Nukes, schmukes – fuel cells could power future datacenters
(2023/10/04)
- Reference: 1696399194
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2023/10/04/fuel_cell_datacenter_power/
- Source link:
Proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells are more efficient than other alternative generator technologies as a way to provide backup power to datacenters in certain climates, according to a recent study.
"Hydrogen fuel cells have emerged as a potentially dependable solution to address the intermittent nature of weather-dependent renewable energy sources such as wind and solar," according to a canned statement from datacenter specialist Equinix, which teamed up with the National University of Singapore (NUS) to explore the matter [1]last year .
"When renewable energy generation fluctuates due to dynamic weather conditions, hydrogen fuel systems could act as an efficient backup power source so that datacenters stay online," it added.
[2]
The study assessed the power methods based on reliability, cost, operating conditions and environmental impact.
[3]
[4]
All scenarios considered included an auxillary battery system that was designed to ensure uninterrupted power supply to the critical load, even when considering start-up time and ramp rate to maximum power.
But PEM fuel cells, which rely on a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen to generate electricity, scored the highest efficiency at a range of 45 to 57 percent. They were followed by alternative generator technologies (44–47 percent), and hydrogen-fueled generators (34–40 percent).
[5]Microsoft's Dublin DC power plant gets the, er, green light
[6]Microsoft hiring a nuclear power program manager, because AI needs lots of 'leccy
[7]Why can't datacenter operators stop thinking about atomic power?
[8]Unless things change, first zettaflop systems will need nuclear power, AMD's Su says
Fuel efficiency followed the same pattern: PEM fuel cells used the least fuel, then alternative generator technologies and hydrogen-fueled generators.
However, when it came to operating conditions, PEM fuel cells and hydrogen generators had tighter parameters and required tight control of temperature, humidity and ventiliation. PEM fuel cells required operation between 0°C and 50°C and hydrogen generators between 15°C and 40°C.
[9]
Comparatively, alternative generators were given the range of -20°C to 50°C – a range double that of hydrogen generators.
The authors concluded that PEM fuel cells are the obvious choice for backup power in potentially cloudy or windy environments where temperatures rarely venture below 0°.
"Our analysis highlights proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells and alternate generator technologies as promising backup power solutions, especially in tropical climates," explained NUS Professor Lee Poh Seng.
[10]
PEM fuel cells had one other feature going for them which the generator options did not: a lack of greenhouse gas emissions.
Next Equinix and NUS plan to look at costs associated with providing continual power to datacenters.
As AI use continues to grow, the race to find alternative ways to power datacenters accelerates. According to AMD CEO Lisa Su [11]in February , CPUs and GPUs have doubled in performance every 2.4 years, but power efficiency frankly hasn't.
AI clusters used to train large language models can require power on the order of supercomputers.
This has led some datacenter operators – including [12]Microsoft and Amazon – to [13]create micro power grids.
And last month, Microsoft posted a [14]job ad looking for a nuclear power program manager to oversee its datacenters with nuclear reactors. ®
Get our [15]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.equinix.com/newsroom/press-releases/2022/09/equinix-and-nus-centre-for-energy-research-technology-partner-to-advance-hydrogen-technologies-for-data-centers
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offprem/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2ZR03w8HTzXVSD71BBCujkAAAAEo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
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[5] https://www.theregister.com/2023/07/22/microsoft_power_plant/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2023/09/25/microsoft_nuclear_energy_manager_job/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2023/09/27/datacenters_nuclear_power/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/23/amd_zettaflop_systems_nuclear/
[9] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offprem/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZR03w8HTzXVSD71BBCujkAAAAEo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
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[11] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/23/amd_zettaflop_systems_nuclear/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2023/07/22/microsoft_power_plant/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2023/09/27/datacenters_nuclear_power/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2023/09/25/microsoft_nuclear_energy_manager_job/
[15] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
"Hydrogen fuel cells have emerged as a potentially dependable solution to address the intermittent nature of weather-dependent renewable energy sources such as wind and solar," according to a canned statement from datacenter specialist Equinix, which teamed up with the National University of Singapore (NUS) to explore the matter [1]last year .
"When renewable energy generation fluctuates due to dynamic weather conditions, hydrogen fuel systems could act as an efficient backup power source so that datacenters stay online," it added.
[2]
The study assessed the power methods based on reliability, cost, operating conditions and environmental impact.
