Demand for ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel in the U.S. continues to grow, with a Washington state electric utility now putting out "request for proposal" (RFP) bids for some 30 million gallons of ULSD.
Tacoma Power wants to use the fuel in 32 diesel-powered generator sets, a portion of some 200 diesel gen-sets heading to the state to help offset power deficits caused by low rainfall (for hydropower) and California's power crisis that's spreading throughout the West.
Without the aftertreatment and ultra-clean fuel technologies, the 32 generator sets otherwise would produce more emissions than major power stations and other industries in Pierce County.
The utility will reduce nitrogen oxides (NOx) from the diesel gen-sets with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems, and pair this with either oxidation catalysts or particulate matter (PM) traps that require ULSD.
The utility also is to submit a plan to mitigate diesel particulate emissions related to the generators. Examples of mitigation suggested by the agency include retrofitting diesel school buses or funding a wood stove or fireplace buy-back program
Other municipal utilities, including those of Mason and Chelan counties, are interested in joining the push for ULSD and clean-diesel technologies, explains Dennis McLerran, Executive Director, Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (PSCAA). Fleet programs could also join.
PSCAA - covering the most populous part of Washington including metro Seattle, Tacoma, Bremerton and Everett - expects ULSD bids from local refiner Tosco, and probably BP, although it's possible BP would have to ship product from a California refinery, he said.
Friday, September 15, 2006
The Power Generation Markets The 1999 Diesel Progress Newsmaker of the Year - Brief Article
Power to the people -- Y2K and otherwise -- dominates industry news... as dependence on power nears absolute, sales go ballistic from portable to prime
Last year, the Newsmaker of the Year, Caterpillar Inc., was a unanimous choice of the Diesel Progress editorial board. In 1999, it wasn't that easy.
It's not that there weren't plenty of newsworthy events during the year; quite the opposite. It's just that no single person, company, market, product or technology seemed to clearly dominate the news.
Or so it appeared until we sat down to make the final decision.
When we started looking back at 1999, we kept coming back to electrical power generation. Some of us saw it as a Y2K issue. Some saw it as the emergence of distributed power. In the end, we all saw it as the most vibrant, pedal-to-the-metal market we're involved with, and the one area that had everyone talking throughout 1999. Who else had products on allocation this year?
Power generation made the most overall news in 1999, which is the definition of the award, and as such the power generation market in North America is the 1999 Diesel Progress Newsmaker of the Year.
But there were plenty of contenders. You could make a strong case that the consolidation in the mobile hydraulic market was another of the major stories of 1999. Eaton buying Aeroquip/Vickers and the Sauer-Danfoss alliance/ merger/acquisition were major deals. Mobile hydraulics is the last of the major component supply groups to consolidate and if Dana Corp. had sold Gresen before our deadline for the award, that may have tipped the balance.
A strong case was also made for this being the year that alternative sources of power started to emerge to challenge gasoline, diesel and gaseous engines. But microturbines, fuel cells and hybrids are not yet mainline production technology. They all seem on the verge of being real power sources, though cynics in the crowd have been heard to mutter "here we go again."
Cynicism aside, the alternatives to mainline industrial engines do seem to be emerging and our feeling is that this is a likely contender for the 2000 or 2001 Newsmaker of the Year. It's just not there yet.
On the corporate side, there were deals aplenty. It's interesting that, like the market and the manufacturers, deal making was also as stratified into jumbo and niche. There were a bunch of niche acquisitions, mergers and joint ventures in 1999, and there were a handful of megadeals, but not a lot of "mid-level" moves. Such is life in a consolidated industry.
Certainly Case-New Holland, which creates the world's number two agricultural equipment builder, the soon-to-be CNH Global, is a major deal in any year. Volvo-Scania, when finalized, will create the world's number two commercial vehicle manufacturer. Big, big deals. When sorted out, Case-New Holland will reshape the agricultural and construction equipment landscape. If we had picked a single deal as Newsmaker of the Year, this would be have been the one.
Textron Inc., also caught our eye, especially in the second half of the year. The company made some acquisitions in mobile hydraulics and hinted there may be more coming. The company also added Omniquip to its list of equipment manufacturing companies.
Terex also -- and somewhat quietly -- has assembled an impressive and expanding range of off-highway equipment and has kind of snuck up on people as a major off-highway equipment producer.
But in the end it all came back to power. You could probably make the case that Y2K itself was the major story for this market this year -- other than the fact that we're sick to death of hearing about it.
