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.
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Generator series - Products - Ingersoll-Rand Equipment & Services Co - Brief Article - Product Announcement
Ingersoll-Rand Equipment & Services Co. has introduced the GenPowerSource[TM] generator series, which includes 24 models and features a mid-sized range of machines that provide 17kVA to 34kVA of diesel power backed by Mitsubishi engines. All units are four-pole brushless equipped with an analog control panel. The panel includes standard features such as key start switch, emergency stop button, diagnostic warning lights for low oil pressure, high water temp and no-charge alternator indicator. Each generator has an extra-quiet sound rating with levels ranging as low as 65-dBA measured at 23 ft. The G17-G34 generators include EC hard-wired terminals with easy wire insert and plastic dividers that separate terminals to avoid contact. Each Unit has a replaceable air filter located inside the enclosure and a water separator to protect the engine from water-contaminated fuel. Optional trailers are available for all models. The trailers are equipped with an additional fuel cell to provide up to 24 hours of run time.
Deutz readies: D2008/2009 diesels: covering 15 to 67 hp, engines due for production in early 2005; construction, ag and stationary uses targeted
Deutz Corp. is moving toward the start of volume production of its D2008 and D2009 diesels scheduled for early 2005. Since their official introduction at Bauma earlier tins year, Deutz Corp., Norcross, Ga., has been placing prototypes in specific applications in North America.
There are five models in the line, all water-cooled, with outputs from 15 to 67 bp and thus filling a key spot in Deutz's overall engine range. The D2008/D2009 are the two engines that Deutz purchased as part of its acquisition of a portion of Lister Petter in March.
These new products were developed in the newly named Deutz Technology Service Center in the U.K., which was also part of the acquisition. The Deutz Technology Service Center in Dursley will continue to develop the D2008 and D2009 series, and will also take on other development projects for Deutz AG, the Cologne, Germany-based parent of Deutz Corp. The engines will be built at the Deutz manufacturing operations in Cologne, Germany.
Gordon Riske, CEO of Deutz AG said, "The new engine series fit perfectly into the existing Deutz product range and by utilizing rile technology, we have shortened the time to market enormously."
With these new engines, Deutz is now in a position to introduce further products into its Tier 2 and Tier 3 product portfolio, in this case in the 15 to 67 hp range, a key and highly competitive power band on the North American off-highway markets.
The new Dentz engines are being targeted specifically at mobile construction and agricultural equipment, as well as stationary uses such as pump and generator sets.
The ongoing engineering development work also has taken into account the more stringent requirements the market is now demanding in terms of the lowest possible exhaust and noise emissions, said Trevor Purnell, product manager. Purnell said the engines have been certified for Tier 2/Stage 2 off-highway operation and Deutz is working toward Tier 3/Stage 3a certification.
Specifically, the D2008 series are a pair of water cooled engine models from 12 to 36 hp, at speeds of 1500 to 3000 rpm. With a 76 mm bore x 86 mm stroke, the D2008 engines are available in three- and four-cylinder versions. The design of the D2008 engines includes a crossflow cylinder head and a gear-driven camshaft, which also allows the operation of optional engine-mounted high power hydraulic pump drives.
Deutz said the D2008 has an indirect injection combustion design that will easily achieve the Stage 3a/Tier 3 exhaust emission limits almost immediately, without significant changes.
The Delphi fuel-injection pump can be used for many applications, and the use of an optional "drive by wire" electronic governor offers additional flexibility in all applications, Deutz said.
On the service side, Deutz said oil change intervals of 250 hours combined with closed crankcase ventilation and hydraulic tappets offer a low-maintenance package.
Meanwhile, the D2009 series includes three water-cooled engine models, in three-, four- and turbocharged four-cylinder versions. Its increased displacement with a 90 mm bole x 90 mm stroke, and direct injection system are the main differences between the D2008 and D2009 series. The output range for the D2009 engines is from 20 to 67 hp at 1500 to 3000 rpm.
The fuel injection system of the D2009 series is a Delphi distributor pump. The D2009 has a 500-hour oil change interval, as well as closed crankcase ventilation and hydraulic tappets.
Both new Deutz engine series have been designed with a module approach in mind. The number of components used has been reduced and the number of common parts increased. As a result, the cost of ownership, product life cycle costs and operating costs are all optimized, Deutz said.
For example, the PTOs of the D2009 and D2008 series are identical. The platform's overall design is completed by the ensuing reduction in maintenance, and increased reliability will enable customers to reduce their operating costs. Further similarities between the two series can be found in the crossflow design of the cylinder head and the uncomplicated design. Both engine families also have a 20% torque back-up at maximum power.
There are five models in the line, all water-cooled, with outputs from 15 to 67 bp and thus filling a key spot in Deutz's overall engine range. The D2008/D2009 are the two engines that Deutz purchased as part of its acquisition of a portion of Lister Petter in March.
These new products were developed in the newly named Deutz Technology Service Center in the U.K., which was also part of the acquisition. The Deutz Technology Service Center in Dursley will continue to develop the D2008 and D2009 series, and will also take on other development projects for Deutz AG, the Cologne, Germany-based parent of Deutz Corp. The engines will be built at the Deutz manufacturing operations in Cologne, Germany.
Gordon Riske, CEO of Deutz AG said, "The new engine series fit perfectly into the existing Deutz product range and by utilizing rile technology, we have shortened the time to market enormously."
With these new engines, Deutz is now in a position to introduce further products into its Tier 2 and Tier 3 product portfolio, in this case in the 15 to 67 hp range, a key and highly competitive power band on the North American off-highway markets.
The new Dentz engines are being targeted specifically at mobile construction and agricultural equipment, as well as stationary uses such as pump and generator sets.
The ongoing engineering development work also has taken into account the more stringent requirements the market is now demanding in terms of the lowest possible exhaust and noise emissions, said Trevor Purnell, product manager. Purnell said the engines have been certified for Tier 2/Stage 2 off-highway operation and Deutz is working toward Tier 3/Stage 3a certification.
