Durathon* Batteries

Battery Power, Reimagined For Telecommunications

Long Service Life

Designed for continued daily cycle performance over extended periods of time,
Durathon Batteries enable a high-energy throughput over their lifetime. For deep
discharge applications, battery life can be as high as 3,500 cycles. For shallow
cyclesbattery life can exceed 10,000 cycles.
Temperature Independent
Durathon Batteries can operate without any special ambient temperature controls,
thereby reducing energy usage, equipment maintenance and space requirements.
Capable of operating at ambient temperatures ranging from -40C to 65C, Durathon
Batteries support telecom operations in remote locations under these harsh
environments without adversely affecting energy delivery or life cycle.
Minimal Maintenance
Durathon Batteries require minimal on-site maintenance. Each module features
a Durathon Battery Management System (BMS) that monitors battery health and
performance, enabling remote monitoring and diagnostics. Operators are also spared
the extra expense of maintaining HVAC systems, as Durathon Batteries are designed
to operate in extreme temperature environments.
Environmentally Responsible
Durathon Batteries, a product of GEs ecomaginationSM program, are manufactured
from abundantly available raw materials and can be recycled through the GE Energy
Storage recycling program. By using a continuous charge-discharge-cycling (CDC)
operating mode, fuel usage and carbon emissions are substantially reduced over
the full life cycle of the battery.
Smaller Footprint
With best-in-class energy density, Durathon Batteries offer more energy in half
the space and one-third the weight of equivalent legacy battery technologies. By
reducing the need for diesel generators, operators can use smaller generators as
a back-up power source.
Theft Deterrent
Because Durathon Batteries operate at 48V and are made from abundantly available
raw materials with little resale value, they are inherently less prone to theft than
traditional battery technologies.

Durathon Battery Technology

GE has established a new generation of technological advancements to improve quality of life across
the globe. A battery innovation for the modern age, the Durathon Battery forms the basis for higherperformance energy storage systems. Through its high-energy density, short charge time requirements,
extended discharge windows and proven success across a wide ambient temperature range, GEs
Durathon Battery is transforming the way we look at power and energy solutions.
Telecommunication Industry Challenges
In the world of telecommunications, maintaining consistent and cost-effective service is a challenge across the
globe. Unreliable electrical grids, rising fuel expenses, increasing maintenance costs and mounting pressure to
reduce generator emissions have prompted mobile telecom operators to seek out better energy storage solutions
to use in concert with existing diesel generator equipment or as a long-term back-up power supply.
The Durathon Battery Solution
Durathon Batteries were designed specifically to address these industry challenges, as well as to offer significant
improvements over traditional battery technologies. For operators seeking to reduce operating coststhe Durathon
Battery represents an unprecedented opportunity.

The Story Behind the Battery

Durathon Battery technology is transforming the way we look at alternative power and energy solutions.
Originating from a pursuit of a better power source for hybrid locomotives, GE Global Research evaluated various
battery technologies and identified sodium nickel chloride batteries as the most versatile and effective solution.
In 2007, GE acquired Beta R&D, a UK-based company that originally pioneered the development of sodium metal
halide batteries in the 1980s. Beta R&D had already demonstrated the technologys durability through years of
research and development.
To date, GE has invested $100 million into a world-class Durathon Battery manufacturing facility. Officially opened in
July 2012, production commenced in September 2011 using state-of-the-art equipment grounded in GEs superior
quality and manufacturing methods.

For more information about Durathon Battery technology, visit www.geenergystorage.com.

Charge-Discharge-Cycling (CDC) Application Solutions

Durathon Battery technology has been adapted specifically for CDC telecom applications. In off-grid
applications where batteries are used alongside diesel generators in a continuous CDC operating mode,
the Durathon Battery lowers fuel costs and improves overall system efficiency. By leveraging short
charge times that drive the diesel generator to peak efficiency, the Durathon Battery has been proven
to reduce fuel usage and the associated emissions by over 40% when used in off-grid installations.
In addition, because Durathon Battery performance is not affected by ambient temperature, operators
can reduce fuel expenses, emissions and maintenance even further by eliminating unnecessary cooling
systems and large-scale HVAC systemseven at sites with extreme temperature variations.
CapacityNot Amp-Hours
By maintaining higher voltages during discharge cycles, the Durathon Battery reframes the concept of
capacity by focusing on kilowatt-hours (kWh) rather than the more traditional measurement of Amp-hours
(Ah). The Durathon Batterys greater capacity per kilowatt-hour equates to a best-in-class energy density
that offers more site run time in half the space and one-third the weight of an equivalent wet-cell,
lead-acid battery. For a telecommunications operator, that represents real savings in the form of
a smaller installation footprint and reduced infrastructure costs.

diesel fuel comsumption (liters)

Fuel Savings Pay Off

The primary goal of the Durathon Battery in a CDC application is to maximize fuel savings. The following graph
shows the cumulative daily fuel savings when the Durathon Battery is used in this type of CDC application.

