VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- REGI U.S., Inc. (OTCBB:RGUS)(BCN:RGJ) / Reg Technologies Inc. (TSX VENTURE:RRE)(OTCBB:REGRF) wish to announce that Anuvu Incorporated has scheduled production and delivery of a fuel cell-powered Neighborhood Electric Vehicle with On-Board Power generator to Reg Technologies Inc. for evaluation and testing. A recent market demand for highly-efficient NEVs has been seen as gasoline prices have risen dramatically and these small lightweight vehicles generate zero-pollution and have low operating costs. The addition of a fuel cell system makes these vehicles far more reliable and robust in operation, allowing the vehicles to be used continuously at multi-building facilities, golf courses/country clubs, retirement and self-sustaining communities, and other locales that have need for short-range passenger and/or light utility level mobility. The fuel cell/battery hybrid power system offers a rapid deployment solution that can be competitive economically and robust technically.
The design for the fuel cell power system for golf carts/NEVs would be a universal range extending power package that would be added to existing vehicle designs. The fuel cell would provide 2.5 kW of net power to the NEV, providing substantial range extension and enhanced performance over the entire duty cycle. This on-board fuel cell recharging system could triple the operating time of an existing NEV battery pack, making a two-hour pack last 6 hours. Providing a range increase from 25-50 miles per charge to more than 100-150 miles per charge. The fuel cell would be hydrogen fueled from a compressed tank which can be refueled in minutes instead of the lengthy 8-10 hour charge required by conventional battery NEVs. The fuel cell would run continuously while the vehicle is in operation, keeping the state of charge of the battery pack as high as possible during operation. This constant on-board recharging will provide extra power to the user and greatly extend battery life and reduce battery recharge cycle time
In addition to increasing range and driving performance of the vehicle the fuel cell system will also mobile power generation with on-board AC outlets that tools, appliances or electronics can be plugged into for up to 24 hours of continuous operation. This makes NEV fleets a perfect tool to aid in the on-the-ground coordination and response efforts of first-responders to emergencies whether they be power outages, natural disasters or security concerns.
Reg Technologies Inc. owns the exclusive distribution rights for Canada and REGI U.S., Inc. has the option for the rights for Europe.
ABOUT ANUVU INCORPORATED:
Anuvu designs, manufactures, sells and licenses patented hydrogen fuel cell stacks and competitive energy systems worldwide to OEMs, governments, private R&D laboratories and academic institutions. Our standard PEM fuel cell stacks range from 1.5 kilowatt (kW) to 6kW. We have been successfully delivering fuel cells to various markets for over five years, with the goal of becoming the leading volume supplier of fuel cell systems in the 1kW to 100kW range. After ten years of R&D, Anuvu is focusing on the broad commercialization of its fuel cells by targeting existing stationary and specialized mobile markets, such as indoor forklift, marine, data and network backup power, remote communications facilities, critical fail-over systems and small urban vehicles.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Electrical-based particulate reduction system from Miratech - emissions technology
Miratech Corp. has announced the availability of its new Rypos Trap Active Diesel Particulate Filter System, which is designed to use patented RYPOS technology to regenerate trapped particulate matter from diesel engine exhaust.
The system is designed to perform well with land- and marine-based generator sets, water pumps and other direct-drive diesel engine driven applications. It is designed for easy, low cost installation in existing exhaust systems and includes flanged ends and high temperature gasket materials to prevent exhaust gas leakage.
Miratech, which is headquartered in Tulsa, Okla., pointed out that most soot filters are made of extruded ceramic material that tends to be brittle and often develops cracks due to thermal chock and pressure pulsation within the exhaust steam. It said the Rypos Trap was developed with a sintered metal fiber filter that is much less susceptible to cracking due to the fact that the metal conducts heat and is more ductile than its extruded ceramic counterparts.
"The Rypos Trap's technically advanced design incorporates a sintered metal fiber filter which over the life of the product is more durable. This is especially helpful when operators are working in transient conditions," said Jim McDonald, Miratech's manager of business development
The modular, easily replaceable metal fiber filter element is the key to the new system's performance, according to the company, but other design features help assure its long life and dependability.
In addition to the media, the system's filter support structure and reactor housing each have been designed to accommodate the engine exhaust gas flow, pulsations, pressure and thermal conditions experienced during normal engine operating conditions without damage. As a result, the company said the Rypos Trap can function under all commonly experienced engine operating conditions without distortion, vibration or damage to the filter system.
The filter itself is designed to operate within allowable engine back pressure requirements. When the back pressure reaches a preset level, an electrical current is applied across the filter elements to heat and oxidize the accumulated soot and soluble organic fraction.
The company points out that the use of electrical current to burn off soot is one of the Rypos Trap's truly distinctive features.
Whereas many systems depend upon a high exhaust temperature or catalyst that is subject to poisoning to burn off the soot, the Rypos Trap's electrical regeneration system allows it to function regardless of exhaust temperature or engine load factor. Since the Rypos Trap does not rely on exhaust temperature as a means of regeneration, it requires no catalytic coating to work and it works from the moment the engine starts.
A key benefit to the Rypos Trap, according to the company, is that, unlike catalytic systems that can be poisoned by sulfur, especially at the low temperatures encountered during start-up, its operation is completely independent of the level of sulfur in the fuel being used. With the Rypos Trap it is not necessary to use low sulfur fuel to meet emissions requirements. As low sulfur fuel is generally more expensive than other available options, this can save considerable expense.
Operation with the Rypos Trap results in an especially low exhaust pressure drop, according to Miratech, which results in minimal impact on a diesel engine's power output and fuel consumption. The company said that with the Rypos Trap in place, the typical exhaust pressure drop is less than 20 in. [H.sub.2]0 (28 mm Hg). That value complies with engine manufacturer back-pressure requirements and will not affect engine warranties.