Specifically, the D2008 series are a pair of water cooled engine models from 12 to 36 hp, at speeds of 1500 to 3000 rpm. With a 76 mm bore x 86 mm stroke, the D2008 engines are available in three- and four-cylinder versions. The design of the D2008 engines includes a crossflow cylinder head and a gear-driven camshaft, which also allows the operation of optional engine-mounted high power hydraulic pump drives.
Deutz said the D2008 has an indirect injection combustion design that will easily achieve the Stage 3a/Tier 3 exhaust emission limits almost immediately, without significant changes.
The Delphi fuel-injection pump can be used for many applications, and the use of an optional "drive by wire" electronic governor offers additional flexibility in all applications, Deutz said.
On the service side, Deutz said oil change intervals of 250 hours combined with closed crankcase ventilation and hydraulic tappets offer a low-maintenance package.
Meanwhile, the D2009 series includes three water-cooled engine models, in three-, four- and turbocharged four-cylinder versions. Its increased displacement with a 90 mm bole x 90 mm stroke, and direct injection system are the main differences between the D2008 and D2009 series. The output range for the D2009 engines is from 20 to 67 hp at 1500 to 3000 rpm.
The fuel injection system of the D2009 series is a Delphi distributor pump. The D2009 has a 500-hour oil change interval, as well as closed crankcase ventilation and hydraulic tappets.
Both new Deutz engine series have been designed with a module approach in mind. The number of components used has been reduced and the number of common parts increased. As a result, the cost of ownership, product life cycle costs and operating costs are all optimized, Deutz said.
For example, the PTOs of the D2009 and D2008 series are identical. The platform's overall design is completed by the ensuing reduction in maintenance, and increased reliability will enable customers to reduce their operating costs. Further similarities between the two series can be found in the crossflow design of the cylinder head and the uncomplicated design. Both engine families also have a 20% torque back-up at maximum power.
Diesel Shortage Could Cripple Net Access
Most critical network hubs in lower Manhattan switched over to diesel generators when a power outage began Tuesday night. Internet access and some telephone communications may further deteriorate in the metropolitan New York area unless restrictions on the delivery of diesel fuel are lifted.
Electricity and gas were disconnected to prevent fire and explosions in parts of the still-smoldering disaster zone created when terrorists flew widebody jets laden with fuel into the twin World Trade Center towers.
Though fuel trucks are formally banned from entering the city, some exchange operators were able to make the case for exceptions to authorities, and should be able to keep their collocations running.
Focal Communications' switch was out from 8 p.m. Tuesday until about 3 a.m. today. "We currently have 24 hours worth of fuel and will be receiving another fuel delivery sometime today," spokesman Matt Batt said.
Focal operates a network exchange at 32 Old Slip in New York. Its tenants include NaviPath, a provider of dial-up access for large users, including EarthLink and AOL. Should companies like NaviPath start losing connectivity, thousands of users would have trouble dialing into the Internet, and Net access proved a communications lifeline for people in the affected areas.
Con Edison has not indicated when power will be restored. Two more critical network locations, at 60 Hudson St. and at 25 Broadway, are reportedly running on generator power. Like Focal's at 32 Old Slip, they have 24 hours to 48 hours worth of fuel. Another critical location, at 111 8th Ave., was evacuated Tuesday, but reportedly has power today.
If more than one of these locations goes dark, the Internet won't stop working, but will experience a significant slowdown. Many Manhattan locations have international fiber installations, acting as traffic hubs between the U.S. and Europe. NYIIX, an exchange hosting several international carriers, is at 25 Broadway. The 8th Ave. location is a major peering point.
"It is highly unlikely that additional fuel can be brought in today, because of the security cordon," said Daniel Golding, network engineering director of Sockeye Networks, a company providing efficient routing to network and enterprise customers. "Many of these colos are south of Canal Street, and some - 25 Broadway - are in the financial district, almost in the shadow of the former World Trade Center. 25 Broad, in particular, is right across from the famous 'bull statue' on Wall Street."
Even if fuel trucks do get into the city, many are concerned that generators won't be able to continue operating because of dust and soot in the air clogging the machines. Experts say these fears are well-founded and hope the operators of network exchanges have a Plan B in case power isn't restored in a couple of days.
"Our experience with diesel generators from the events like the Chicago tunnel flood is that they are great solutions for a week or so, but then you run into maintenance issues," said John Jackson, president of Comdisco's Availability Solutions unit, which specializes in disaster recovery services and has several enterprise customers in the affected area. "After several days, our experience is that our customers start to run into reliability issues."
Electricity and gas were disconnected to prevent fire and explosions in parts of the still-smoldering disaster zone created when terrorists flew widebody jets laden with fuel into the twin World Trade Center towers.
Though fuel trucks are formally banned from entering the city, some exchange operators were able to make the case for exceptions to authorities, and should be able to keep their collocations running.
Focal Communications' switch was out from 8 p.m. Tuesday until about 3 a.m. today. "We currently have 24 hours worth of fuel and will be receiving another fuel delivery sometime today," spokesman Matt Batt said.
Focal operates a network exchange at 32 Old Slip in New York. Its tenants include NaviPath, a provider of dial-up access for large users, including EarthLink and AOL. Should companies like NaviPath start losing connectivity, thousands of users would have trouble dialing into the Internet, and Net access proved a communications lifeline for people in the affected areas.
Con Edison has not indicated when power will be restored. Two more critical network locations, at 60 Hudson St. and at 25 Broadway, are reportedly running on generator power. Like Focal's at 32 Old Slip, they have 24 hours to 48 hours worth of fuel. Another critical location, at 111 8th Ave., was evacuated Tuesday, but reportedly has power today.
