Battery Bank installed at Telecom Tower sites acts as a backup for power supply to the active infrastructure. Normally C10 VRLA battery with battery life of 3 years provides backup for 5-6 hours to the telecom site. The maximum energy and number of cycles from the battery depends upon the depth of discharge (DoD) and the temperature. However it is normally observed that backup does not last as normally stated by the manufacturer. Industry at present operates DoD in the range of 50-60%.
Another option is to use Nickel based battery technologies. There are two types of Ni.Cd (Nickel Cadmium) battery construction namely Sintered plate and pocket plate. Other nickel based batteries include NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydrid) battery. Batteries with pocket plate design have extended cycle life and the ability to withstand extended periods at partial stage of charge without sustaining any damage, which is usually one of the Telecom site’s demand. Also sintered plate cells have a tendency to suffer from memory effect phenomenon while pocket plate construction does not suffer from such memory effect.
Presently Samaya Noa is the only company which demonstrated the excellent Telecom site operations using pocket type Ni.Cd technology at USOF sites in India.