The system is designed to perform well with land- and marine-based generator sets, water pumps and other direct-drive diesel engine driven applications. It is designed for easy, low cost installation in existing exhaust systems and includes flanged ends and high temperature gasket materials to prevent exhaust gas leakage.
Miratech, which is headquartered in Tulsa, Okla., pointed out that most soot filters are made of extruded ceramic material that tends to be brittle and often develops cracks due to thermal chock and pressure pulsation within the exhaust steam. It said the Rypos Trap was developed with a sintered metal fiber filter that is much less susceptible to cracking due to the fact that the metal conducts heat and is more ductile than its extruded ceramic counterparts.
"The Rypos Trap's technically advanced design incorporates a sintered metal fiber filter which over the life of the product is more durable. This is especially helpful when operators are working in transient conditions," said Jim McDonald, Miratech's manager of business development
The modular, easily replaceable metal fiber filter element is the key to the new system's performance, according to the company, but other design features help assure its long life and dependability.
In addition to the media, the system's filter support structure and reactor housing each have been designed to accommodate the engine exhaust gas flow, pulsations, pressure and thermal conditions experienced during normal engine operating conditions without damage. As a result, the company said the Rypos Trap can function under all commonly experienced engine operating conditions without distortion, vibration or damage to the filter system.
The filter itself is designed to operate within allowable engine back pressure requirements. When the back pressure reaches a preset level, an electrical current is applied across the filter elements to heat and oxidize the accumulated soot and soluble organic fraction.
The company points out that the use of electrical current to burn off soot is one of the Rypos Trap's truly distinctive features.
Whereas many systems depend upon a high exhaust temperature or catalyst that is subject to poisoning to burn off the soot, the Rypos Trap's electrical regeneration system allows it to function regardless of exhaust temperature or engine load factor. Since the Rypos Trap does not rely on exhaust temperature as a means of regeneration, it requires no catalytic coating to work and it works from the moment the engine starts.
A key benefit to the Rypos Trap, according to the company, is that, unlike catalytic systems that can be poisoned by sulfur, especially at the low temperatures encountered during start-up, its operation is completely independent of the level of sulfur in the fuel being used. With the Rypos Trap it is not necessary to use low sulfur fuel to meet emissions requirements. As low sulfur fuel is generally more expensive than other available options, this can save considerable expense.
Operation with the Rypos Trap results in an especially low exhaust pressure drop, according to Miratech, which results in minimal impact on a diesel engine's power output and fuel consumption. The company said that with the Rypos Trap in place, the typical exhaust pressure drop is less than 20 in. [H.sub.2]0 (28 mm Hg). That value complies with engine manufacturer back-pressure requirements and will not affect engine warranties.
Rental power at the races - Cat Rental Power generator sets used during Gateway International Raceway renovation in Madison, IL
Officials at Gateway International Raceway, Madison, Ill., were faced with the dilemma of how to provide lighting for their weekly drag racing programs at a facility that was undergoing major renovations - and with the power transformers were eight weeks from delivery. While late summer daylight allowed for racing into the evening hours, problems began to occur when the track's three-day-a-week racing programs began to run into the shortened daylight of the fall.
Enter Fabick Power Systems, the Fenton, Mo.-based Caterpillar distributor to supply two Cat Rental Power generator sets until normal power was restored to the race track. To handle the track's generated power needs, Fabick supplied two units, a Caterpillar XQ225 (rated 225 kW prime) and an Olympian CT60 (rated 48 kW prime), both trailer-mounted and with sound-attenuated enclosures.
"Until we got those generators, we were hurting," said Bob Dicus, Gateway's operations manager. "We used them every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday during the month of October
The model XQ225 rental power unit is powered by a six-cylinder, turbocharged and aftercooled Caterpillar 3306 diesel engine rated 316 hp, featuring a Woodward electronic 1724 governor. The Olympian CT60 generator set is powered by a four-cylinder turbocharged Caterpillar 3054 diesel rated 80 hp and governed by a Barber-Colman electronic governor.
Other gen-set accessories on the XQ225 unit include a Master Controls 5 amp battery charger, Merlin Gerin circuit breakers and a Watlow 3000 W jacket water heater. On the Olympian CT60, accessories include a Donaldson air cleaner, Kim Hotstart 1800 W water heater and a Stanadyne fuel injection pump.
The XQ225 gen-set was used to power a Musco lighting system used to illuminate the racing surface, while the CT60 was used to operate the track's timing system. The timing system required a very low spike or surge rate and, according to Dicus, the Olympian CT60 operated the timing system with no glitches.
Caterpillar's XQ line of rental packages include an EMPC II (electronic modular control panel) that is shock mounted in a separate enclosure compartment for easy viewing and servicing. The distribution panel allows even an inexperienced rental customer to safely identify output voltages and output terminals feature safety interlocks. Also, an array of receptacles are available with individual circuit breakers.
Both gen-sets offer a variety of automatic engine shutdowns, a.c. metering packages and engine gauges. Optional features for both units include the battery chargers and jacket water heaters and road ready trailers.
Enter Fabick Power Systems, the Fenton, Mo.-based Caterpillar distributor to supply two Cat Rental Power generator sets until normal power was restored to the race track. To handle the track's generated power needs, Fabick supplied two units, a Caterpillar XQ225 (rated 225 kW prime) and an Olympian CT60 (rated 48 kW prime), both trailer-mounted and with sound-attenuated enclosures.
"Until we got those generators, we were hurting," said Bob Dicus, Gateway's operations manager. "We used them every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday during the month of October
The model XQ225 rental power unit is powered by a six-cylinder, turbocharged and aftercooled Caterpillar 3306 diesel engine rated 316 hp, featuring a Woodward electronic 1724 governor. The Olympian CT60 generator set is powered by a four-cylinder turbocharged Caterpillar 3054 diesel rated 80 hp and governed by a Barber-Colman electronic governor.
