Batteries provide emergency tunnel lighting
A
Saft Industrial Batteries product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Mar 29, 2007
Saft rechargeable nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) battery systems have been installed in well over 50 road tunnels throughout Austria, and continue to work well after 25 years.
Saft rechargeable nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) battery systems have been installed in well over 50 road tunnels throughout Austria to provide up to two hours of emergency back-up power for vital safety lighting, signalling and communication systems.
In 1981, Statron, Saft's local agent for Austria, completed the first Ni-Cd battery installation for the tunnels in the 10km-long Pack tunnel chain between Graz and Klagenfurt.
They have demonstrated outstanding performance and reliability in this demanding application, and the same batteries are still performing well 25 years later.
In the same region of Austria in 2004, Saft batteries were installed in the new, second tube of the 10km Plabutsch tunnel.
According to ASFINAG, the operator of the Pack and Plabutsch tunnel chain: "In the late 1970s, when we were first considering the battery options for the Pack tunnel, we established a minimum 10-year service life as one of the key criteria".
"In view of the demanding conditions in the tunnel we believe this to be a very optimistic goal, especially for lead-acid batteries".
"However, when the LCC (life cycle costing) analysis provided by Statron showed that we could expect a 20-year plus service life for Ni-Cd batteries they became the obvious choice".
"There were of course other important factors such as: ease of maintenance; a wider range of operating temperatures; the capability to withstand the environmental conditions in the battery room; a predictable service-life with no risk of sudden death failure".
"The original Pack batteries are still functioning well, 25 years later, at around 70 to 80% nominal capacity".
"So naturally we have chosen the same type of batteries for all our tunnels in this section, including the second tube of the Plabutsch tunnel".
Typically, up to nine Saft battery systems are installed in each road tunnel, where they work in conjunction with UPS systems rated up to 80kVA to supply emergency AC back-up power, in the event of a mains power failure, to ensure continued operation for emergency lighting, signalling, communications, fire alarms, central control systems, emergency doors, exhaust air valves, emergency refuge and exit lighting.
Separate batteries also provide DC support for telecommunications.
The battery systems comprise hundreds of Saft SBM and SBL Ni-Cd batteries with capacities ranging from 68 to 690Ah.
The SBM and SBL are block design batteries, with a robust pocket-plate construction, developed specifically to deliver reliability, long service-life and low-maintenance requirements in power back-up applications.
The batteries are mounted on racks in the control rooms and the tunnel caverns and, following discharge, can be charged at constant voltage and current to restore full charge within six hours.
The Plabutschtunnel is Europe's longest double-tube road tunnel.
It is one of the longest tunnels along the motorway A9-Pyhrnautobahn, which links central and southeastern Europe.
The key function of the tunnel is to lead regional and international traffic around the city-centre of Graz.
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Contact Saft Industrial Batteries
Tel +33 1 49 93 1807
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