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World's Biggest Battery Switched On in Alaska

Posted by michael on from the drum-beating-bunny dept.

windowpain writes "An article in the London Telegraph describes a 2,000 square meter 13,730 cell NiCad UPS that will provide backup power for the entire city of Fairbanks for up to seven minutes. 'This is enough time, according to ABB, to start up diesel generators to restore power, an important safeguard since at such low temperatures, water pipes can freeze entirely in two hours.' Now if they can just remember to keep it plugged in." Update: 08/28 14:58 GMT by M : A reader notes that the battery has enough juice for 12,000 people for seven minutes, and the city of Fairbanks has a population of over 80,000, so they couldn't keep the whole city powered up for even a minute.

3 of 103 comments (clear)

  1. Imagine... by kinnell · · Score: 4, Funny

    The giant energiser bunny of the apocalypse.

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    If I seem short sighted, it is because I stand on the shoulders of midgets
  2. A little math - what's the maglite equivalent? by morcheeba · · Score: 4, Funny

    40MW for 7 minutes = 4.6 MWattHours. A D-cell is 12 AmpHours * 1.5 = 18 WattHours, so this battery pack is equivalent to 260,000 D-cells. A D-cell is 60 mm long, so this is would be a Mag Light 9.6 Miles Long!. Here's an artist's rendering

    --
    HIV Crosses Species Barrier... into Muppets
  3. The important question by the+darn · · Score: 4, Funny

    Does it emit a heart-stopping, ear-splitting banshee wail when it kicks in? Because the lights going off just isn't sufficent notice that the power is out...

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    Ceci n'est pas un post.