Other gen-set accessories on the XQ225 unit include a Master Controls 5 amp battery charger, Merlin Gerin circuit breakers and a Watlow 3000 W jacket water heater. On the Olympian CT60, accessories include a Donaldson air cleaner, Kim Hotstart 1800 W water heater and a Stanadyne fuel injection pump.
The XQ225 gen-set was used to power a Musco lighting system used to illuminate the racing surface, while the CT60 was used to operate the track's timing system. The timing system required a very low spike or surge rate and, according to Dicus, the Olympian CT60 operated the timing system with no glitches.
Caterpillar's XQ line of rental packages include an EMPC II (electronic modular control panel) that is shock mounted in a separate enclosure compartment for easy viewing and servicing. The distribution panel allows even an inexperienced rental customer to safely identify output voltages and output terminals feature safety interlocks. Also, an array of receptacles are available with individual circuit breakers.
Both gen-sets offer a variety of automatic engine shutdowns, a.c. metering packages and engine gauges. Optional features for both units include the battery chargers and jacket water heaters and road ready trailers.
Finding a niche: a contract crushing company finds profits in the recycling market
When Ted Heitsche was approached by a former asphalt-plant manager at S.E. Johnson in 1998 to start up his own asphalt and concrete recycling business in the northwest Ohio area, he knew little about the industry.
"I heard there were opportunities to make money in recycling, but never considered making it a living," says Heitsche, owner of Ted's Trucking in Collins, Ohio, just south of Toledo. At the time, Heitsche used his company trucks to haul crushed asphalt to S.E. Johnson's construction sites in the area.
"I did some research and found that asphalt and concrete recycling materials were generating healthy profits for recyclers. I also discovered there was a need for recycling aggregate in this part of the state," Heitsche says.
Heitsche ultimately took the plunge in the asphalt- and concrete-recycling business after spotting a gap in the market for a company able to crush C&D debris. With the profits from his trucking company, he created his second business, Heitsche Boyz Crushing (HBC), in an effort to operate the only mobile recycling plant in the region. To date, Heitsche is the only mobile contract crusher in northwest Ohio to step up to the challenge.
"I heard there were opportunities to make money in recycling, but never considered making it a living," says Heitsche, owner of Ted's Trucking in Collins, Ohio, just south of Toledo. At the time, Heitsche used his company trucks to haul crushed asphalt to S.E. Johnson's construction sites in the area.
"I did some research and found that asphalt and concrete recycling materials were generating healthy profits for recyclers. I also discovered there was a need for recycling aggregate in this part of the state," Heitsche says.
Heitsche ultimately took the plunge in the asphalt- and concrete-recycling business after spotting a gap in the market for a company able to crush C&D debris. With the profits from his trucking company, he created his second business, Heitsche Boyz Crushing (HBC), in an effort to operate the only mobile recycling plant in the region. To date, Heitsche is the only mobile contract crusher in northwest Ohio to step up to the challenge.
Sound Remedies For Medical Facilities
Controlling noise emitted by modern HEALTH CARE TECHNOLOGIES as well as protecting patient privacy while speaking is essential for hospitals and clinics
How close to the emergency generators can the new microsurgery suite be?
In today's medical facilities, the only constant is change. It is important to be on the lookout for conflicting needs when siting a new MRI suite or cooling tower. Avoiding the transfer of airborne sound or structure-borne vibration between various adjacencies requires thoughtful planning.
Areas where images are magnified for diagnosis or treatment are potentially susceptible to vibration. The most common areas of concern include microsurgery and lab microscopes. Quantitative criteria for acceptable levels of floor vibration are often provided by system manufacturers or acoustical consultants. This allows for an engineering assessment of what measures are needed to meet the criteria.
On renovation projects, field measurements can be made of existing levels of floor vibration and, if needed, sources of building vibration can be identified through frequency analysis or ON/OFF tests. A major university hospital recently commissioned such tests during planning and expansion to accommodate lab microscopes with 40OX magnification. To prevent image blurring, steps were taken to stiffen the building structure and isolate vibration of rotating equipment in a new mechanical penthouse. Ophthalmologic surgery suites and even standard operating rooms all require vibration-free environments to varying degrees.
The proliferation of MRI machines has also caused acoustical problems. The concern here is more "outbound" - that is, sound and vibration generated by the MRI process intruding into nearby waiting and treatment rooms, adjacent horizontally or vertically. With the use of progressively larger magnets, airborne noise and structure-borne sound levels are increasing, requiring better planning and more aggressive measures for control.
Noise and vibration problems can be anticipated. If mitigation measures are planned during the design phase, costly and extraordinary construction techniques can be avoided. Good planning can make it possible to avoid the kinds of steps that are necessary to make building occupants satisfied if, for example, the chiller room is located next to a meeting room. With available expertise, the costs and benefits of various options can be explored while the project is still on paper.
COMMUNITY NOISE CONCERNS
Many jurisdictions now have regulations covering the sound that may be emitted from building service equipment. The most common noise sources for medical facilities are cooling towers, air-cooled HVAC equipment (usually rooftop units) and emergency generators. While generators may be exempt from community noise regulations during emergencies, there is customarily no exemption for the noise produced during weekly generator tests. So it is wise to test during the day and to meet the daytime noise limit requirements. Nighttime regulatory limits are usually lower. For example, in New Jersey, levels emitted to residential properties are limited to 65 dB(A) during the day and 5OdB(A) at night.
Where lowest first cost is an overriding concern, the trend is to use aircooled, packaged or custom rooftop air handlers to serve building additions or new facilities. The sound radiated to the community is highest during the summer when cooling demand is highest, and noise is produced by the compressors and condenser fans. Unfortunately, it is difficult to mitigate the noise from such equipment, both during the design stage and after the fact, except by introducing shielding with acoustical barriers. The difficulty of mitigation is all the more reason to ensure good planning occurs.