If more than one of these locations goes dark, the Internet won't stop working, but will experience a significant slowdown. Many Manhattan locations have international fiber installations, acting as traffic hubs between the U.S. and Europe. NYIIX, an exchange hosting several international carriers, is at 25 Broadway. The 8th Ave. location is a major peering point.
"It is highly unlikely that additional fuel can be brought in today, because of the security cordon," said Daniel Golding, network engineering director of Sockeye Networks, a company providing efficient routing to network and enterprise customers. "Many of these colos are south of Canal Street, and some - 25 Broadway - are in the financial district, almost in the shadow of the former World Trade Center. 25 Broad, in particular, is right across from the famous 'bull statue' on Wall Street."
Even if fuel trucks do get into the city, many are concerned that generators won't be able to continue operating because of dust and soot in the air clogging the machines. Experts say these fears are well-founded and hope the operators of network exchanges have a Plan B in case power isn't restored in a couple of days.
"Our experience with diesel generators from the events like the Chicago tunnel flood is that they are great solutions for a week or so, but then you run into maintenance issues," said John Jackson, president of Comdisco's Availability Solutions unit, which specializes in disaster recovery services and has several enterprise customers in the affected area. "After several days, our experience is that our customers start to run into reliability issues."
Friday, September 01, 2006
Diesel Generators Still Powering Lower Manhattan Telecom
Verizon Communications is maintaining connectivity at the telephone switching station that supports 80 percent of lines going into the New York Stock Exchange and co-chairman Ivan Seidenberg has pledged to have telephone services to exchange's trading floor on Monday.
But unless commercial power is restored to the Broad Street central office, communications in lower Manhattan remain at risk.
At a Friday press conference Seidenberg told reporters that the key telephone switching station on the Broad Street remains functional, but it's operating on back-up diesel generators.
"It's running on our own power, we have no commercial power," he said.
The Broad Street CO has had power problems since commercial electric service had to be switched off Tuesday night. The fact that it remains on backup power will be a problem if Con Edison doesn't restore power over the weekend as expected.
Another telecommunications exchange, the Telehouse International Corp. of America facility at 25 Broadway, went down last night as a result of a backup generator overheating. The second line of defense against power outages - banks of batteries - typically provide only 10 minutes of running time to large communications installations.
The exchange was expected to resume operations tonight running on a portable generator loaned by Con Edison.
One reason many generators are expected to have trouble running in lower Manhattan right now is the amount of dust and soot in the air, which experts say limits a generator's useful life.
"For a generator to work it needs fresh air to combust with the fuel, so if there's soot, it will clog up the air intake and the filters, and cause some major problems," said Dan Navarra, Comdisco's director of facility implementations.
Also, backup generators typically are designed to run for short periods of time as opposed to full-time diesel generators, which are designed for continuous operation. Telecom carriers almost never deploy die-hard generators since an investment in one of those machines makes it difficult to make money selling communications services.
Over the weekend Verizon is expected to develop a contingency plan in case the Broad Street central office goes down. Seidenberg said the company has already moved 24 OC-48 (2.5-gigabit-per-second) circuits to accommodate rerouting schemes.
The central office at 140 West St., which supplies the remaining 20 percent of the lines running to the NYSE building, will not be operational for some time. It is out of power, buried in debris, and partially flooded. The switching board for backup power is underwater, and the 10-story building's walls have sustained six to eight breaches. Verizon engineers have deemed the building, which is adjacent to where 7 World Trade Center once stood, structurally sound.
"Over the last 24 hours we've had about 75 to 100 people literally cleaning the building ... the dirt, the dust, debris, it's just phenomenal inside," said Larry Babbio, Verizon vice chairman and president of telecom. "If you were there, and I have been inside twice, you would ask yourself Why is it still standing?"
But unless commercial power is restored to the Broad Street central office, communications in lower Manhattan remain at risk.
At a Friday press conference Seidenberg told reporters that the key telephone switching station on the Broad Street remains functional, but it's operating on back-up diesel generators.
"It's running on our own power, we have no commercial power," he said.
The Broad Street CO has had power problems since commercial electric service had to be switched off Tuesday night. The fact that it remains on backup power will be a problem if Con Edison doesn't restore power over the weekend as expected.
Another telecommunications exchange, the Telehouse International Corp. of America facility at 25 Broadway, went down last night as a result of a backup generator overheating. The second line of defense against power outages - banks of batteries - typically provide only 10 minutes of running time to large communications installations.
The exchange was expected to resume operations tonight running on a portable generator loaned by Con Edison.
One reason many generators are expected to have trouble running in lower Manhattan right now is the amount of dust and soot in the air, which experts say limits a generator's useful life.
"For a generator to work it needs fresh air to combust with the fuel, so if there's soot, it will clog up the air intake and the filters, and cause some major problems," said Dan Navarra, Comdisco's director of facility implementations.
Also, backup generators typically are designed to run for short periods of time as opposed to full-time diesel generators, which are designed for continuous operation. Telecom carriers almost never deploy die-hard generators since an investment in one of those machines makes it difficult to make money selling communications services.
Over the weekend Verizon is expected to develop a contingency plan in case the Broad Street central office goes down. Seidenberg said the company has already moved 24 OC-48 (2.5-gigabit-per-second) circuits to accommodate rerouting schemes.
The central office at 140 West St., which supplies the remaining 20 percent of the lines running to the NYSE building, will not be operational for some time. It is out of power, buried in debris, and partially flooded. The switching board for backup power is underwater, and the 10-story building's walls have sustained six to eight breaches. Verizon engineers have deemed the building, which is adjacent to where 7 World Trade Center once stood, structurally sound.
"Over the last 24 hours we've had about 75 to 100 people literally cleaning the building ... the dirt, the dust, debris, it's just phenomenal inside," said Larry Babbio, Verizon vice chairman and president of telecom. "If you were there, and I have been inside twice, you would ask yourself Why is it still standing?"
