UK’s first commercial fuel cell to protect computer systems

HUNGERFORD, UK, June 1, 2007. UPS Systems has announced the first commercial implementation in the UK of a fuel cell-based standby power system, at Winton Capital Management in London.

Winton is a managed futures and hedge fund manager trading in markets worldwide and the “always on” availability of its IT systems are critical to its operations. The fuel cell UPS solution implemented at Winton is the first to be supplied by UPS Systems. The installation follows its own purchase in 2006 of a similar system that is now protecting its IT infrastructure at its headquarters in Hungerford – the first such system installed in the UK.

The system is based on a Hydrogenics PEM fuel cell system, running on hydrogen. Winton has purchased three 10 kW fuel cells mounted in the same rack, providing a maximum 30 kW of power; its modular, rack-integrated design makes it easy to add additional units. Winton’s fuel cell system is linked to a 30 kW, three-phase uninterruptible power supply (UPS) that, in the event of a power failure, will provide potentially unlimited runtime.

To ensure a totally sensitive integration of the system, Winton commissioned an underground hydrogen storage facility. A hydraulic mechanism offers simple and efficient access to the tanks.

click here for more info...