At one hospital, a new rooftop aircooled chiller was contributing to noise levels far above allowable nighttime limits. Because the roof could not support the wind load and weight of the needed noise control barrier, the only solution was to use this rooftop unit in the daytime hours and to provide supplemental cooling with additional equipment, selected and located to meet nighttime cooling needs while meeting sound-emission requirements.
Although water-cooled systems relying on cooling towers require greater up-front investment, there are many more options available during equipment selection for controlling sound emissions to the extent required. Options include:
* Equipment style: Centrifugal fan cooling towers and propeller fan towers have different acoustical characteristics and directivity - the way sound emissions differ from position to position around a noise source.
* Fan speed: Because towers are custom-designed for thermal demand, oversizing the tower and slowing the fans can often meet acoustical and thermal needs simultaneously.
How close to the emergency generators can the new microsurgery suite be?
In today's medical facilities, the only constant is change. It is important to be on the lookout for conflicting needs when siting a new MRI suite or cooling tower. Avoiding the transfer of airborne sound or structure-borne vibration between various adjacencies requires thoughtful planning.
Areas where images are magnified for diagnosis or treatment are potentially susceptible to vibration. The most common areas of concern include microsurgery and lab microscopes. Quantitative criteria for acceptable levels of floor vibration are often provided by system manufacturers or acoustical consultants. This allows for an engineering assessment of what measures are needed to meet the criteria.
On renovation projects, field measurements can be made of existing levels of floor vibration and, if needed, sources of building vibration can be identified through frequency analysis or ON/OFF tests. A major university hospital recently commissioned such tests during planning and expansion to accommodate lab microscopes with 40OX magnification. To prevent image blurring, steps were taken to stiffen the building structure and isolate vibration of rotating equipment in a new mechanical penthouse. Ophthalmologic surgery suites and even standard operating rooms all require vibration-free environments to varying degrees.
The proliferation of MRI machines has also caused acoustical problems. The concern here is more "outbound" - that is, sound and vibration generated by the MRI process intruding into nearby waiting and treatment rooms, adjacent horizontally or vertically. With the use of progressively larger magnets, airborne noise and structure-borne sound levels are increasing, requiring better planning and more aggressive measures for control.
Noise and vibration problems can be anticipated. If mitigation measures are planned during the design phase, costly and extraordinary construction techniques can be avoided. Good planning can make it possible to avoid the kinds of steps that are necessary to make building occupants satisfied if, for example, the chiller room is located next to a meeting room. With available expertise, the costs and benefits of various options can be explored while the project is still on paper.
COMMUNITY NOISE CONCERNS
Many jurisdictions now have regulations covering the sound that may be emitted from building service equipment. The most common noise sources for medical facilities are cooling towers, air-cooled HVAC equipment (usually rooftop units) and emergency generators. While generators may be exempt from community noise regulations during emergencies, there is customarily no exemption for the noise produced during weekly generator tests. So it is wise to test during the day and to meet the daytime noise limit requirements. Nighttime regulatory limits are usually lower. For example, in New Jersey, levels emitted to residential properties are limited to 65 dB(A) during the day and 5OdB(A) at night.
Where lowest first cost is an overriding concern, the trend is to use aircooled, packaged or custom rooftop air handlers to serve building additions or new facilities. The sound radiated to the community is highest during the summer when cooling demand is highest, and noise is produced by the compressors and condenser fans. Unfortunately, it is difficult to mitigate the noise from such equipment, both during the design stage and after the fact, except by introducing shielding with acoustical barriers. The difficulty of mitigation is all the more reason to ensure good planning occurs.
At one hospital, a new rooftop aircooled chiller was contributing to noise levels far above allowable nighttime limits. Because the roof could not support the wind load and weight of the needed noise control barrier, the only solution was to use this rooftop unit in the daytime hours and to provide supplemental cooling with additional equipment, selected and located to meet nighttime cooling needs while meeting sound-emission requirements.
Although water-cooled systems relying on cooling towers require greater up-front investment, there are many more options available during equipment selection for controlling sound emissions to the extent required. Options include:
* Equipment style: Centrifugal fan cooling towers and propeller fan towers have different acoustical characteristics and directivity - the way sound emissions differ from position to position around a noise source.
* Fan speed: Because towers are custom-designed for thermal demand, oversizing the tower and slowing the fans can often meet acoustical and thermal needs simultaneously.
At a standstill: GM explores stationary power applications for automotive fuel cell development
The road to the commercialization of fuel cell vehicles has taken an interesting turn.
On Tuesday, February 10, 2004, Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham and Texas Governor Rick Perry threw the switch on the first of some 400 to 500 General Motor's PEM automotive fuel cell power modules that will serve as stationary power plants, making electricity for Dow Chemical's Freeport, Texas, manufacturing facility.
This initial stack, mounted inside of a 40-ft. trailer and monitored remotely from GM's Honeoye Falls, N.Y., fuel cell research and development center, will serve as the test module, making sure that the units will run properly on the hydrogen produced by Dow. If all goes as planned, this 75 kW unit will be replaced this summer with another trailer housing the first industrial scale unit, made up of 14 modules capable of generating 1 MW of electricity. The final goal is to have 400 to 500 power modules generating 35 MW of electricity--enough to power 25,000 homes, yet still only two percent of the total electricity used by the Dow facility.
The trailer is parked in the facilities power station that currently uses cogeneration to produce all of the steam and electricity for Dow's largest facility
You might ask yourself what would bring the world's largest auto manufacturer and the world's largest chemical producer together to advance fuel cell technology. The answer to that question is a commercially viable agreement that was made in hydrogen heaven.
Hydrogen is a byproduct of several of Dow's manufacturing operations and up until now, the 'fuel' in fuel cell was piped to the power station and used to heat boilers for making steam, sold off to companies like Air Products for resale to industry or vented into the atmosphere. Now some of that hydrogen will be used to run the GM fuel cells.