Y2K undoubtedly is a major driver in the huge growth in engine-powered power generation sales in 1999. It has also kept the truck market moving beyond expectations, as warehouses of all types are bursting in anticipation of year -end, just-in-case stockpiling.
But the story of power generation in 1999 isn't just about Y2K. The turn of the millennium is really only a catalyst in the huge growth of awareness that our sources of electrical power are not infinite, they are not 100 percent reliable, and that we have to have electricity, no matter what.
As just one example, in a shop with CNC tooling, an outage is no longer an irritant, it shuts a company down. And in a JIT manufacturing world, "we lost power" starts to equal the "dog ate my homework" on the excuse chart.
In 1999, the lines of awareness crossed. Our reliance on electricity now approaches absolute. No power, and much of life as we know it stops cold. The romance of candles and flashlights gets old in a hurry. Even manuals for survivalist communities now dedicate a lot of pages to how best to generate your own power. Our awareness of all the things we depend on power for is at an all-time high.
At the same time, our awareness of how comparatively fragile our sources of power have become, is also at an all-time high. Combine deregulation, blackouts, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, ice storms and rolling brownouts and we're no longer as comfortable with our ability to have electrical power available to us at all times.
Last year, the Newsmaker of the Year, Caterpillar Inc., was a unanimous choice of the Diesel Progress editorial board. In 1999, it wasn't that easy.
It's not that there weren't plenty of newsworthy events during the year; quite the opposite. It's just that no single person, company, market, product or technology seemed to clearly dominate the news.
Or so it appeared until we sat down to make the final decision.
When we started looking back at 1999, we kept coming back to electrical power generation. Some of us saw it as a Y2K issue. Some saw it as the emergence of distributed power. In the end, we all saw it as the most vibrant, pedal-to-the-metal market we're involved with, and the one area that had everyone talking throughout 1999. Who else had products on allocation this year?
Power generation made the most overall news in 1999, which is the definition of the award, and as such the power generation market in North America is the 1999 Diesel Progress Newsmaker of the Year.
But there were plenty of contenders. You could make a strong case that the consolidation in the mobile hydraulic market was another of the major stories of 1999. Eaton buying Aeroquip/Vickers and the Sauer-Danfoss alliance/ merger/acquisition were major deals. Mobile hydraulics is the last of the major component supply groups to consolidate and if Dana Corp. had sold Gresen before our deadline for the award, that may have tipped the balance.
A strong case was also made for this being the year that alternative sources of power started to emerge to challenge gasoline, diesel and gaseous engines. But microturbines, fuel cells and hybrids are not yet mainline production technology. They all seem on the verge of being real power sources, though cynics in the crowd have been heard to mutter "here we go again."
Cynicism aside, the alternatives to mainline industrial engines do seem to be emerging and our feeling is that this is a likely contender for the 2000 or 2001 Newsmaker of the Year. It's just not there yet.
On the corporate side, there were deals aplenty. It's interesting that, like the market and the manufacturers, deal making was also as stratified into jumbo and niche. There were a bunch of niche acquisitions, mergers and joint ventures in 1999, and there were a handful of megadeals, but not a lot of "mid-level" moves. Such is life in a consolidated industry.
Certainly Case-New Holland, which creates the world's number two agricultural equipment builder, the soon-to-be CNH Global, is a major deal in any year. Volvo-Scania, when finalized, will create the world's number two commercial vehicle manufacturer. Big, big deals. When sorted out, Case-New Holland will reshape the agricultural and construction equipment landscape. If we had picked a single deal as Newsmaker of the Year, this would be have been the one.
Textron Inc., also caught our eye, especially in the second half of the year. The company made some acquisitions in mobile hydraulics and hinted there may be more coming. The company also added Omniquip to its list of equipment manufacturing companies.
Terex also -- and somewhat quietly -- has assembled an impressive and expanding range of off-highway equipment and has kind of snuck up on people as a major off-highway equipment producer.
But in the end it all came back to power. You could probably make the case that Y2K itself was the major story for this market this year -- other than the fact that we're sick to death of hearing about it.
Y2K undoubtedly is a major driver in the huge growth in engine-powered power generation sales in 1999. It has also kept the truck market moving beyond expectations, as warehouses of all types are bursting in anticipation of year -end, just-in-case stockpiling.
But the story of power generation in 1999 isn't just about Y2K. The turn of the millennium is really only a catalyst in the huge growth of awareness that our sources of electrical power are not infinite, they are not 100 percent reliable, and that we have to have electricity, no matter what.
