25 years of experience with closed cycle vapor turbogenerators as primary power source in remote telecommunications projects in Russia and CIS countries

One of the most severe problems confronting telecommunications projects in extreme Arctic environment conditions, with temperatures as low as -60°C, is the supply of continuous, reliable remote power for unattended microwave repeater stations that in many cases cannot be reached by maintenance technicians for months at a time. Another important problem is that the telecommunications equipment must be kept at temperatures between 0°C and +45°C in order to ensure correct electronics operation. The use of specially designed, Arctic type, closed cycle vapor turbogenerators (CCVT) and their associated nonelectric heating systems in Arctic telecommunication systems has solved both problems: reliable remote power in the range of 400 to 2500 Watts is provided, and required temperature ranges in equipment shelters are maintained, assuring correct operation of the sensitive electronics, without any need of electrical power. During the last 25 years, many major telecommunication projects in Siberia, Alaska and Antarctica have been designed to use and continue to use over 1200 Arctic type CCVTs which are designed to operate at nominal power in a range of temperatures from -60 to +45°C and at wind velocity of 120 km/hr, with acceptable gusts of 160 km/hr. They can be fuelled by either Arctic kerosene or diesel fuel, or by natural or liquefied gas (LPG) and provide 24 or 48 VDC to the telecommunications equipment. The paper describes the experience accumulated over the last 25 years with this type of equipment in Russia and CIS and details special design features for this particular application