"We started talking to Dow in late 2002," says Timothy E. Vail, director fuel cell commercialization, GM fuel cell activity, "and it's kind of an interesting mix. Dow needed to get more value from its hydrogen strength and we needed a place to put our technology."
Vail says that GM weighed the pros and cons and found that Dow was a good fit.
"From our standpoint the Dow transaction is a positive economic transaction for us ... pure profit," Vail says. "If you take the cost of the unit and the money we're getting from Dow, (the profit) is marginal. But if you think of all the cost we avoid, building vehicles, running on test stands, scrapping equipment, it's a hugely profitable deal for us. It's the same for Dow. If you take its electricity and gas costs, plus the emissions benefits, what they're doing with this byproduct fuel becomes an economic transaction for them as well."
While the first unit is a test unit, Vail says that once the industrial-strength hardware is installed this summer, it's really past the test stage.
"This agreement is a true commercial arrangement," Vail says. "We're moving forward to install megawatts of power and you don't do that on a test basis, you're doing that for economic reasons."
Vail says that the Dow venture well help to advance GM's fuel cell program in a couple of areas. Dow has been dealing with hydrogen for decades and has shared that expertise with GM, which Vail says, has advanced the fuel cell program immeasurably.
And for a fraction of the cost of building 400 to 500 fuel cell-powered vehicles, GM can run the same number of units in a real-world environment which, in turn, will build the supply base and develop expertise in manufacturing and production engineering, ultimately bringing costs down to the commercialization goal of $50 a kilowatt by 2010.
"It's just incredibly expensive to build and maintain a fuel cell automobile," Vail says. "If you want it for PR purposes, that's great, but if you really want to deliver in 2010, you cannot be relying on vehicles for your early volume, you'll go broke. You'll spend all of your money on your vehicles and not your R&D program."
Dow has its own reasons for finding alternative energy sources. Dow uses natural gas to manufacture all of the electricity needed to produce heat and power for the Texas facility and is tied to a highly, controlled natural gas market. Tommy Block, vice president of Dow's operations in Texas says that the site's natural gas bill in 2003 was $1 million dollars a day higher than the 2001 bill.
"We have to find ways to cut a million dollars in cost every day just to stay even with where we were in 2001," says Block.
Since hydrogen is a byproduct of Dow's manufacturing operations, that furl is virtually flee and that makes had cells look real good from an economical standpoint.
On Tuesday, February 10, 2004, Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham and Texas Governor Rick Perry threw the switch on the first of some 400 to 500 General Motor's PEM automotive fuel cell power modules that will serve as stationary power plants, making electricity for Dow Chemical's Freeport, Texas, manufacturing facility.
This initial stack, mounted inside of a 40-ft. trailer and monitored remotely from GM's Honeoye Falls, N.Y., fuel cell research and development center, will serve as the test module, making sure that the units will run properly on the hydrogen produced by Dow. If all goes as planned, this 75 kW unit will be replaced this summer with another trailer housing the first industrial scale unit, made up of 14 modules capable of generating 1 MW of electricity. The final goal is to have 400 to 500 power modules generating 35 MW of electricity--enough to power 25,000 homes, yet still only two percent of the total electricity used by the Dow facility.
The trailer is parked in the facilities power station that currently uses cogeneration to produce all of the steam and electricity for Dow's largest facility
You might ask yourself what would bring the world's largest auto manufacturer and the world's largest chemical producer together to advance fuel cell technology. The answer to that question is a commercially viable agreement that was made in hydrogen heaven.
Hydrogen is a byproduct of several of Dow's manufacturing operations and up until now, the 'fuel' in fuel cell was piped to the power station and used to heat boilers for making steam, sold off to companies like Air Products for resale to industry or vented into the atmosphere. Now some of that hydrogen will be used to run the GM fuel cells.
"We started talking to Dow in late 2002," says Timothy E. Vail, director fuel cell commercialization, GM fuel cell activity, "and it's kind of an interesting mix. Dow needed to get more value from its hydrogen strength and we needed a place to put our technology."
Vail says that GM weighed the pros and cons and found that Dow was a good fit.
"From our standpoint the Dow transaction is a positive economic transaction for us ... pure profit," Vail says. "If you take the cost of the unit and the money we're getting from Dow, (the profit) is marginal. But if you think of all the cost we avoid, building vehicles, running on test stands, scrapping equipment, it's a hugely profitable deal for us. It's the same for Dow. If you take its electricity and gas costs, plus the emissions benefits, what they're doing with this byproduct fuel becomes an economic transaction for them as well."
While the first unit is a test unit, Vail says that once the industrial-strength hardware is installed this summer, it's really past the test stage.
"This agreement is a true commercial arrangement," Vail says. "We're moving forward to install megawatts of power and you don't do that on a test basis, you're doing that for economic reasons."
Vail says that the Dow venture well help to advance GM's fuel cell program in a couple of areas. Dow has been dealing with hydrogen for decades and has shared that expertise with GM, which Vail says, has advanced the fuel cell program immeasurably.
And for a fraction of the cost of building 400 to 500 fuel cell-powered vehicles, GM can run the same number of units in a real-world environment which, in turn, will build the supply base and develop expertise in manufacturing and production engineering, ultimately bringing costs down to the commercialization goal of $50 a kilowatt by 2010.
"It's just incredibly expensive to build and maintain a fuel cell automobile," Vail says. "If you want it for PR purposes, that's great, but if you really want to deliver in 2010, you cannot be relying on vehicles for your early volume, you'll go broke. You'll spend all of your money on your vehicles and not your R&D program."
Dow has its own reasons for finding alternative energy sources. Dow uses natural gas to manufacture all of the electricity needed to produce heat and power for the Texas facility and is tied to a highly, controlled natural gas market. Tommy Block, vice president of Dow's operations in Texas says that the site's natural gas bill in 2003 was $1 million dollars a day higher than the 2001 bill.
"We have to find ways to cut a million dollars in cost every day just to stay even with where we were in 2001," says Block.
