27 Oct 2021, Case Studies

Case study: ALBATROS radio telescope (McGill University)

EFOY ProEnergy Box and solar panel being installed by McGill University at off-grid location

H. Cynthia Chiang, associate professor of physics, McGill University

“The EFOY Pro Energy Box 4060P is the exact power technology that we needed for ALBATROS autonomous operations. The plug-and-play nature of the EFOY unit will allow us to rapidly deploy our systems and will be key to enabling our science.”

The Application

ALBATROS is a new radio astronomy experiment that consists of autonomous antenna stations operating in the Canadian high Arctic. When the experiment is fully operational, it will produce images of the sky at wavelengths that have been largely inaccessible to date.

The Challenge

One of the primary technical challenges for ALBATROS is the need to operate antenna stations in remote, rugged environments with large separation distances (over ten kilometres) between stations. Since the McGill Arctic Research Station is inaccessible during winter, they needed a solution that allows each antenna station to run continuously and unattended for approximately a year.

The Solution

At the McGill Arctic Research Station, where solar power is unavailable during the winter and wind speeds are too low to support small-scale power generation, a methanol fuel cell was the only viable autonomous power solution. ALBATROS opted to deploy the EFOY Pro Energy Box 4060P providing an ideal solution for power autonomy under harsh Arctic winter conditions.

The Benefits

The EFOY ProEnergyBox is self-contained energy solution that delivers 100 % reliable power for portable applications in remote locations.

  • Reliable power – utilizes world leading EFOY fuel cell technology to provide self-sufficient reliable power supply

  • Maintenance-free – fully autonomous, sustainable, off-grid solutions

  • Weather-proof – specifically designed to operate in the rugged conditions

  • Temperature control – effective thermostat-controlled temperature regulation prevents freezing and overheating

  • Long-term autonomy – designed to provide approximately 12 months of fuel autonomy making them ideal for long term deployments

References

www.physics.mcgill.ca/seminars/PSC_chiang2.html www.physics.mcgill.ca/global21cm2019/talks/Chiang.pdf

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Learn more at efoy-pro.com and sfc-energy.ca