Product category:
Batteries, chargers and circuit protection
News Release from: Saft Industrial Batteries | Subject: SPH batteries
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 28 February 2000
Credit Suisse changes to nickel-cadmium
batteries
Credit Suisse Group, the global banking and insurance group, has become the first major bank to adopt nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries to guarantee the power supply to critical computer systems.
Credit Suisse Group, the global banking and insurance group, has become the first major bank to adopt nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries to guarantee the power supply to critical computer systems The new Saft batteries, which have been installed at the bank's Zürich headquarters, are guaranteed for a 12-year life, giving a lower total cost than the lead-acid batteries Credit Suisse used before
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 21 Feb 2000 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
Unbiased battery comparison software!
Saft's new free software compares within seconds the suitability of different types of industrial batteries according to user-defined criteria - and it doesn't always recommend Saft's own batteries.
World's most powerful storage battery to be built
Saft, the battery company, has won an order worth around US$10million for the design and manufacture of the world's most powerful storage battery, capable of supplying 40 MW of power
The bank had been planning to renew its lead-acid batteries every four years to ensure reliability.
A total of 26 SPH batteries, supplied by Statron, Saft's representative in Switzerland, have been installed in two computer rooms at Credit Suisse's HQ in Zürich.
Half will have a capacity of 250kVA, the others 300kVA.
Further reading
Rechargeable Ni-Cd battery for onboard rail use
A new battery has been purpose designed to provide the perfect high performance on-board battery system for LRV, metro, EMU, locomotive and high speed rail systems
Island batteries are long-term survivors
Specialist photovoltaic rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries still going strong nine years after they were installed on a remote island in the archipelago of Stockholm.
Each battery provides 15 minutes of back-up power for specific systems in the event of mains power failure.
Saft, whose batteries successfully assure back-up power to critical power supplies to industry throughout the world, recommended to Credit Suisse that high-power SPH batteries would be more reliable and cost-effective than traditional low-maintenance lead-acid batteries.
Credit Suisse had experienced unpredictable failure of some lead-acid batteries, resulting in the planned four-year replacement cycle to guarantee reliability.
Saft demonstrated the performance of the SPH Ni-Cd batteries to Credit Suisse engineers at Saft's factory in Bordeaux.
The SPH cells have an advanced electrode design that gives high power output and operation within the narrow voltage "window" found in uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems.
Saft's export sales manager for industrial batteries Dominique Debon said "This is a vital contract for us.
The financial industry's annual spend on protecting critical IT systems is huge, and the installed base of UPS systems predominantly use lead-acid batteries.
Now the lifetime cost and reliablity benefits of Ni-Cd technology, and the limitations of lead-acid batteries, have been recognised by a major bank, we are convinced that other financial institutions will follow suit." In common with all Ni-Cd cells, SPH cells have an inherently more reliable electrochemistry than lead-acid cells, which can suffer from unpredictable "sudden death" failure: in practice this means that in critical applications, frequent replacement of lead-acid batteries is inevitable.
SPH cells have very low maintenance requirements: they need just an annual visual check of electrolyte level, and electrolyte should not need to be topped up during its lifetime in this application.
Compared with lead-acid batteries, they are also more tolerant of electrical abuse such as overcharging, and offer better performance at extremes of temperature.
Cells are available in nominal capacities from 11Ah to 320Ah. Request a free brochure from Saft Industrial Batteries ...
• Saft Industrial Batteries: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Engineeringtalk email newsletter
• Engineeringtalk Home Page
Search the Pro-Talk network of sites
