Configuration and reliability of an air-conditioning system for telecommunications systems that uses the heat dissipated from fuel cells

NTT Power and Building Facilities Inc., is now developing an air conditioning system for telecommunications use that uses the heat dissipated from phosphoric acid fuel cells. The authors have investigated the reliability of the air conditioning system and have found that the reliability of such a system can be improved if either multiple absorption refrigerators are used, or if a back-up heat supply facility (burner) is installed in an absorption refrigerator. They have also found that both an exhaust heat-driven air conditioning system and an electrically driven distributed air conditioning system must be combined to meet the reliability level required of air conditioning for telecommunications systems. In such a configuration, the number of air conditioners in the electrically driven distributed air conditioning system can be reduced by 30%