As just one example, in a shop with CNC tooling, an outage is no longer an irritant, it shuts a company down. And in a JIT manufacturing world, "we lost power" starts to equal the "dog ate my homework" on the excuse chart.
In 1999, the lines of awareness crossed. Our reliance on electricity now approaches absolute. No power, and much of life as we know it stops cold. The romance of candles and flashlights gets old in a hurry. Even manuals for survivalist communities now dedicate a lot of pages to how best to generate your own power. Our awareness of all the things we depend on power for is at an all-time high.
At the same time, our awareness of how comparatively fragile our sources of power have become, is also at an all-time high. Combine deregulation, blackouts, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, ice storms and rolling brownouts and we're no longer as comfortable with our ability to have electrical power available to us at all times.
Diesel Power Units Added To MENA Line - Brief Article
Mitsubishi Engine North America (MENA) has introduced a new line of diesel power units. There are nine models in the range covering outputs from 11 to 77 hp at 2500 rpm. Generator drive packages operating at 1800 rpm are available; as are variable speed packages designed to drive clutch or hydrostatic systems in a variety of off-highway equipment. Other stationary uses such as water pumps, are also seen as target applications.
According to MENA's Peter Gallegos, national sales & marketing manager, Mitsubishi's distributor network was a key market driver in launching the new power units.
"It was instrumental to support our distributor network with a standard power unit package," Gallegos said. "It gives our distributors another tool to sell their equipment manufacturer customers. It's also important on a national accounts basis to provide a "drop-in" engine system for any number of different equipment manufacturers on a just-in-time basis.
"There is also," he added, "a uniformity of warranty for the complete line, which is supported by the MENA service network."
Gallegos added that while there are nine standard power units available, each model can be further modified by distributors for specific applications. MENA is also offering the capability of offering OE specific power unit designs.
The power units are packaged in the U.S. and start with fan-to-flywheel engines that include SAE flywheel and bell housings, as well as starter, alternator, intake and exhaust manifold, safety shutdown soleniod with water temperature and oil pressure switches, oil and fuel filters.
To that base engine, MENA adds a Universal tropical duty radiator and brackets, a heavy-duty cyclonic air cleaner, muffler, a key switch start panel with fault indicator lights, an electric fuel pump and a wiring harness. A full gauge panel package will be added shortly. Options include SAE A or B flywheel and hydraulic housings in either 9-, 13-or 15-tooth configurations, along with a pump adapter and stub shafts from 1.5 to 2.25 in. for flywheel and power takeoffs. All additional components for the power units are sourced locally.
The nine four-cycle engines used in the power units include seven naturally aspirated models and two turbocharged units, all in-line and, with one exception, all incorporating IDI fuel systems.
The engines include (all ratings at 2500 rpm) Mitsubishi's two-cylinder L2E rated 8.2 hp, the 17.2 hp, three-cylinder L3E and the three-cylinder S3L and S3L2 rated 21.2 and 24.1 hp respectively. The four-cylinder S4L and S4L2 are rated 28.6 hp and 33 hp, while the S4Q2 is a four-cylinder; 35.3 hp engine.
The S4S is a four-cylinder 63 hp diesel, while the sole direct injection engine in the line is the S4S-DT, a turbocharged four-cylinder engine rated 77 hp. The two largest power units, which will join the line by mid-year, are powered by the four-cylinder S4K-T turbocharged diesel rated 79.1 hp at 2200 rpm, and the 115 hp, six-cylinder turbocharged model S6K-T. Engine displacements for the full power unit line range from 0.635 to 6.37 L.
Gallegos said all nine engines are EPA/CARB certified to Tier 2 non-road standards, with no modifications, which are in place through 2008. He added that the early indications are the IDI diesels will meet Tier 3 standards without electronics, but with exhaust aftertreatment.
According to MENA's Peter Gallegos, national sales & marketing manager, Mitsubishi's distributor network was a key market driver in launching the new power units.
"It was instrumental to support our distributor network with a standard power unit package," Gallegos said. "It gives our distributors another tool to sell their equipment manufacturer customers. It's also important on a national accounts basis to provide a "drop-in" engine system for any number of different equipment manufacturers on a just-in-time basis.
"There is also," he added, "a uniformity of warranty for the complete line, which is supported by the MENA service network."
Gallegos added that while there are nine standard power units available, each model can be further modified by distributors for specific applications. MENA is also offering the capability of offering OE specific power unit designs.
The power units are packaged in the U.S. and start with fan-to-flywheel engines that include SAE flywheel and bell housings, as well as starter, alternator, intake and exhaust manifold, safety shutdown soleniod with water temperature and oil pressure switches, oil and fuel filters.
