Turbo-alternators: a high-availability backup source of energy

Telecommunication systems require high availability of primary backup power supplies, consisting of generators intended to secure the system against failures of the public mains. In the context of a national program of refurbishment, France Telecom has developed new generators consisting of turbo-alternators designed with a single objective in mind: availability. The authors describe the architecture of a turbo-alternator based power system and its performance.<>