the Year 2007, and in extending the breadth of energy storage technologies available with its advanced systems reaffirms its commitment to provide its customers with optimum application-specific power protection solutions.