To that base engine, MENA adds a Universal tropical duty radiator and brackets, a heavy-duty cyclonic air cleaner, muffler, a key switch start panel with fault indicator lights, an electric fuel pump and a wiring harness. A full gauge panel package will be added shortly. Options include SAE A or B flywheel and hydraulic housings in either 9-, 13-or 15-tooth configurations, along with a pump adapter and stub shafts from 1.5 to 2.25 in. for flywheel and power takeoffs. All additional components for the power units are sourced locally.
The nine four-cycle engines used in the power units include seven naturally aspirated models and two turbocharged units, all in-line and, with one exception, all incorporating IDI fuel systems.
The engines include (all ratings at 2500 rpm) Mitsubishi's two-cylinder L2E rated 8.2 hp, the 17.2 hp, three-cylinder L3E and the three-cylinder S3L and S3L2 rated 21.2 and 24.1 hp respectively. The four-cylinder S4L and S4L2 are rated 28.6 hp and 33 hp, while the S4Q2 is a four-cylinder; 35.3 hp engine.
The S4S is a four-cylinder 63 hp diesel, while the sole direct injection engine in the line is the S4S-DT, a turbocharged four-cylinder engine rated 77 hp. The two largest power units, which will join the line by mid-year, are powered by the four-cylinder S4K-T turbocharged diesel rated 79.1 hp at 2200 rpm, and the 115 hp, six-cylinder turbocharged model S6K-T. Engine displacements for the full power unit line range from 0.635 to 6.37 L.
Gallegos said all nine engines are EPA/CARB certified to Tier 2 non-road standards, with no modifications, which are in place through 2008. He added that the early indications are the IDI diesels will meet Tier 3 standards without electronics, but with exhaust aftertreatment.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
New marine gen.set
Next Generation Power, Jacksonville, Fla., has introduced the Ultra-Compact Marine (UCM), an 8 kW diesel gen-set. A three-cylinder Kubota diesel drives a Stamford-Newage generator, developing the 8 kW at 2800 rpm. The new gen-set is the largest in the company's line of marine gen-sets, joining the single-cylinder UCM 1-3.5 kW and the two-cylinder UCM 2-5.5 kW. The set is seen as applicable for midsize vessels, and measures 23 in. long by 18.5 in. wide x 20 in. high, weighing 295 lb.
Internet Giant Plans Massive Diesel GenSets To Protect 'Server Farm'
U.S. DataPort aims to ensure electricity for its massive 2.2 million square feet internet service provider (ISP) "server farm" in San Jose, CA, by installing more than 80 backup diesel generator sets, according to the Internet newspaper, SiliconValley.Com. Thanks to grid power unreliability, diesel gen-set back-up power for server farms is helping fuel a boom in diesel gen-set power in North America. U.S. DataPort also plans to ask for California state government approval for a 250-megawatt gas-fired power plant, but neighbors earlier defeated a similar 600-MW plant proposed for another site in Silicon Valley, citing pollution problems.
Tacoma Power Installs 30 Diesel Gee-Sets - Brief Article
Tacoma Power has deployed 28 of what will be 30 Caterpillar 3516B-powered diesel generator sets as a baseload generating source. The gen-sets, rated 1.6 MW each, have been supplied with SCR [NO.sub.x] control.
Faced with the potential for extremely high wholesale electric energy prices this summer, the utility is using the generator sets as a hedge against up-side energy price risk. The engines are permitted as a temporary plant to operate for one year. Operation of any of the units beyond January 30, 2002 at the current location would require a new air permit.
Faced with the potential for extremely high wholesale electric energy prices this summer, the utility is using the generator sets as a hedge against up-side energy price risk. The engines are permitted as a temporary plant to operate for one year. Operation of any of the units beyond January 30, 2002 at the current location would require a new air permit.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Greens Tout Wind Over Diesel, But Gloss Problems - Renewable Energy Policy Project report - Brief Article - Editorial
Renewable Energy Policy Project (REPP), a "green" group whose board includes a wind-power trade association, now recommends at least partially replacing diesel electric generator-set power with wind turbine power.
The group concedes that replacing diesel gen-sets with wind power isn't always possible, and may involve much higher costs. But in remote diesel-powered areas such as Alaska, native tribes have found it's possible to get a portion of electric power with wind-turbines, REPP's report says, citing two years of experience in three areas.
When the wind isn't blowing, these remote villages can still use diesel power, the REPP report says.