Since hydrogen is a byproduct of Dow's manufacturing operations, that furl is virtually flee and that makes had cells look real good from an economical standpoint.
When it comes to energy, sometimes it's best to go it alone
Rising energy prices as well as heightened environmental and power reliability concerns have an increased number of facility executives using on-site power equipment to satisfy their facilities' energy appetite.
It's getting easier to see why.
On-site power systems give facility executives nearly unlimited capability to manage their energy supplies as they see fit. Systems can be used to produce electricity to meet a facility's baseload demand, to shave peak demand and to meet electrical needs when a utility feed fails.
Having those capabilities opens a world of possibilities to facility executives who are trying to reduce how much they pay for energy. Many facilities have systems configured to come online when the amount of utility-supplied energy a building uses is getting close to breaking a previously set demand level, typically during equipment start-up times.
As any facility executive who has been in that position knows, setting a new demand level incurs utility charges that can stay on a bill for months. But while controlling demand charges is important, the systems also give facility executives flexibility to define energy management strategies and control supply costs. Even in cases where setting a new demand level is not a concern, producing power on site at peak-use times can be financially advantageous.
Facilities that are on a real-time energy rate, for instance, can pay up to four times as much for energy during peak-demand times as they pay during off-peak hours. Rare is the instance where the cost of producing power on site would surpass the cost of buying power from the grid during those times.
What's more, buildings with power systems in place can more easily take advantage of favorable interruptible and curtailable electricity rates. If the utility ever makes the call for those facilities to cut demand, an on-site generator can make up the difference.
In deregulated markets, generators can be used to flatten a building's load profile. From an electricity supplier's perspective, that's an important aspect of its ability to offer an attractive rate.
In regulated markets, an on-site system might result in better rates not only through peak-shaving applications, but also because it helps the utility avoid building new generation plants, the cost of which is passed on to ratepayers. For every megawatt of power produced through on-site power systems, the utility has to build one less megawatt into its generation capabilities.
"It makes a lot of sense from the utility perspective," says the maker of an on-site power system. "It's a lot less expensive to encourage a customer to construct an on-site power system that can feed into the utility grid, or separate from it when needed, than to have to build an entire generating station or add onto an existing power plant."
Blackouts such as the one that hit the Northeast and Midwest in August, as well as continued talk about the nation's aging electrical infrastructure, only help to convince facility executives that on-site power systems make sense. Depending on the amount of output, an on-site system can be used to replace utility power for an entire facility or to power critical systems during outages.
What facility executives need to remember, however, is that if they want to parallel their on-site power systems with the utility, they'll have to negotiate and meet a utility's interconnection standards. The utility wants absolute assurances that the output from a facility's systems will not harm the existing electrical grid and associated equipment.
Sometimes, that's not an easy task, especially if the utility has enough generation capacity to serve its territory in every circumstance. Utility representatives will often use the interconnection standards as a way to block on-site power projects and preserve its rate base.
"If a utility is charging a high peak-demand rate, it may not want to give up that revenue because a customer wants to produce its own power at a cost savings," says the maker of an on-site power system. " A business might think generating their own electricity is a good idea, but then they find out the costs of the interconnection are going to kill the economics on the project, not to mention the cost of fuel itself that comes into play on longer runtime scenarios."
A viable alternative is to consider the use of a standby power system in conjunction with an interruptible rate rider of curtailable rate. With these options, the cost of sophisticated relay protection is usually not an issue because the generators are transferred to and from the utility grid within less than a second. Typically all that's needed is reverse power protection, which can be put in place cost effectively.
It's getting easier to see why.
On-site power systems give facility executives nearly unlimited capability to manage their energy supplies as they see fit. Systems can be used to produce electricity to meet a facility's baseload demand, to shave peak demand and to meet electrical needs when a utility feed fails.
Having those capabilities opens a world of possibilities to facility executives who are trying to reduce how much they pay for energy. Many facilities have systems configured to come online when the amount of utility-supplied energy a building uses is getting close to breaking a previously set demand level, typically during equipment start-up times.
As any facility executive who has been in that position knows, setting a new demand level incurs utility charges that can stay on a bill for months. But while controlling demand charges is important, the systems also give facility executives flexibility to define energy management strategies and control supply costs. Even in cases where setting a new demand level is not a concern, producing power on site at peak-use times can be financially advantageous.
Facilities that are on a real-time energy rate, for instance, can pay up to four times as much for energy during peak-demand times as they pay during off-peak hours. Rare is the instance where the cost of producing power on site would surpass the cost of buying power from the grid during those times.
What's more, buildings with power systems in place can more easily take advantage of favorable interruptible and curtailable electricity rates. If the utility ever makes the call for those facilities to cut demand, an on-site generator can make up the difference.
In deregulated markets, generators can be used to flatten a building's load profile. From an electricity supplier's perspective, that's an important aspect of its ability to offer an attractive rate.
In regulated markets, an on-site system might result in better rates not only through peak-shaving applications, but also because it helps the utility avoid building new generation plants, the cost of which is passed on to ratepayers. For every megawatt of power produced through on-site power systems, the utility has to build one less megawatt into its generation capabilities.
"It makes a lot of sense from the utility perspective," says the maker of an on-site power system. "It's a lot less expensive to encourage a customer to construct an on-site power system that can feed into the utility grid, or separate from it when needed, than to have to build an entire generating station or add onto an existing power plant."
Blackouts such as the one that hit the Northeast and Midwest in August, as well as continued talk about the nation's aging electrical infrastructure, only help to convince facility executives that on-site power systems make sense. Depending on the amount of output, an on-site system can be used to replace utility power for an entire facility or to power critical systems during outages.
What facility executives need to remember, however, is that if they want to parallel their on-site power systems with the utility, they'll have to negotiate and meet a utility's interconnection standards. The utility wants absolute assurances that the output from a facility's systems will not harm the existing electrical grid and associated equipment.
