Power system for a telecommunications site

• US 7,436,079 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2006
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Johnson, Larry L., Meyers, Jerry
• Primary Examiner(s): Ponomarenko; Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US11/567,451
• Publication Number:
  US 20080093929A1
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 290/1.R, 290/1.A, 290/2, 290/52, 307/64, 322/7, 322/8
• US Class Current: 290/1.00A
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/30 Fuel cells in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04089 of gaseous reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04208 Cartridges, cryogenic media or cryogenic reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04679 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04686 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04753 of fuel cell reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04776 at auxiliary devices, e.g. reformer, compressor, burner
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0612 from carbon-containing material
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/10 Applications of fuel cells in buildings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A reliable power supply solution for a telecommunications site provides a combined primary and backup source of electrical power. One system of the power supply solution includes one or more microturbine generators operable to produce AC electrical power as well as one or more rectifiers operable convert the AC electrical power from the one or more microturbine generators to DC electrical power for supply to a DC bus. A transfer switch is electrically coupled between one or more microturbine generators and the one or more rectifiers, for selecting between the AC electrical power of the microturbine generators and incoming AC electrical power to be supplied to the rectifiers. Additionally, one or more proton exchange membranes are provided in the system for producing DC electrical power. The aforementioned power generation and supply components are coupled with the DC bus for supplying DC electrical power to telecommunications equipment coupled with the DC bus.

Claims

1. A power system for a telecommunications site, comprising:

at least one microturbine generator operable to produce AC electrical power,

at least one rectifier operable to convert the AC electrical power from the at least one microturbine generator to DC electrical power,

a transfer switch electrically coupled between the at least one microturbine and the at least one rectifier for selecting between the AC electrical power of the microturbine generator and incoming AC electrical power to be supplied to the at least one rectifier;

at least one proton exchange membrane operable to produce DC electrical power; and

a DC bus electrically coupled with the at least one rectifier and the at least one proton exchange membrane for supplying DC electrical power to telecommunications equipment at the telecommunications site.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an energy storage device electrically coupled with the DC bus for storing DC electrical power.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy storage device comprises one or more super capacitors.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one proton exchange membrane comprises at least one first proton exchange membrane adapted to directly received hydrogen fuel from a hydrogen storage device, and at least one second proton exchange membrane adapted to receive hydrogen fuel from a hydrogen reformer coupled with a fuel storage device.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a hydrogen reformer coupled between the least one proton exchange membrane and a fuel source.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the fuel source is provided by:

a storage tank; and

a utility fuel delivery line.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising control means for selectively controlling the availability of fuel to the hydrogen reformer via the storage tank and the utility fuel delivery line.