The Co-operative bank in the UK has replaced its lead acid batteries used to backup its data processing facility in Stockport, Manchester, with a system that uses compressed air – the first of its kind to be used in the industry.
The Air-DRUPS system by Pnu Power in the UK and Socomec uses a series of scroll generators driven by compressed air to provide emergency energy supply for a few seconds, until the backup generator kicks in.
Pnu Power designed the compressed air batteries, while Socomec provide the Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems for the banking group. DC Environmental Services carried out the installation and commissioning at the building The Co-operative calls The Co-operative Pyramid.
The Co-operative Estates managing director Martyn Hulme said he believes the system will have better value over its lifespan than lead acid batteries, which can be expensive to purchase and require regular maintenance.
“The initial capital outlay is comparable to similar UPS systems although higher than those using batteries but the total cost over the lifetime of the product is much lower, making it highly attractive,” Hulme said.
According to a case study released on the new technology, the Socomec UPS is packaged with energy storage in the form of compressed air provided by Pnu Power.
“The double conversion UPS equipment operates in exactly the same way as it would with a battery attached,” the case study said.
The Pnu Power/ Socomec Air-DRUPS system
“The Pnu Power 3x DC100 compressed air batteries work in parallel to provide a DC source of energy by connecting to the original battery bus. Most data center UPS systems operate well below 100% load because of redundancy of the equipment and the tendency to oversize the equipment for future expansion. The Air-DRUPS system was designed with this in mind and provides maximum efficiency at just half load."
The system was designed specifically for use in data centers and provides N+1 redundancy within the cabinet.
The vendors said the solution has a minimum of 30 seconds backup time, which can reduce the amount of time within which the backup generator needs to start, saving energy at the block heaters.