The report repeats the standard litany of charges over diesel emissions problems, but doesn't acknowledge the latest clean-diesel technologies such as particle filters or SCR for both PM and NOx control.
The report claims diesel generators in the U.S. emit as much NOx as all the electric power plants in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, but makes no allowances for the latest clean-diesel technology, which could dramatically change this picture.
Meantime, however, a new, report by Environment News Service shows that wind turbines among native villages in Canada's far north have a very poor record of reliability and come at very high cost. One problem is the gale-force winds that sweep the near-Arctic in winter, wrecking the turbines.
"A windmill installed in Nunavut's capital, Iqaluit, several years ago operated for only hours before breaking down; turbines placed in other communities suffered similar fates," the news service found. As a result, "if Nunavut wants electricity, its near-total dependence on diesel will continue."
Monday, September 11, 2006
Scr-Equipped Diesel Gen-Sets Beat Carb Claim On Nox - Brief Article
Diesel generator sets for backup power generation can achieve far lower emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and "toxic" particulate matter (PM) than California Air Resources Board (CARB) estimated in a recent letter to local air pollution district officials.
Example: Installing a 90% efficiency urea-selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system on today's 5.5 grams/brake-horsepower hour NOx (engine-out) diesel gen-sets can cut NOx to just 0.55 g/bhp-hr -- or, in CARB's electric generation comparison terms, 1.6 pounds of NOx per megawatt-hour.
This isn't theoretical. Today, Clean Diesel Technologies Inc. (CDTI) is one of several companies actively marketing SCR (for NOx reduction) and it also markets a particle trap fuel additive system (for particulate matter control) for diesel gen-sets (and other applications). Current diesel gen-sets in Washington/Oregon could likewise be suitable for California with appropriate exhaust controls.
No special fuel required: CDTI's combination SCR/PM trap system technologies can achieve ultra-low emissions with today's ordinary CARB diesel fuel, rather than the ultra low-sulfur diesel (ULSD) required for certain highly catalyzed filter systems, CDTI chief operating officer Jim Valentine points out.
CDTI calculates diesel gen-set ability to hit 0.55 g/bhp-hr NOx based on recent tests with an SCR catalyst designed for 80% NOx reduction.
The company hit 0.68 g/bhp-hr NOx with the 80% SCR catalyst in 13-mode steady state tests at Southwest Research Institute. Running a 90% SCR catalyst thus yields 0.55 g/bhp-hr with a 5.5 grams NOx engine, Valentine explains.
* Beats 7-lbs. NOx Claim
By contrast, CARB claimed in a Feb. 21, 2001, letter to all of California's local air pollution control officers that "diesel engine with best available control" could only limit NOx to 7 lbs./MW-hr.
Yet the SCR technology clearly slashes that level dramatically, to NOx emissions levels well below CARB's estimate for "uncontrolled gas-fired power plant" (2 to 4 lbs./MW-hr) and even fairly competitive with what CARB terms the "typical mix of existing gas-fired California power plants" (0.5 lbs./MW-hr NOx).
What's more, new data shows that CARB's letter greatly underestimates the ability of diesel PM filters to achieve dramatic reductions in "toxic" PM, to the same 0.03 lbs./MW hr level CARB cites for "gas-fired power generation."
CARB's letter claimed that "existing diesel engine with trap retrofit" produces 0.1 to 0.5 lbs./MW-hr PM, equivalent to 0.034 to 0.17 b/bhp-hr.
Yet CDTI has found that engines tested with its trap-additive system achieve ultra-low 0.01 to 0.015 g/bhp-hr PM levels, equivalent to 0.03-0.045 lbs./MW-hr - matching what CARB shows for gas-fired electric power PM emissions.
Given these new data on ultra-clean emissions levels achievable for SCR/PM trap equipped diesel gen-sets, CARB's diesel gen-set "cancer risk" warnings and claims that diesels will produce some vastly greater amount of ozone-forming emissions, compared to gas-fired power, look dubious.
These alarmist claims unfortunately have been repeated by "green" groups in California newspaper stories about the state's power crisis.
* 'Cancer' Threat?
"Operation of an uncontrolled one-MW diesel engine for 250 hours per year would in crease cancer risk to nearby residents (within one city block) by 250 in a million," CARB's letter to air districts says, apparently failing to mention that PM trap-equipped diesels would virtually eliminate the PM "toxic" risk.
"On average this represents a 50% in crease in the cancer risk due to exposure to diesel exhaust," the CARB letter alarmingly concludes.
Meantime, CDTI is among a group of well-known technology companies applying to CARB for retrofit certification for a PM filter system for many diesel applications.