How diesels powered storm cleanup efforts - diesel-powered equipment used to rebuild North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Fran
Light towers, tub grinders instrumental in recovery operations after Hurricane Fran; "the diesel's finest hour"
When a natural disaster such as a hurricane strikes, simple commodities such as electricity and lighting become critical requirements for search and rescue operations. Then once the immediate demands are met, the emphasis shifts to questions of cleanup, restoration and reclamation.
It is interesting that in all of these cases, the diesel engine has become a key factor. Indeed, times of crisis are often the diesel's finest hour, as everything from small portable gen-sets to air compressors to massive machines used for search, rescue, recovery and recycling are more often than not powered by diesel engines.
A good example is when Hurricane Fran ravaged the state of North Carolina in September of last year. The killer storm came ashore at night, taking out the utility power grids almost immediately. Literally thousands of diesel-powered machines were immediately pressed into emergency service, providing power and light where needed. Months later, more diesel-powered machines were still at work for cleanup and reclamation activities.
Since Fran did the majority of its destruction before dawn, the most pressing need was for illumination. Untold numbers of people were rescued by the light supplied from truck- and trailer-mounted portable light units. Property damage was reduced because temporary repairs were made to damaged or threatened structures by crews using the same type of lighting.
Later on, portable light systems played an integral role in the cleanup operations, which went on continuously for nearly four months.
The storm roared ashore at Topsail Beach, N.C. The eye of the storm crossed that area about the time the first winds were whipping upon Raleigh, 135 miles inland. By the time Fran moved into Virginia and Washington, D.C., the winds had subsided somewhat. But in the meantime, North Carolina had been buffeted to the tune of more than 28 lives and $4 billion.
In Wake County, rescue and recovery operations were underway before the storm winds stopped. Hundreds of thousands of downed trees, some hundreds of years old, took out all electricity. This was especially true in the city of Raleigh where damage exceeded $9.2 million.
In the period that followed, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was assigned the enormous task of coordinating recovery operations. In one storm-related irony, the Corps of Engineers' Robert Cagle, who was appointed area recovery engineer in charge of the Wake County area, lost part of his house and all his garage in Wilmington, N.C., to the storm's fury.
One of the Corps' first projects was to assemble private contractors and subcontractors to do the actual cleanup work. At the forefront was Phillips & Jordan, Inc., a large, nationally-known land-clearing company that had done similar work following Hurricane Andrew in South Florida. The company has also participated in other smaller hurricane restoration work.
Portable lighting was the first essential for nighttime waste collection and reduction. The Corps of Engineers' emergency procedures manual set forth the minimum amount of light required for safe working areas under various conditions, requiring a minimum of 3 ft. candles of illumination at any general outdoor work site. Extra lighting was required in office areas and where equipment maintenance and repairs were being made at night.
An immediate call went out to construction equipment rental companies in the Raleigh area to round up all available lighting units. The Hertz Rental Corp. and Resco Rents operations in Raleigh both responded. Resco supplied more than 40 Coleman light towers and 100 pieces of other equipment, machines ranging from skidsteer loaders to wheel loaders. The equipment came from 16 various Resco locations, some from as far away as Kentucky.
Hertz supplied 30 Ingersoll-Rand light towers to Phillips & Jordan in the Wake County area and provided 200 pieces of heavy equipment in the Raleigh area alone. Some of this equipment came in from as far away as Michigan and Texas just for the Hurricane Fran cleanup.
The majority of the light systems utilized were Ingersoll-Rand Model L6 and L8 portable light towers. The L6 units are powered by Kubota D905 BG diesel engines, which drive Leroy-Somer 6 kW generators powering four 1000 W metal halide (MH) lights. The L8 units are driven by Kubota D1 105BG diesels, which drive 8 kW Leroy-Somer generators supporting four 1500 W lights. The masts supporting the lights telescoped up to 30 ft. high.
Each of the Phillips & Jordan collection and reduction sites had between 5 and 12 self-contained light towers. "The Ingersoll-Rand portable light towers were lifesavers," said Randy Perkins of Ashbrift, Inc., a grinding subcontractor to Phillips and Jordan. "They turned night into day. We would have been hard pressed to do our night work safely without them."
Statistics indicate the effectiveness of the portable lighting systems. Phillips & Jordan and its subcontractors worked a total of 401,440 man-hours without a lost time accident. When the almost inevitable accident happened, it was because an operator fell off his seat on a tree loading machine on a city residential street - in daylight.
When a natural disaster such as a hurricane strikes, simple commodities such as electricity and lighting become critical requirements for search and rescue operations. Then once the immediate demands are met, the emphasis shifts to questions of cleanup, restoration and reclamation.
It is interesting that in all of these cases, the diesel engine has become a key factor. Indeed, times of crisis are often the diesel's finest hour, as everything from small portable gen-sets to air compressors to massive machines used for search, rescue, recovery and recycling are more often than not powered by diesel engines.
A good example is when Hurricane Fran ravaged the state of North Carolina in September of last year. The killer storm came ashore at night, taking out the utility power grids almost immediately. Literally thousands of diesel-powered machines were immediately pressed into emergency service, providing power and light where needed. Months later, more diesel-powered machines were still at work for cleanup and reclamation activities.
Since Fran did the majority of its destruction before dawn, the most pressing need was for illumination. Untold numbers of people were rescued by the light supplied from truck- and trailer-mounted portable light units. Property damage was reduced because temporary repairs were made to damaged or threatened structures by crews using the same type of lighting.
Later on, portable light systems played an integral role in the cleanup operations, which went on continuously for nearly four months.
The storm roared ashore at Topsail Beach, N.C. The eye of the storm crossed that area about the time the first winds were whipping upon Raleigh, 135 miles inland. By the time Fran moved into Virginia and Washington, D.C., the winds had subsided somewhat. But in the meantime, North Carolina had been buffeted to the tune of more than 28 lives and $4 billion.