Sometimes, that's not an easy task, especially if the utility has enough generation capacity to serve its territory in every circumstance. Utility representatives will often use the interconnection standards as a way to block on-site power projects and preserve its rate base.
"If a utility is charging a high peak-demand rate, it may not want to give up that revenue because a customer wants to produce its own power at a cost savings," says the maker of an on-site power system. " A business might think generating their own electricity is a good idea, but then they find out the costs of the interconnection are going to kill the economics on the project, not to mention the cost of fuel itself that comes into play on longer runtime scenarios."
A viable alternative is to consider the use of a standby power system in conjunction with an interruptible rate rider of curtailable rate. With these options, the cost of sophisticated relay protection is usually not an issue because the generators are transferred to and from the utility grid within less than a second. Typically all that's needed is reverse power protection, which can be put in place cost effectively.
A stirling solution for combined heat and power
Already ridding an extensive line of distributed generation products under its energy|now brand, DTE Energy Technologies (DTE Tech) has expanded the renewable side of its lineup with the introduction of the ENX 55 energy system. The 55 kW cogeneration package is powered by a Stifling engine fueled by natural gas, propane, flare gas, methane, wood gas, biogas or, in its heat-fired version, heat produced from industrial processes.
"The way it (the ENX 55) is being employed today is in both CHP (combined heat and power) and power only packages," said Mark Fallek, vice president and chief marketing officer for the Farmington, Mich., company. "The applications that we think make sense are employing it in places where there is free gas--things like landfills or digesters at wastewater treatment plants or agricultural operations that produce methane, which can then be burned to produce power.
"In the agriculture arena, more and more digesters are being used to breakdown manure, making methane and carbon dioxide. We can take that gas and burn it in a Stirling engine for power as well as use the waste heat to keep The digesters warm. Digesters for these biogas applications need to be kept at 100[degrees]F to keep the anaerobic bacteria alive using the hot water. So it's a good marriage."
In heat applications, the ENX 55 module works off any high-temperature process that will operate "as long as it's clean" Fallek explained. "It's important to note that the Stirling engine requires a very high temperature between 1472[degrees] and 1832[degrees]F," he added.
Using a Stirling engine from STM Power, Ann Arbor Mich., the ENX 55 provides enough rotational power to produce 55 kW of electricity and a heat output of 310,000 btu/hr. According to DTE Tech, the external combustion engine employs a swashplate that takes the linear motion of the pistons and converts it into rotary motion to drive a generator. "You've got rotary" motion driving the generator to produce power, and waste heat from the unit is employed for making hot water," said Fallek. "It's all external to the cylinders and it's a continuous process of providing heat, which can be used for various means such as heating, hot water or whatever you need it for."
Heat is removed from the engine's combustion process using a water cooling system. Water is directed through an internal cooling loop at a temperature of 140[degrees] F and then runs through a heat exchanger. The heat from the engine jacket water is used to heat water for building loads or processes. If the heat recovery is not required, a radiator is available to cool the engine. Electrical efficiency of the ENX 55 unit is 31% with 82% efficiency in the total CHP system, the company said.
Working with STM Power since 1999, DTE Tech develops and sells the external combustion modules worldwide, excluding Asia, under the energy|now brand. The company has 16 locations throughout North America and distributors covering Switzerland, Austria and Germany, Northern Italy; Turkey and South Korea. "Today our business is solely working in the distributed generation business which includes CHP and standby generator sets of" all sizes," said Fallek. "We offer a broad range of technologies that run from Stifling engines to internal combustion engines to a turbine product that we're developing to fuel cells."
"The way it (the ENX 55) is being employed today is in both CHP (combined heat and power) and power only packages," said Mark Fallek, vice president and chief marketing officer for the Farmington, Mich., company. "The applications that we think make sense are employing it in places where there is free gas--things like landfills or digesters at wastewater treatment plants or agricultural operations that produce methane, which can then be burned to produce power.
"In the agriculture arena, more and more digesters are being used to breakdown manure, making methane and carbon dioxide. We can take that gas and burn it in a Stirling engine for power as well as use the waste heat to keep The digesters warm. Digesters for these biogas applications need to be kept at 100[degrees]F to keep the anaerobic bacteria alive using the hot water. So it's a good marriage."
In heat applications, the ENX 55 module works off any high-temperature process that will operate "as long as it's clean" Fallek explained. "It's important to note that the Stirling engine requires a very high temperature between 1472[degrees] and 1832[degrees]F," he added.
Using a Stirling engine from STM Power, Ann Arbor Mich., the ENX 55 provides enough rotational power to produce 55 kW of electricity and a heat output of 310,000 btu/hr. According to DTE Tech, the external combustion engine employs a swashplate that takes the linear motion of the pistons and converts it into rotary motion to drive a generator. "You've got rotary" motion driving the generator to produce power, and waste heat from the unit is employed for making hot water," said Fallek. "It's all external to the cylinders and it's a continuous process of providing heat, which can be used for various means such as heating, hot water or whatever you need it for."
Heat is removed from the engine's combustion process using a water cooling system. Water is directed through an internal cooling loop at a temperature of 140[degrees] F and then runs through a heat exchanger. The heat from the engine jacket water is used to heat water for building loads or processes. If the heat recovery is not required, a radiator is available to cool the engine. Electrical efficiency of the ENX 55 unit is 31% with 82% efficiency in the total CHP system, the company said.
Working with STM Power since 1999, DTE Tech develops and sells the external combustion modules worldwide, excluding Asia, under the energy|now brand. The company has 16 locations throughout North America and distributors covering Switzerland, Austria and Germany, Northern Italy; Turkey and South Korea. "Today our business is solely working in the distributed generation business which includes CHP and standby generator sets of" all sizes," said Fallek. "We offer a broad range of technologies that run from Stifling engines to internal combustion engines to a turbine product that we're developing to fuel cells."