CDTI has produced test data showing it can hit the 0.01 g/bhp-hr PM limit CARB asks for -- and now, like many other technology developers, it's awaiting CARB's final decision on retrofit durability requirements.
CDTI's SCR system hasn't been certified with CARB, but it passed an earlier NESCAUM retrofit evaluation. It's now pending before an internal EPA diesel fuel/additives retrofit verification group, along with diesel water emulsions and other fuel technologies.
(Note: This internal EPA group review just took over from the outside "Environmental Technology Verification" panel that continues to develop emissions retrofit verifications for catalyst/trap devices (see Diesel Fuel News 11/13/2000, p1).
Meantime, over 100 diesel engines are either using or have ordered CDTI's urea-SCR system, Valentine said.
"There are several PM filter systems operating on large engines in California, and so we hope to combine the SCR and our fuel-borne catalyst/diesel particle filter technology soon to provide very low emissions diesels to the California market," Valentine said.
"CDTI is planning to team with Clean Air Systems of New Mexico to offer this additive/filter combination in conjunction with our urea-SCR licensee, RJM."
Example: Installing a 90% efficiency urea-selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system on today's 5.5 grams/brake-horsepower hour NOx (engine-out) diesel gen-sets can cut NOx to just 0.55 g/bhp-hr -- or, in CARB's electric generation comparison terms, 1.6 pounds of NOx per megawatt-hour.
This isn't theoretical. Today, Clean Diesel Technologies Inc. (CDTI) is one of several companies actively marketing SCR (for NOx reduction) and it also markets a particle trap fuel additive system (for particulate matter control) for diesel gen-sets (and other applications). Current diesel gen-sets in Washington/Oregon could likewise be suitable for California with appropriate exhaust controls.
No special fuel required: CDTI's combination SCR/PM trap system technologies can achieve ultra-low emissions with today's ordinary CARB diesel fuel, rather than the ultra low-sulfur diesel (ULSD) required for certain highly catalyzed filter systems, CDTI chief operating officer Jim Valentine points out.
CDTI calculates diesel gen-set ability to hit 0.55 g/bhp-hr NOx based on recent tests with an SCR catalyst designed for 80% NOx reduction.
The company hit 0.68 g/bhp-hr NOx with the 80% SCR catalyst in 13-mode steady state tests at Southwest Research Institute. Running a 90% SCR catalyst thus yields 0.55 g/bhp-hr with a 5.5 grams NOx engine, Valentine explains.
* Beats 7-lbs. NOx Claim
By contrast, CARB claimed in a Feb. 21, 2001, letter to all of California's local air pollution control officers that "diesel engine with best available control" could only limit NOx to 7 lbs./MW-hr.
Yet the SCR technology clearly slashes that level dramatically, to NOx emissions levels well below CARB's estimate for "uncontrolled gas-fired power plant" (2 to 4 lbs./MW-hr) and even fairly competitive with what CARB terms the "typical mix of existing gas-fired California power plants" (0.5 lbs./MW-hr NOx).
What's more, new data shows that CARB's letter greatly underestimates the ability of diesel PM filters to achieve dramatic reductions in "toxic" PM, to the same 0.03 lbs./MW hr level CARB cites for "gas-fired power generation."
CARB's letter claimed that "existing diesel engine with trap retrofit" produces 0.1 to 0.5 lbs./MW-hr PM, equivalent to 0.034 to 0.17 b/bhp-hr.
Yet CDTI has found that engines tested with its trap-additive system achieve ultra-low 0.01 to 0.015 g/bhp-hr PM levels, equivalent to 0.03-0.045 lbs./MW-hr - matching what CARB shows for gas-fired electric power PM emissions.
Given these new data on ultra-clean emissions levels achievable for SCR/PM trap equipped diesel gen-sets, CARB's diesel gen-set "cancer risk" warnings and claims that diesels will produce some vastly greater amount of ozone-forming emissions, compared to gas-fired power, look dubious.
These alarmist claims unfortunately have been repeated by "green" groups in California newspaper stories about the state's power crisis.
* 'Cancer' Threat?
"Operation of an uncontrolled one-MW diesel engine for 250 hours per year would in crease cancer risk to nearby residents (within one city block) by 250 in a million," CARB's letter to air districts says, apparently failing to mention that PM trap-equipped diesels would virtually eliminate the PM "toxic" risk.
"On average this represents a 50% in crease in the cancer risk due to exposure to diesel exhaust," the CARB letter alarmingly concludes.