45
40
35

continuous
generator
operation

30
25

fuel
savings

20
15

battery
charging
battery discharging
(generator idle)

10
5
0
0

10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
time (hours)

Figure 1: Typical daily fuel savings with the Durathon Battery in a CDC application

Energy When You Need It

Maximizing Energy Throughput
The Durathon Battery can be
fully recharged in less than
10 hours. In a CDC application,
the Durathon Battery requires
only 2 to 3 hours to recharge
to a level that allows it to carry
a 1kW site load for 7 1/2 to
8 hours.

Figure 2: Durathon Battery recharge characteristics drive energy throughput.

Power Availability Solutions

Another advantage of the Durathon Battery is its ability to integrate successfully into sites with space or
weight constraints. In cities where power grids are available but have low reliability, cell towers that use
diesel generators for backup may not be an option due to local ordinance. In addition, many of these towers
are located in areas where space is at a premium and the weight of a large bank of backup batteries can
become a structural issue for the buildings where they are installed. Since urban cell towers generate high
revenues for wireless operators, power availability is critical. Existing battery solutions tend to lose capacity
at sites with high ambient temperatures or that require frequent deep discharges. Many fail due to a lack
of over-charge or over-discharge protection. In areas of high population density, battery theft is also
prevalent, which results in reduced system availability and increased capital expenditures for operators.
The Durathon Battery is an ideal solution for providing power availability to urban cell towers. Its high
energy density can pack up to four times the energy offered by traditional battery solutionsin the
same-sized package. The Durathon Battery also has a tolerance for extreme temperatures, and the
random discharge cycles associated with low-reliability power grids do not negatively impact its long cycle
life. The integrated Durathon Battery Management System protects the battery from abnormal events,
which greatly improves its availability
even after extreme outages. And, since
Lead Acid
Durathon E4810
Durathon E4815
each Durathon Battery module operates
Capacity (Ah)
300
600
184
276
at 48V, it is not suitable for most domestic
uses, which helps to deter theft.
Usable Capacity (kWh) C/10
7.56
15.12
8.0
12.0
Table 1 (right) compares the Durathon
Battery with a typical lead-acid battery.

Energy Density (Wh/l)

50-100 50-100

132

Table 1: The Durathon Battery vs. traditional lead-acid

151

The Durathon Battery Solution in Action

Reducing Operating Costs Through Fuel Savings
The Servatis DGO system is an in-line battery system for
Diesel Generator Optimization that Megatron-Federal
deploys to existing off-grid base transmission sites (BTS).
The product, which uses two Durathon Batteries,
connects the existing on-site diesel generators with
the BTS. In other systems, the diesel generator alone
supplies power to the BTS, which results in very low levels
of efficiency and very high levels of fuel consumption.
The Servatis can be deployed to existing, off-grid or
poor grid base transmission sites without disruption
of operations. It can be installed without service personnel
accessing the BTS shelter. This is different from the
approach used by other hybrid solutions, which often
have to interface directly with the DC power supply
inside the shelter. The system also features remote
monitoring capabilities.

Meeting Urban Site Constraints

The Adrian Group is a leading system integrator and
operations service provider to GSM companies with
operations in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and
with plans to expand to Burundi, Ethiopia, Mozambique
and Zambia. A number of the
sites managed by the Adrian
Group are located in densely
populated areas where wireless
signals and data transmission
loads are heaviest.
The main challenge at these
sites is downtime due to frequent
power outages on the grid, but
no less important are the sitespecific issues that the Adrian
Group has to address. The
majority of landlords that
lease space for the towers

To date, sites using the Servatis

system with Durathon Batteries
have experienced a 50% reduction
in diesel fuel consumption. In
addition, the Durathon Batterys
rapid charge time coupled with
its long cycle life result in
corresponding savings in diesel
generator servicing and refuelling
costs which are often high in the rural locations where
Megatron-Federal operates.
This is the beginning of a revolutionary technology that
will change energy storage as we currently know it
throughout the electrical industry, not only for telecom.
Brandon Harcus, Division Manager of Megatron-Federal

typically prohibit the use of generators due to noise

and exhaust regulations. In addition, space is tightly
constrained and the structures supporting the power
plant have limits on weight.
Adrian needed a battery solution that could provide a
minimum of eight hours of power reserves and meet
all of its rooftop structure and space constraints. The
Durathon Battery was the perfect fit. Pilot installations
have demonstrated that sites outfitted with Durathon
Battery energy storage systems could handle the
frequent outages while maintaining high site availability.
Now, Adrian is in the process of retrofitting its managed
sites with Durathon Battery systems.
The Durathon Battery has proven to be the perfect
solution for our rooftop sites its the innovation we
have been tirelessly looking for.
Benard Njoroge, Group Managing Director, Adrian Group of Companies

*Durathon is a trademark of the General Electric Company.

GE, the GE Monogram, imagination at work and all other trademarks, and service marks, unless otherwise noted, are owned or licensed by the General Electric Company
or its subsidiaries. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders.
GEA-20195A

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