In Wake County, rescue and recovery operations were underway before the storm winds stopped. Hundreds of thousands of downed trees, some hundreds of years old, took out all electricity. This was especially true in the city of Raleigh where damage exceeded $9.2 million.
In the period that followed, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was assigned the enormous task of coordinating recovery operations. In one storm-related irony, the Corps of Engineers' Robert Cagle, who was appointed area recovery engineer in charge of the Wake County area, lost part of his house and all his garage in Wilmington, N.C., to the storm's fury.
One of the Corps' first projects was to assemble private contractors and subcontractors to do the actual cleanup work. At the forefront was Phillips & Jordan, Inc., a large, nationally-known land-clearing company that had done similar work following Hurricane Andrew in South Florida. The company has also participated in other smaller hurricane restoration work.
Portable lighting was the first essential for nighttime waste collection and reduction. The Corps of Engineers' emergency procedures manual set forth the minimum amount of light required for safe working areas under various conditions, requiring a minimum of 3 ft. candles of illumination at any general outdoor work site. Extra lighting was required in office areas and where equipment maintenance and repairs were being made at night.
An immediate call went out to construction equipment rental companies in the Raleigh area to round up all available lighting units. The Hertz Rental Corp. and Resco Rents operations in Raleigh both responded. Resco supplied more than 40 Coleman light towers and 100 pieces of other equipment, machines ranging from skidsteer loaders to wheel loaders. The equipment came from 16 various Resco locations, some from as far away as Kentucky.
Hertz supplied 30 Ingersoll-Rand light towers to Phillips & Jordan in the Wake County area and provided 200 pieces of heavy equipment in the Raleigh area alone. Some of this equipment came in from as far away as Michigan and Texas just for the Hurricane Fran cleanup.
The majority of the light systems utilized were Ingersoll-Rand Model L6 and L8 portable light towers. The L6 units are powered by Kubota D905 BG diesel engines, which drive Leroy-Somer 6 kW generators powering four 1000 W metal halide (MH) lights. The L8 units are driven by Kubota D1 105BG diesels, which drive 8 kW Leroy-Somer generators supporting four 1500 W lights. The masts supporting the lights telescoped up to 30 ft. high.
Each of the Phillips & Jordan collection and reduction sites had between 5 and 12 self-contained light towers. "The Ingersoll-Rand portable light towers were lifesavers," said Randy Perkins of Ashbrift, Inc., a grinding subcontractor to Phillips and Jordan. "They turned night into day. We would have been hard pressed to do our night work safely without them."
Statistics indicate the effectiveness of the portable lighting systems. Phillips & Jordan and its subcontractors worked a total of 401,440 man-hours without a lost time accident. When the almost inevitable accident happened, it was because an operator fell off his seat on a tree loading machine on a city residential street - in daylight.
Lister-Petter launches gasified Alpha engines - Lister-Petter Inc.; line of diesel engines - includes related article on Delta diesel launch
Lister-Petter Inc. (LPI), has expanded its Western Hemisphere engine program with the launch of a new line of natural gas and propane-fueled engines. The new LPWG engines are gaseous-fueled versions of Lister-Petter's Alpha series diesel engines.
New to the Lister-Petter line are the LPWG2, LPWG3 and LPWG4 two-, three-, and four-cylinder, water-cooled engines based on the LPW2, LPW3 and LPW4 diesels. The three new models were launched in February and are being targeted at a variety of stationary uses, as well as some mobile applications.
According to Phil Cantrill, president of LPI, Olathe, Kan., the gaseous-fueled Alpha engines give the company the option of approaching customers with both diesel and gas-fueled products of comparable size and weight. The new gas Alpha models join a number of Iveco gaseous-fueled engines in LPI's engine portfolio. Lister-Petter Inc., is the U.S. distributor for Iveco/Aifo engines. Lister-Petter had previously packaged gas versions of its old HR diesels in Olathe through the early 1990s.
Power generation applications are seen as the major market for the new gas engines, for both standby and prime power gen-sets. In fact, the first orders for the engines were from a major U.S. gen-set manufacturer for a new line of standby generator sets.
"We feel that remote telecom sites, particularly where EPA restrictions or other site considerations prohibit diesel fuel storage, will be excellent markets for these new engines," Cantrill said. He also listed oilfield pump jacks, gen-sets used on utility-type vehicles, material handling and possibly aviation ground support as market possibilities for the gasified Alpha engines. Cantrill also said Latin America, with its plentiful availability of gas, is expected to be a key geographic market for the engines.
While more complete specifications accompany this article, the intermittent outputs of the gasified Alpha engines range from 7.8 to 24.2 hp with natural gas, and 9.1 to 27.5 hp with propane, all electronically governed to 1500 or 1800 rpm.
The engineering and manufacturing responsibility for converting the Alpha diesels into gas engines is split between Lister-Petter Ltd.'s Dursley, England, headquarters and Olathe.
At Dursley, the gas engines are fitted with different pistons than the diesels and the cylinder head is reconfigured to use spark plugs instead of a fuel injector. Further, the keymarks on the flywheel are different and the gas engines use a special, hardened Stellite valve seat material.
The gas fuel system is added in Olathe, said Bruce Hampel, engineering manager. The system starts with an Impco CA55-B carburetor. Currently, LPI is using two carburetors, one for natural gas use and one for propane. However, Impco and LPI are working to develop a single carburetor that is able to use both fuels. The gas regulator is from Maxitrol, again different versions for natural gas and propane use.
