Bleeding-Edge Airgen Runs On Hydrogen
Built by Ballard Power Systems and distributed by MGE UPS Systems, the AirGen Fuel Cell Generator runs on hydrogen. Commercial units connect to industrial-size hydrogen tanks, while portable units run off internal hydrogen canisters.
About 15 inches high and the size of small fire extinguishers, the hydrogen canisters were recently DOT-approved for transport, so this unique fuel source can now be shipped wherever needed. The 15-pound canisters contain low-pressure hydrogen gas and metal-hydride filler to make them nonexplosive.
The portable AirGen Fuel Cell Generator contains three of the hydrogen canisters, and each will last for about 10 minutes of runtime for a total of about 30 minutes at full load. AirGen is rated at 1,000VA continuous and 1,600VA peak. Because a fuel cell cannot instantly kick out 100 percent power, a small battery sustains the load while the fuel cell output ramps up. Only depleted canisters need be replaced, while the remaining ones can still provide emergency power.
With a good supply of hydrogen canisters on hand, AirGen can run indefinitely. AirGen costs about $6,000, and it's intended for applications where long backup times are required and generators can't be used.
Before mentioning the cost of the hydrogen canisters, it is important to understand that this is bleeding-edge technology, and that costs will certainly drop once demand and production reach maturity. Right now the hydrogen canisters cost about $2,700 for a set of three.
Clearly, it makes no economic sense whatsoever to generate backup power from an AirGen running off the hydrogen canisters. But the cost of hydrogen obtained from industrial cylinders is next to nothing, so for commercial settings where AirGen could provide backup power indefinitely, the system might make good sense. Fuel cells could even become the standard way of generating backup power in the near future. For a given volume of space, hydrogen stores more energy than any battery can.
An Internal UPS
A new internal UPS from Jageson Technology can help system builders differentiate their systems from their competitors'. Test Center engineers examined Jageson's JUTX7400, a 170-watt ATX 12V-compliant PC power supply that fits in all new PC cases. The only catch is that the battery pack takes the form of a 5.25-inch drive and must be installed in a free 5.25-inch bay. Not only does JUTX7400 provide full UPS functionality, it also lets system builders install something in those extra drive bays that usually remain empty.
Software is included with the JUTX7400 for monitoring power conditions and to allow automatic shutdowns. The software works in Windows 98, NT, 2000, XP and Linux. A special serial cable connects from the power supply inside the PC case through a card bracket on the back of the PC to an unused serial port.
The JUTX7400 provides short-circuit protection, overload protection, over-voltage protection and over-discharge/over-charge battery protection. It also eliminates the need for heavy, bulky external UPSes that require additional floor space. System builders can now help smaller businesses fit into smaller offices without compromising protection.
SMB UPSes
APC's Smart-UPS XL 1000VA unit offers USB and serial connectivity so that its automatic shutdown software will work with newer PCs that don't have a serial port. This unit also offers unlimited extended runtime by allowing users to daisychain an unlimited number of additional battery packs. This unit can grow in capacity along with the size of the network it's supporting. APC claims a full-load backup time of almost 10 minutes.
Falcon Electric's brand-new SMP1.0k-1C 1,000VA unit features tight output regulation that's perfect for any equipment sensitive to power fluctuations. It also features an LCD display that tells users what's going on by displaying meaningful information rather than just lighting LEDs. The display can even show the actual line voltage level, rather than simply indicating whether it's too high or too low.
Powercom's Vanguard 1000VA UPS also supports USB connectivity, and it has a multiple-language LCD display. Like APC's unit, this one also provides extended backup time with the addition of external battery packs. Powercom claims a full-load backup time of 6 minutes.
Powerware's model 5125 UPS is a 1,000VA unit with an expansion slot that accepts an optional Web/SNMP card. The four-port card has one uplink port and three network ports, and it turns the UPS into a switching hub. This can help save space in small offices.