Barreiro Holdings, a developer of engine for both stationary and motive power, has signed a letter of intent with Xair Communication, a wireless telecommunications consultant based in Malaysia, for Xair to be the exclusive distributor of Barreiro's generator set or genset, for the telecommunications industry in Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
The exclusive distribution agreement is for telecoms base station applications only, and covers the countries of Malaysia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Brunei, the Philippines, the UAE and Oman.
The genset combines Barreiro’s two power products, the Pulse Moto connected to the CoRo Generator.
The Pulse Moto uses electrical pulses from a standard 12v battery to power hydraulics that extend a series of springs and, when released, the springs transfer the stored energy via planetary gears to a flywheel. This allows the stored energy in the flywheel to be released for use in devices such as generators, pumps or vehicles. Since the battery is not drained continuously, the recovery period is longer and hence the battery life is improved.
The CoRo Generator is based on a configuration in which the rotor and the stator are arranged to rotate in opposite directions.
The Pulse Moto can deliver over 42% energy efficiency (compared to approximately 17% for a petrol engine); whilst the CoRo Generator results in 35%. Ongoing trials in Barreiro’s own laboratory, witnessed by Xair, show the potential for savings not only on the individual components, but also when the Pulse Moto and CoRo Generator are combined, the companies said.
Xair has identified a requirement for the Barreiro genset to serve a proportion of its client’s mobile telecommunications base stations, currently totalling approximately 60,000. Xair’s intent for distributorship will be coupled with a study, analysis and proof-of-concept for the Barreiro genset, assessing its suitability for different site conditions and power variances.
For Xair’s telecoms base station needs, Barreiro has developed a system that alternates between two batteries, with one in use while the other is charged by the combination of solar PV and micro-wind turbine. The initial survey has indicated that, on the majority of Xair’s sites, the turbine can be powered by waste air discharge from the base station’s air-conditioning system which is, in turn, being powered by the Barreiro genset.
Both parties expect first year (2010) requirements to be approximately 2000 gensets per annum, covering both retro-fitting of existing base stations and new installations. This demand is likely to grow as mobile networks upgrade, for instance to 4G and long term evolution (LTE).