Lister-Petter's New Gasified Alpha Engines
Natural Gas Propane
Model Cyl. Output(*) Speed Output(*)
LPWG2 2 7.8 hp 1500 0.1 hp
LPWG2 2 10.0 hp 1800 11.7 hp
LPWG3 3 14.6 hp 1500 16.6 hp
LPWG3 3 18.2 hp 1800 20.6 hp
LPWG4 4 19.5 hp 1500 22.1 hp
LPWG4 4 24.2 hp 1800 27.5 hp
* Intermittent bhp output; nominal 1037 btu/ft3, 0.601 specific
gravity
** Intermittent, using HD-5 propane gas; nominal 2588 btu/ft3,
1.552 specific gravity.
The governor, control and regulator are from Barber-Colman. The governor/control module is a DYNI system, while the actuator is a DYNC unit. The ignition coils for the two- and four-cylinder engines are from Sanko, while a Pertronics coil is used on the three-cylinder model. Pertronics also supplies other ignition system parts including the Hall Effect sensor.
Hampel said the gas engines have a faster pulley ratio for increased cooling and that in certain uses, the gas engines use a 15 in. fan versus the 13 in. fan that is standard on the diesel. Other than that, the gas engines are identical to the diesels.
RELATED ARTICLE: Lister-Petter's New Delta Diesel Also Being Launched
Also coming to the Lister-Petter Inc., engine range in 1998 is the Delta diesel that came to LPI as part of its 1996 agreement with Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. (MHI).
The agreement, announced in February 1996, calls for the engine to be built at Lister-Petter Ltd.'s Dursley, England, headquarters. A $13 million-plus expansion has been completed and the engine began production in Dursley late last year. The engines are now being launched to Lister-Petter engine customers.
Mitsubishi, which will continue to make the engine in Japan, will use the engine, known as the S4S, largely for its own equipment, primarily lift trucks.
Other versions will be built as the Delta diesel for sales by Lister-Petter worldwide. The water-cooled, indirect-injection diesel carries an intermittent rating of 63 hp at 2500 hp, with a 78 hp turbocharged version due shortly. This fits directly on top of Lister-Petter's Alpha diesel range with outputs to 55 hp. Target markets are primarily mobile equipment, especially material handling, as well as compressors and construction equipment. The engine will also be used in Lister-Petter Hawkpower generator sets.
New to the Lister-Petter line are the LPWG2, LPWG3 and LPWG4 two-, three-, and four-cylinder, water-cooled engines based on the LPW2, LPW3 and LPW4 diesels. The three new models were launched in February and are being targeted at a variety of stationary uses, as well as some mobile applications.
According to Phil Cantrill, president of LPI, Olathe, Kan., the gaseous-fueled Alpha engines give the company the option of approaching customers with both diesel and gas-fueled products of comparable size and weight. The new gas Alpha models join a number of Iveco gaseous-fueled engines in LPI's engine portfolio. Lister-Petter Inc., is the U.S. distributor for Iveco/Aifo engines. Lister-Petter had previously packaged gas versions of its old HR diesels in Olathe through the early 1990s.
Power generation applications are seen as the major market for the new gas engines, for both standby and prime power gen-sets. In fact, the first orders for the engines were from a major U.S. gen-set manufacturer for a new line of standby generator sets.
"We feel that remote telecom sites, particularly where EPA restrictions or other site considerations prohibit diesel fuel storage, will be excellent markets for these new engines," Cantrill said. He also listed oilfield pump jacks, gen-sets used on utility-type vehicles, material handling and possibly aviation ground support as market possibilities for the gasified Alpha engines. Cantrill also said Latin America, with its plentiful availability of gas, is expected to be a key geographic market for the engines.
While more complete specifications accompany this article, the intermittent outputs of the gasified Alpha engines range from 7.8 to 24.2 hp with natural gas, and 9.1 to 27.5 hp with propane, all electronically governed to 1500 or 1800 rpm.
The engineering and manufacturing responsibility for converting the Alpha diesels into gas engines is split between Lister-Petter Ltd.'s Dursley, England, headquarters and Olathe.
At Dursley, the gas engines are fitted with different pistons than the diesels and the cylinder head is reconfigured to use spark plugs instead of a fuel injector. Further, the keymarks on the flywheel are different and the gas engines use a special, hardened Stellite valve seat material.
The gas fuel system is added in Olathe, said Bruce Hampel, engineering manager. The system starts with an Impco CA55-B carburetor. Currently, LPI is using two carburetors, one for natural gas use and one for propane. However, Impco and LPI are working to develop a single carburetor that is able to use both fuels. The gas regulator is from Maxitrol, again different versions for natural gas and propane use.
Lister-Petter's New Gasified Alpha Engines
Natural Gas Propane
Model Cyl. Output(*) Speed Output(*)
LPWG2 2 7.8 hp 1500 0.1 hp
LPWG2 2 10.0 hp 1800 11.7 hp
LPWG3 3 14.6 hp 1500 16.6 hp
LPWG3 3 18.2 hp 1800 20.6 hp
LPWG4 4 19.5 hp 1500 22.1 hp
LPWG4 4 24.2 hp 1800 27.5 hp
* Intermittent bhp output; nominal 1037 btu/ft3, 0.601 specific
gravity
** Intermittent, using HD-5 propane gas; nominal 2588 btu/ft3,
1.552 specific gravity.
The governor, control and regulator are from Barber-Colman. The governor/control module is a DYNI system, while the actuator is a DYNC unit. The ignition coils for the two- and four-cylinder engines are from Sanko, while a Pertronics coil is used on the three-cylinder model. Pertronics also supplies other ignition system parts including the Hall Effect sensor.
Hampel said the gas engines have a faster pulley ratio for increased cooling and that in certain uses, the gas engines use a 15 in. fan versus the 13 in. fan that is standard on the diesel. Other than that, the gas engines are identical to the diesels.
RELATED ARTICLE: Lister-Petter's New Delta Diesel Also Being Launched
Also coming to the Lister-Petter Inc., engine range in 1998 is the Delta diesel that came to LPI as part of its 1996 agreement with Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. (MHI).