Micro-cogen systems from marathon engine
It's fair to say that most generator set manufacturers don't make their own engines. The ones that do tend to be among the global giants. And then there's Marathon Engine Systems.
Marathon, based in East Troy, Wis., produces a line of application dedicated combined heat and power (CHP) gen-sets. The units range from 1 to 5 kW in natural gas or propane powered configurations with specific models tailored to cathodic protection, luxury homes, net metering, telecommunications, remote locations and true uninterruptible power.
At the heart of each system is Marathon's 272 cc, single-cylinder, four-cycle, liquid cooled 5K engine rated 7.5 hp at 1200 to 3600 rpm. The engine features a 4000-hour service interval and a 40,000-hour life which Gary Papas, vice president of engineering for Marathon, said equates into 1.6 million miles on an automobile engine. "This engine was designed to be durable so it can be placed in remote locations, running constantly," Papas noted. "In one remote prime power application it's connected to a gas well so it also has an unlimited fuel supply."
The cast iron engine was originally designed by the Gas Research Institute as a means to generate income during low usage months by powering residential heat pumps. Marathon purchased the rights to the engine in 1998. Today, it uses a top-mounted exhaust gas heat recuperator with three-way custom catalyst design to recover heat from the engine, generator and exhaust which Marathon said provides cogeneration with more than 90% efficiency. The 5K engine drives a high-efficiency, all-copper alternator with outside fitted coils designed by Marathon. The stator housing is coupled to the crankcase with the rotor mounted to the engine flywheel.
Marathon offers a modernized CHP version with its stainless steel enclosed PowerLast XLC package, as a prime power system for luxury homes. The PowerLast XLC produces 5 kW of grid independent power and 27,000 to 40,000 btu of heat for swimming pools, water heaters or hydronic heating in new homes. "It takes away the functions of the furnace, water heater and standby generator;' said Papas. "It will be common in the future to have this offered as an option by every new home builder."
While the majority of Marthon's lineup is used in some form of heating, its Minotaur 2500 gen-set is a 2.5 kW single phase system designed for cathodic protection of pipelines. The units are typically placed at 40-mile intervals, sending electrical current in both directions to inhibit the corrosion process or power railway switching and communications. The unit has a bullet-proof enclosure and in most instances processes the recovered heat through a radiator.
Also featured in the company's line up is the non-enclosed standup Power Rack, a 1 to 2.5 kW unit targeted toward the telecommunication sector and for prime uninterruptible power, a UPS unit. The UPS system provides 1 to 5 kW of pure sine-wave power at 120 Vac or 240 Vac. Marathon said the gen-set is designed with more than 400 amps of battery assistance, winch can supply two days of power if the engine is shut down. The UPS system targets internet hosts, banking, medical companies or other industries where unexpected outages cause costly or catastrophic interruptions, explained Papas.
The four enclosed units feature a sound-attenuating enclosure with sound levels rated 56 to 64 dB(A), depending on model. The units are thermostat operated or remote accessed via phone or computer interface. Engine temperature, engine speed and power output are monitored on the unit's control panel in digital or gauge formats.
Marathon, based in East Troy, Wis., produces a line of application dedicated combined heat and power (CHP) gen-sets. The units range from 1 to 5 kW in natural gas or propane powered configurations with specific models tailored to cathodic protection, luxury homes, net metering, telecommunications, remote locations and true uninterruptible power.
At the heart of each system is Marathon's 272 cc, single-cylinder, four-cycle, liquid cooled 5K engine rated 7.5 hp at 1200 to 3600 rpm. The engine features a 4000-hour service interval and a 40,000-hour life which Gary Papas, vice president of engineering for Marathon, said equates into 1.6 million miles on an automobile engine. "This engine was designed to be durable so it can be placed in remote locations, running constantly," Papas noted. "In one remote prime power application it's connected to a gas well so it also has an unlimited fuel supply."
The cast iron engine was originally designed by the Gas Research Institute as a means to generate income during low usage months by powering residential heat pumps. Marathon purchased the rights to the engine in 1998. Today, it uses a top-mounted exhaust gas heat recuperator with three-way custom catalyst design to recover heat from the engine, generator and exhaust which Marathon said provides cogeneration with more than 90% efficiency. The 5K engine drives a high-efficiency, all-copper alternator with outside fitted coils designed by Marathon. The stator housing is coupled to the crankcase with the rotor mounted to the engine flywheel.
Marathon offers a modernized CHP version with its stainless steel enclosed PowerLast XLC package, as a prime power system for luxury homes. The PowerLast XLC produces 5 kW of grid independent power and 27,000 to 40,000 btu of heat for swimming pools, water heaters or hydronic heating in new homes. "It takes away the functions of the furnace, water heater and standby generator;' said Papas. "It will be common in the future to have this offered as an option by every new home builder."
While the majority of Marthon's lineup is used in some form of heating, its Minotaur 2500 gen-set is a 2.5 kW single phase system designed for cathodic protection of pipelines. The units are typically placed at 40-mile intervals, sending electrical current in both directions to inhibit the corrosion process or power railway switching and communications. The unit has a bullet-proof enclosure and in most instances processes the recovered heat through a radiator.
Also featured in the company's line up is the non-enclosed standup Power Rack, a 1 to 2.5 kW unit targeted toward the telecommunication sector and for prime uninterruptible power, a UPS unit. The UPS system provides 1 to 5 kW of pure sine-wave power at 120 Vac or 240 Vac. Marathon said the gen-set is designed with more than 400 amps of battery assistance, winch can supply two days of power if the engine is shut down. The UPS system targets internet hosts, banking, medical companies or other industries where unexpected outages cause costly or catastrophic interruptions, explained Papas.
The four enclosed units feature a sound-attenuating enclosure with sound levels rated 56 to 64 dB(A), depending on model. The units are thermostat operated or remote accessed via phone or computer interface. Engine temperature, engine speed and power output are monitored on the unit's control panel in digital or gauge formats.
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