Meantime, CDTI is among a group of well-known technology companies applying to CARB for retrofit certification for a PM filter system for many diesel applications.
CDTI has produced test data showing it can hit the 0.01 g/bhp-hr PM limit CARB asks for -- and now, like many other technology developers, it's awaiting CARB's final decision on retrofit durability requirements.
CDTI's SCR system hasn't been certified with CARB, but it passed an earlier NESCAUM retrofit evaluation. It's now pending before an internal EPA diesel fuel/additives retrofit verification group, along with diesel water emulsions and other fuel technologies.
(Note: This internal EPA group review just took over from the outside "Environmental Technology Verification" panel that continues to develop emissions retrofit verifications for catalyst/trap devices (see Diesel Fuel News 11/13/2000, p1).
Meantime, over 100 diesel engines are either using or have ordered CDTI's urea-SCR system, Valentine said.
"There are several PM filter systems operating on large engines in California, and so we hope to combine the SCR and our fuel-borne catalyst/diesel particle filter technology soon to provide very low emissions diesels to the California market," Valentine said.
"CDTI is planning to team with Clean Air Systems of New Mexico to offer this additive/filter combination in conjunction with our urea-SCR licensee, RJM."
Busing in a new hybrid fleet
With delivery expected to take place in 2006, the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) has placed an order with Orion Bus Industries for 330 transit buses, 150 of which will be diesel-electric hybrids. The buses will be the first diesel-electric vehicles operated by TTC, making it the largest hybrid transit operator in Canada.
The hybrid purchase comes under a supportive transit measure for 66% of TTC's bus purchases to be hybrid or alternative-powered "green" vehicles starting in 2006. Through the initiative, TTC said it will replace 1180 buses over a period of 10 years. Funding for the purchase was provided by the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund (CSIF), Government of Ontario and the city of Toronto. A total of $391 million was dedicated to the purchase as well as expanding transit routes.
All 330 TTC buses will be built on a 40 ft. Orion VII bus platform. The 180 conventional diesel-powered buses ordered feature a Cummins ISL engine rated 280 hp at 2200 rpm. In the hybrid models, power is provided by a smaller 5.9 L six-cylinder Cummins ISB diesel rated 260 hp, which has been combined with BAE Systems electric HybriDrive propulsion system.
Using the HybriDrive system allows the buses to be spec'd with a smaller hp engine that "offers the best available combination of fuel savings and emissions," according to Mark Brager, Orion vice president of sales. With the diesel-electric hybrid system, the Orion VII buses are designed to provide 25 to 35% better fuel economy as well as reduce PM emissions by 90%, N[O.sub.x] by 40% and greenhouse gases (GHG) by 30%, compared to conventional diesel-powered buses. This is in addition to the reduced maintenance costs by eliminating the transmission, Brager added.
To augment the engine's output, the HybriDrive system couples a 120 kW permanent magnet generator to the engine. This is used to supply electrical power to a single traction motor installed at the front ArvinMeritor axle. The traction motor delivers 250 hp continuous power (320 hp intermittent) to the wheels and creates smooth acceleration without the gear changes of a transmission, Orion said.
When the bus is slowed, the traction motor also acts as a generator, recapturing energy for later use. Energy produced during this regenerative braking is stored in a battery energy storage unit mounted to the roof of the buses. The generator drive also produces energy to recharge the battery storage unit.
The entire HybriDrive system is operated through a propulsion control system designed and produced by BAE Systems to control and monitor the diesel-hybrid powertrain. A power inverter is also integrated into the HybriDrive system.
Orion also produces a CNG version of the Orion VII bus which is available in 30, 35 and 40 ft. lengths. Orion assembles the chassis and body structure of the Orion VII buses at its Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, facility. From there, the structure is sent to the company's Oriskany, N.Y., plant where seating, engines, transmissions, axles, electrical, heating and air conditioning systems and other final finish components are installed. Final finish and testing are also completed at Oriskany.
The Orion VII buses for TTC are dated for delivery in 2006 and will be used to service the 1,350,000 daily passengers. TCC serves the greater Toronto area with 149 surface routes and employs 10,503.
The hybrid purchase comes under a supportive transit measure for 66% of TTC's bus purchases to be hybrid or alternative-powered "green" vehicles starting in 2006. Through the initiative, TTC said it will replace 1180 buses over a period of 10 years. Funding for the purchase was provided by the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund (CSIF), Government of Ontario and the city of Toronto. A total of $391 million was dedicated to the purchase as well as expanding transit routes.