The agreement, announced in February 1996, calls for the engine to be built at Lister-Petter Ltd.'s Dursley, England, headquarters. A $13 million-plus expansion has been completed and the engine began production in Dursley late last year. The engines are now being launched to Lister-Petter engine customers.
Mitsubishi, which will continue to make the engine in Japan, will use the engine, known as the S4S, largely for its own equipment, primarily lift trucks.
Other versions will be built as the Delta diesel for sales by Lister-Petter worldwide. The water-cooled, indirect-injection diesel carries an intermittent rating of 63 hp at 2500 hp, with a 78 hp turbocharged version due shortly. This fits directly on top of Lister-Petter's Alpha diesel range with outputs to 55 hp. Target markets are primarily mobile equipment, especially material handling, as well as compressors and construction equipment. The engine will also be used in Lister-Petter Hawkpower generator sets.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Wacker unveils new generator line - G 50, G 70 and G 85 models
Wacker Corp. has developed a new line of mobile generators for construction, rental, commercial and industrial applications. The mid-sized units of the new line, the G 50, G 70, and G 85 mobile generators, are available in trailer or skid- mounted versions and are all driven by John Deere diesel engines. They cover a continuous output range of 41 to 66 kW, with standby ratings of 45 to 72 kW.
"Primarily, we aim this new line at owners and rental users in the construction industry," said Dean Mathison, product manager, pump and power group for Wacker. "Secondary uses would be in the rental industry where rental houses are dealing with special events such as concerts and sporting events."
Another possible application, the company said, is standby power, where a rental house will be involved in servicing an existing standby installation. "Once or twice a year, they will go out and take a standby unit off line," explained Mathison. "They can then put one of our units in its place utilizing our standard two-wire hookup. While they service the other generator, ours can pop online if needed."
The G 50 gen-set has a standby output of 45 kW and continuous output of 41 kW. It is powered by an in-line, four-cylinder, air-cooled John Deere PowerTech 4045 DF 150 diesel engine rated 71 hp at 1800 rpm. The G 50 has a fuel tank capacity of 87 gal. offering over 26 hours of running time under a continuous load.
The G 70 gen-set, which has a standby rating of 62 kW, 57 kW continuous, is driven by a four-cylinder, air-cooled John Deere PowerTech 4045 TF 150 diesel rated 100 hp at 1800 rpm. The G 70's fuel tank also holds 87 gal. and offers almost 20 hours of uninterrupted running time under continuous load, Wacker said.
Rounding out the mid-sized range is the G 85 gen-set, rated 72 kW standby and 66 kW continuous. The unit is powered by the in-line, four-cylinder, air-cooled John Deere PowerTech 4045 TF 250 diesel engine rated 113 hp at 1800 rpm. Its 87 gal. fuel tank supplies over 17 hours of running time under a continuous load.
All of the engines drive Marathon generators, with Basler Electric voltage regulators. Wacker sizes the generators to be engine limited, not generator limited. This, the company said, allows full utilization of engine horsepower. Mathison also explained that this is done to ensure against overcurrent or overdraw situations.
The engines also include Racor Crankvent crankcase vapor recirculation systems, which recycle crankcase air and oil mist back into the oil pan after being filtered, allowing no oil to accumulate outside the unit. The engines are also equipped with a mixture of critical and industrial grade Cowl silencers designed to achieve noise levels below 70 dB(A). Radiators are coupled to the unit by Wacker to meet Deere's air-to-boil tests and are customized to exceed them.
Each of the gen-sets feature a digital engine/generator controller with LCD display supplied by Control, Inc. The control panel monitors generator output, battery voltage, coolant temperature, oil pressure, fuel level, engine speed and engine hours for accurate operating information. Wacker said the LCD display was implemented to eliminate troubleshooting time by providing the operator with fault messages in the case of automatic shutdown. The units are designed to shutdown for low oil pressure, high coolant temperature, engine over- and under-speed, and low fuel level.
Ballard Begins Fuel Cell Generator Testing … Denso Develops Starter/ Generator For Hybrids … Airborne Fuel Cells? … Toyota, Hino Team On Vehicles
Ballard Power Systems announced that its subsidiary, Ballard Generation Systems, has completed the construction and commenced in-house testing of its 10 kW natural gas-fueled engineering prototype stationary fuel cell power generator. The 10 kW unit, which incorporates Ballard's proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell stack, is being developed for back-up, light industrial and standby applications for telecom and other applications.
Denso Corp., in a joint effort with Toyota, has developed what it called the first belt driven integrated starter generator (ISG) for hybrid vehicles. The new ISG is installed in the Toyota Estima hybrid car, currently in production. The belt driven ISG integrates the starter with the alternator allowing the car's engine to turn off when it's not moving. The ISG instantly restarts the car's engine when it begins to move. The idle stop function decreases fuel consumption for energy savings. Because the ISG is a belt driven feature, it allows for quieter operation than a gear driven starter, the company said. The ISG's starter motor drive is 2.1 kW and operates at speeds to 1200 rpm. Weighing approximately 23 lb., it is water cooled through the engine's cooling system. It also offers 6.2 kW of regenerative braking, the company said.
The Foundation for Advancing Science and Technology Education (FASTec) has unveiled the world's first piloted fuel cell powered aircraft, the EPlane. The plane is a high-speed, all carbon French DynAero Lafayette III that is being converted from a combustion engine to electric propulsion in three stages. The first flights, planned for next year, will be on lithium ion batteries; the next flights will be powered by a combination of lithium ion batteries augmented by a fuel cell; and finally, the aircraft will be powered totally by a hydrogen fuel cell, with a range of over 500 mi.
Toyota Motor Corp. has developed two fuel cell hybrid vehicles: a 63-seater bus and a five-seater passenger car. Toyota worked with Hino Motors, Ltd. to develop the two vehicles. Both the low-floor city bus, called the FCHV-BUS1, and the passenger car, the FCHV-4, carry high-pressure tanks of hydrogen to fuel the fuel cell engine. The car has been approved for road tests by the transport ministry. The FCHV-BUS1 has a cruising range of 186.4 miles and can reach a top speed of 50 mph.
