Experimental Investigation of H2 Generator and PEM Fuel Cell as a Remote Area Back-Up Power

A reliable power is paramount and loss of power to communication equipment can mean loss of service to customers and loss of millions of dollars to companies. When the grid power is unavailable in remote areas there are variety of back-up electrical power systems like valve-regulated lead acid (VRLA) battery systems, engine-generator sets, ultra capacitors, flywheels, and new battery technologies that strive to provide back-up power. Hydrogen Energy and fuel cell technology compete with traditional technologies meeting back-up power requirements in stationary applications. Recent collaboration between Victoria University, Sustainable Energy Fuel Cells Australia (SEFCA) and Acta Energy has resulted in thorough laboratory testing for H2 generation and data compilation of fuel cells in a back-up power operation in Power Systems Research Laboratory at Victoria University. The authors of this paper suggests that the use of EL100 H2 generator and T-1000 1.2 kW PEMFC Power Generation System is capable to compete with traditional technologies to offer back-up power when there is no base load or PV or wind power. This paper presents the planning of laboratory testing, analysis and evaluation of the laboratory results. This paper also highlights the benefits of PEMFC system, EL100 H2 generator and ReliOn's T-1000 PEMFC system. Currently it is expensive to run distance trucks requiring several site visits per year in order to refill the diesel or even carrying H2 bottles to a rural site. This system generates H2 on-site and can be implemented as a back-up power in telecommunication system like the Australian National Broadband Network (NBN) where there will be need for reliable back-up power supply since NBN will be rolling out several hundred points of presence (POP's).