Tailoring advanced ni-CD technology for a high energy, sustainable battery solution for outdoor telecom cabinets

Abstract

Consider the OSP cabinet of today; its size is shrinking and its power consumption is increasing. Combined with shifting standards, post Katrina, and a growing concern of telecom OEMpsilas and Operators for the sustainability of their Telecom installations, battery technologies must evolve to meet these challenges. Over the last 10 years, Ni-Cd batteries have made their way into OSP cabinets where reliability, long life and reduced operating costs are the main considerations. While keeping the robust characteristics of this legacy Ni-Cd and combining this with the state of the art technology, the Ni-Cd battery can keep up with the changing needs of OSP cabinet. While the new battery maintains the flooded design principle, its energy density was significantly increased and water consumption was reduced allowing maintenance-free operation over its life. It fits most OSP cabinet designs and can provide 40% to 80% more capacity in the same volume when compared with the legacy Ni-Cd batteries. Design verification testing confirms that its performance meets and sometimes exceeds expectations. Sustainability is an important aspect for any new battery development. A life-cycle environmental assessment is discussed, covering not only raw materials and their recovery but also the impact of typical OSP operating conditions. This paper will introduce and discuss the Ni-Cd design evolution, performance testing results and developments toward sustainable design of a new state of the art Ni-Cd battery and how it meets the challenge of the OSP cabinet of today.