Cummins Westport Inc., the joint venture between Cummins and Westport Innovations Inc. said that its 8.3 L, C8.3G Plus engine, has obtained low-emissions certification from the California Air Resources Board. Available in ratings to 280 hp, the C8.3G Plus engine is targeted mainly toward buses and urban work trucks like refuse haulers and pickup and delivery trucks.
Green VOLT Power Corp., a development stage company specializing in alternative energy sources, is readying a 200 kW phosphoric acid fuel cell (PAFC) power plant for delivery. The 30-ton unit, fueled by natural gas and air, is designed as a stationary, independent power plant with sufficient power and heat output to supply approximately 20, 3000 sq.ft. homes with electricity and heat on a daily, year-round basis. Fully automated and self-contained, the unit is designed to operate for approximately 30,000 continuous hours (about 7 to 10 years) before a stack replacement.
Nissan Motor Co. and Renault SA of France will jointly develop cars with a fuel cell that runs on gasoline. The companies will spend $714 million on the project and will market the fuel cell vehicles as early as 2005. Renault is also working with PSA Citroen to speed the development of a commercially viable fuel cell car by 2010.
Updated Controller For Standby Diesel Gen-Sets - Power Generation - FW Murphy product introduction
FW Murphy has introduced the AS731 generator controller; which is an upgrade to Murphy's widely used AS730 series. The company said the AS731 controller is especially suited for use in unmanned, standby diesel generator applications and that its comprehensive control, measurement and display features allow it to be used in place of multiple control units, trip units and indicating gauges at a fraction of their cost. New features include a redesigned front faceplate, a new microprocessor, built-in true RS232 communication port, free downloadable Windows-based PC communications software and a reduced price.
The company said it designed the unit to be powerful yet especially easy to use. For example, setup can be carried out using the communication software or front faceplate buttons. The familiar Off, Auto and Manual Start/Stop buttons offer the choice of manual or automatic operation. A 32-character, backlit LCD is used to display operating mode, system status, engine/generator parameters and fault conditions. The AS731 is designed to meet the intent of SAE's load dump recommendations for withstanding harsh electrical environments.
The controller provides five programmable inputs and four programmable outputs for more than 40 programmable functions. Any AS731 can be programmed for a wide range of applications without the need to change EPROMs. Whether 12 Vd.c., or 24 Vd.c., single-phase or three-phase (from 85 to 300V a.c. L-N), preheat/warmup/cooldown -- the company said the AS731 controller will fit practically any standard application right from the box. It comes standard with a.c. parameter monitoring that includes over- and under-voltage detection, over- and under-frequency, over-current (both instantaneous and IDMT), d.c. parameter monitoring (high/low battery monitoring and battery alternator charge monitoring) as well as engine status monitoring.
The unit offers more than 50 programmable functions for maximum flexibility. Available timers include start delay, preheat, crank, crank rest, number of start attempts, alarm override, engine warmup, speed signal, (mains a.c.) restoration, cooldown and (fuel) energized to stop.
Inputs with the AS731 controller include oil pressure and coolant temperature configurable for fault switch (open or closed on fault) or resistive senders. Inputs 3 to 5 may be set for a range of fault contacts or control options, such as warning fault, shutdown fault, load release, manual restore, lamp test, alarm mute or test. Remote start input configuration can bc either open from positive or closed to positive. The four outputs can be set to one of 50 signaling and control options.
Generator program options include trip levels/response for crank release, underspeed, overspeed, three-phase a.c. under- and over-voltage warning, charge fail settings and WL crank release.
The RS232 communication port and PC software allow remote monitoring, control and automatic fault notification regardless of gen-set location. Access to programming function is restricted by a four character password.
Saturday, August 26, 2006
New diesel-powered marine gen-sets - generator sets from Bowers Engine
Bowers Engine, the Kent, Wash.-based engine distributor and power systems manufacturer, has unveiled its Bulldog Power Systems line of marine generator sets powered by water-cooled, Lister-Petter Alpha Series diesel engines. The new line features two-, three- and four-cylinder models designed to provide 6.75 to 15 kW, as well as a four-cylinder, turbocharged model with a peak power rating of 20 kW.
"Lister-Petter engines were chosen to power the new line of generators for their low maintenance requirements, 250-hour oil change cycle, hydraulic lifters eliminating the need for valve adjustments, and a heavy crankshaft allowing full power to be taken from either end of the engine," said David Rowland, sales engineer at Bowers.
The bottom end of the Bulldog line is powered by the 11 hp, two-cylinder, Lister-Petter LPW2 diesel engine, which generates 6.75 kW. Next is the 16.5 hp, three-cylinder, Lister-Petter LPW3 diesel engine, generating 11.5 kW. The third Bulldog gen-set comes in at 15 kW, and is powered by a 22 hp, four-cylinder, Lister-Petter LPW4 diesel engine. The high end of the line generates 20 kW, and is powered by the 31.9 hp, four-cylinder, Lister-Petter LPW4T diesel engine. All of the diesels utilized in the new line operate at 1800 rpm.
The engine packages feature oil and air filtration components from Lister-Petter and include keel or heat exchanger cooling systems supplied by Orca Manufacturing, Bellingham, Wash. Heavy-duty, industrial grade wet/dry mufflers are also utilized in the package.
Newage Stamford BCA or BCI series a.c. brushless generators with AVR are close coupled to the engines and are available in single- or three-phase outputs. Steel drip pans with vibration isolation mounts from Korfund are standard, with a simpler steel skid available as an option. Safety shutdown systems for oil pressure and temperature are also standard with the new line, and are supplied by Lister-Petter or Murphy.
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