New battery technologies and their potential impact in the use of energy in the telephone industry

✍ Scribed by B.W. Burrows; H.R. Espig

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1979
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 580 KB
• Volume: 4
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0378-7753
• DOI: 10.1016/0378-7753(79)80003-8

✦ Synopsis

The principal use of batteries in the telecommunications industry is to provide standby or emergency d.c. power to telephone exchanges in the event of a failure or breakdown in the utility supply. Batteries are also used for standby power in microwave relay stations, for emergency lighting, and a variety of other minor uses.

Due to its low cost, long life and reliability the lead-acid battery dominates standby applications. Substantial developments are, however, in progress throughout the world to develop secondary batteries for use in electric vehicles and utility load-leveling. In addition, substantial improvements are being made in the development of compact, low-cost primary batteries such as those based on zinc-air and lithium technology.

The characteristics of the lead-acid and nickel-cadmium systems are reviewed and the systems under development are then described together with their predicted characteristics and costs. The possible impact on the telecommunications industry of these new developments in battery technology is discussed.