[3]
[4]
All scenarios considered included an auxillary battery system that was designed to ensure uninterrupted power supply to the critical load, even when considering start-up time and ramp rate to maximum power.
But PEM fuel cells, which rely on a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen to generate electricity, scored the highest efficiency at a range of 45 to 57 percent. They were followed by alternative generator technologies (44–47 percent), and hydrogen-fueled generators (34–40 percent).
[5]Microsoft's Dublin DC power plant gets the, er, green light
[6]Microsoft hiring a nuclear power program manager, because AI needs lots of 'leccy
[7]Why can't datacenter operators stop thinking about atomic power?
[8]Unless things change, first zettaflop systems will need nuclear power, AMD's Su says
Fuel efficiency followed the same pattern: PEM fuel cells used the least fuel, then alternative generator technologies and hydrogen-fueled generators.
However, when it came to operating conditions, PEM fuel cells and hydrogen generators had tighter parameters and required tight control of temperature, humidity and ventiliation. PEM fuel cells required operation between 0°C and 50°C and hydrogen generators between 15°C and 40°C.
[9]
Comparatively, alternative generators were given the range of -20°C to 50°C – a range double that of hydrogen generators.
The authors concluded that PEM fuel cells are the obvious choice for backup power in potentially cloudy or windy environments where temperatures rarely venture below 0°.
"Our analysis highlights proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells and alternate generator technologies as promising backup power solutions, especially in tropical climates," explained NUS Professor Lee Poh Seng.
[10]
PEM fuel cells had one other feature going for them which the generator options did not: a lack of greenhouse gas emissions.
Next Equinix and NUS plan to look at costs associated with providing continual power to datacenters.
As AI use continues to grow, the race to find alternative ways to power datacenters accelerates. According to AMD CEO Lisa Su [11]in February , CPUs and GPUs have doubled in performance every 2.4 years, but power efficiency frankly hasn't.
AI clusters used to train large language models can require power on the order of supercomputers.
This has led some datacenter operators – including [12]Microsoft and Amazon – to [13]create micro power grids.
And last month, Microsoft posted a [14]job ad looking for a nuclear power program manager to oversee its datacenters with nuclear reactors. ®
Get our [15]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.equinix.com/newsroom/press-releases/2022/09/equinix-and-nus-centre-for-energy-research-technology-partner-to-advance-hydrogen-technologies-for-data-centers
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offprem/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2ZR03w8HTzXVSD71BBCujkAAAAEo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
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[5] https://www.theregister.com/2023/07/22/microsoft_power_plant/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2023/09/25/microsoft_nuclear_energy_manager_job/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2023/09/27/datacenters_nuclear_power/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/23/amd_zettaflop_systems_nuclear/
[9] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offprem/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZR03w8HTzXVSD71BBCujkAAAAEo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[10] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offprem/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZR03w8HTzXVSD71BBCujkAAAAEo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/23/amd_zettaflop_systems_nuclear/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2023/07/22/microsoft_power_plant/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2023/09/27/datacenters_nuclear_power/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2023/09/25/microsoft_nuclear_energy_manager_job/
[15] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
cyberdemon
Fuel Cells and Elecrolysers both work, if you have enough Platinum to build them.
Efficiency of the whole process is ~40%, from electricity in to electricity out, so it has to be on the pretense that excess, otherwise-curtailed wind power is 'free'.
But at the moment, wind generators get lots of money in subsidies when they are told to shut down. So is the excess energy really 'free'?
And if everyone tried to build electrolysers and fuel cells all at once, the price of both platinum and copper would rocket.
They work at 1.5 Volts (unlike Lithium batteries which have 4 volts per cell) so you need an awful lot more current and an awful lot more copper per cell, and you have to plate the electrodes in Platinum ...
So it is certainly not cheap. It may yet be cheaper than Nuclear, but that isn't saying much.
Where from?
steamnut
Where is the hydrogen going to come from? And how do we safely store large amounts of it?
A recent plan to use hydrogen for steel making came to nothing as a genuinely sustainable source of the hydrogen could not be found. A scheme to convert a fleet of Council vehicles was aborted for the same reason.
A recent lightning triggered explosion at a methane store in a sewage processing plant highlights the problems of storing inflammable gases.
Well, duh. Fuel cells work. But hydrogen is a power storage solution, not a power generation solution. IOW, how do you make the hydrogen?