Telecom Site Power

Marathon Engine Systems and the Telecommunications Industry

Lack of grid power should not be a hindrance to Telecom site placement . . .

because configurable Remote Prime Power is Available

Nothing will impact our society more in the coming decade than ENERGY and TELECOMMUNICATIONS. Marathon Engine Systems (MES) is ready for these changes with new solutions to the technical challenges in electrical power for telecommunications.

The diagram above shows a typical layout for an existing site plan. The high power consumers (shown in red) are typically the rectifier, air conditioner and the heater.

In the Marathon Engine Systems (MES) approach (above), the heater and the rectifier are eliminated. In addition, the newer systems require less power to operate as well as less cooling because of their lower heat output. These new systems coupled with the the ability to handle the AC and the DC requirements with less power because of some of our unique features make MES power and telecom units the obvious choice for remote power needs for Telecom Site Power.

Our approach to problem solving is based on existing and proven low-cost technology. Our power and telecommunications remote power systems supply communication sites with adequate and environmentally clean power without the need for the utility grid!

The Marathon Engine Systems remote telecom power systems generate clean and reliable power ensuring network uptime. What are some of the advantages of the Marathon Engine Systems remote power systems?

• Reliable performance in the harshest of environments!

• Longest life cycle in the industry (40,000 hours)!

• Low Maintenance!

• No utility grid needed!

The biggest advantage to using our systems: telecommunication companies can install cell towers in the remotest of locations where grid power is not available, expanding the service coverage area and attracting additional customers.

Marathon Engine Systems is changing the paradigm of energy production with total system solutions for the Telecommunications industry.

(4) These are ruggedized heavy steel enclosures that are powder coated, weather proof, theft resistant, secure and NEMA compliant. As shown in the photos, the engine, batteries, inverters and associated controls are housed in the Power Enclosure and the telecom equipment is housed in the Telecom Enclosure. The Telecom Enclosure is outfitted with racks to accommodate the specific needs of the various applications that would be required — microwave, data, voice, and video. Air conditioning and heating are based on your requirements. Dimensions for the standard enclosure are: 1 m wide X 2 m deep X 2 m high. A roof mounted solar array can be added. Noise level is a very acceptable 59 dB (A) at ten feet. The engine compartments can be accessed separately, which is especially advantageous for maintenance (oil and filter changes) to the engine(s) without having to go into the control/battery area.

(1) The long life internal combustion engine is the key element to the MES approach. The engine is designed to run 40,000 hours before an overhaul with the ability to run 4,000 continuous hours between maintenance shutdowns. That means that this unit functions as a PRIME POWER SOURCE, not backup power. This approach eliminates the large battery banks that are typically the power source for such sites. The savings are in both the cost of the batteries ($8,000+) as well as the maintenance of them ($1,000/yr).
The Marathon 5K™ engine (shown left) runs on clean burning natural gas or propane, eliminating the problems associated with diesel storage and pollution. Our larger three cylinder model can handle bigger loads and higher power requirements. Also, with both engines, NOx and CO emissions are low enough that they meet even the strictest air quality criteria.

(2) There are a number of options to choose — from 5 KW to 20 KW depending upon the Site configuration. Most of the high power consumers in the old system are eliminated or downsized with the Marathon approach. The heater and rectifier are incorporated into the remote power system, therefore eliminating about 15 KW of consumed power. In addition, the air conditioning requirement is considerably less.

(3) The Storage Battery is designed to fit the needs for the specific site. The standard battery package contains eight high-capacity batteries that will supply 300 amp hours at 24 VDC or 48 VDC nominal. Higher capacity storage battery strings can be installed, depending upon your needs. Based upon your load, Marathon will engineer the optimum profile of battery usage and engine run time to achieve the best performance and life. The Inverters in standard units are designed to handle a 3.6 Kw continuous load for general use 120 volt outlets and air conditioning loads. Additional inverter capacity is available based upon your AC power requirements.

(5) The engine/power generation controls are easy to use and have a highly developed human interface. The monitor has twenty-four digital and eight analog channels. They have a self-checking feature that reads and records status and faults for on-site or remote monitoring. The control system is flexible and able to track Telecom inputs as necessary or for specific site requirements. Any troubleshooting can be done via an RS-232 interface with a laptop. Remote monitoring software packages are available and accessible via an internet interface.
Standard configurable outputs: 24 or 48 VDC (positive or negative ground referenced), 120 VAC, 240/120 VAC, 230 VAC, 230/400 VAC, and 460 VAC, both 50 and 60 Hz.

Marathon Application with Wind and Solar

Other Applications: Marathon Engine Remote Power Systems (above and below) installed with integrated Wind and Solar devices (rail application).

Photos Courtesy of Arthur N. Ulrich Company

Solar and Remote Power System