All 330 TTC buses will be built on a 40 ft. Orion VII bus platform. The 180 conventional diesel-powered buses ordered feature a Cummins ISL engine rated 280 hp at 2200 rpm. In the hybrid models, power is provided by a smaller 5.9 L six-cylinder Cummins ISB diesel rated 260 hp, which has been combined with BAE Systems electric HybriDrive propulsion system.
Using the HybriDrive system allows the buses to be spec'd with a smaller hp engine that "offers the best available combination of fuel savings and emissions," according to Mark Brager, Orion vice president of sales. With the diesel-electric hybrid system, the Orion VII buses are designed to provide 25 to 35% better fuel economy as well as reduce PM emissions by 90%, N[O.sub.x] by 40% and greenhouse gases (GHG) by 30%, compared to conventional diesel-powered buses. This is in addition to the reduced maintenance costs by eliminating the transmission, Brager added.
To augment the engine's output, the HybriDrive system couples a 120 kW permanent magnet generator to the engine. This is used to supply electrical power to a single traction motor installed at the front ArvinMeritor axle. The traction motor delivers 250 hp continuous power (320 hp intermittent) to the wheels and creates smooth acceleration without the gear changes of a transmission, Orion said.
When the bus is slowed, the traction motor also acts as a generator, recapturing energy for later use. Energy produced during this regenerative braking is stored in a battery energy storage unit mounted to the roof of the buses. The generator drive also produces energy to recharge the battery storage unit.
The entire HybriDrive system is operated through a propulsion control system designed and produced by BAE Systems to control and monitor the diesel-hybrid powertrain. A power inverter is also integrated into the HybriDrive system.
Orion also produces a CNG version of the Orion VII bus which is available in 30, 35 and 40 ft. lengths. Orion assembles the chassis and body structure of the Orion VII buses at its Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, facility. From there, the structure is sent to the company's Oriskany, N.Y., plant where seating, engines, transmissions, axles, electrical, heating and air conditioning systems and other final finish components are installed. Final finish and testing are also completed at Oriskany.
The Orion VII buses for TTC are dated for delivery in 2006 and will be used to service the 1,350,000 daily passengers. TCC serves the greater Toronto area with 149 surface routes and employs 10,503.
A generator that cuts grass - Power Generation - Briggs and Stratton Corp.'s PowerLink system - Brief Article
In yet another example of the potential flexibility of power generation technology, Briggs & Stratton has developed a system by which the engine on a riding lawn mower can be used to generate 1.5 kW of a.c. current. The new PowerLink system is designed for Briggs & Stratton Intek V-twin engines that will be used on select Sears Craftsman lawn tractor models in the spring. The company also plans to make its system available on selected Vanguard V-twin engines.
"The PowerLink system is a multifunctional, mobile power source for a variety of yard and household tools and appliances," said Rick Zeckmeister, Briggs & Stratton director of North American consumer marketing. "It provides flexibility and security without the need for additional maintenance or storage space.
The PowerLink-equipped engines use Neodynium iron-boron magnets incorporated under the flywheel and a specially wound stator that generates 1.5 kW of d.c. power. That power is delivered to a power inverter that converts the current to a.c., which can then be accessed through a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet located on the side of the tractor.
Briggs & Stratton said the system can be used to power items such as hedge trimmers, string trimmers, hand power tools and outdoor lights. In power outages, it can also be used to run an appliance such as a refrigerator, freezer, stationary heater or sump pump.
The PowerLink system is equipped with safety features including overload protection and low voltage shutdown to protect both the operator and the attached equipment. The duplex GFCI outlet has a weather-resistant panel. An external reset button makes resuming work easy and convenient, the company said.
"The PowerLink system is a multifunctional, mobile power source for a variety of yard and household tools and appliances," said Rick Zeckmeister, Briggs & Stratton director of North American consumer marketing. "It provides flexibility and security without the need for additional maintenance or storage space.
The PowerLink-equipped engines use Neodynium iron-boron magnets incorporated under the flywheel and a specially wound stator that generates 1.5 kW of d.c. power. That power is delivered to a power inverter that converts the current to a.c., which can then be accessed through a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet located on the side of the tractor.
Briggs & Stratton said the system can be used to power items such as hedge trimmers, string trimmers, hand power tools and outdoor lights. In power outages, it can also be used to run an appliance such as a refrigerator, freezer, stationary heater or sump pump.
The PowerLink system is equipped with safety features including overload protection and low voltage shutdown to protect both the operator and the attached equipment. The duplex GFCI outlet has a weather-resistant panel. An external reset button makes resuming work easy and convenient, the company said.
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