Caterpillar, Woodward promote gas engine research program

Caterpillar Inc. and Woodward Governor Co. recently made significant donations to Colorado State University's Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory (EECL) to assist the lab's development efforts toward low emission, high efficiency gas engines.

The new Distributed Power Generation Research Center, created in conjunction with the donations, will conduct research on distributed power generation, including projects aimed at improving the reliability and efficiency of the electrical power grid. The center, located near the CSU campus in Fort Collins, Colo., is the first of its kind in the U.S., according to the major stakeholders.

Caterpillar donated its newest natural gas-powered G3516C, a 60 Hz engine capable of producing 1.6 MW of power. The G3516C represents Cat's latest gas engine technology, including features developed through the U.S. Dept. of Energy's Advanced Reciprocating Engine Systems (ARES) program. Both Caterpillar and Woodward will use the engine platform via EECL staff to further advance product research and development.

The EECL was founded by CSU professor Bryan Willson in 1992, and is dedicated to engine research programs relating to large engines, natural gas engines, two-stroke engines and hazardous air pollutantsThe expectation of Caterpillar is that this relationship will continue to use the expertise and what we call 'technically adventurous' CSU staff and students led by professor Willson to continuously improve the efficiency and emissions signature of natural gas engine technology, which is currently one of the most efficient methods for producing distributed power," commented Kevin Bruch, division manager for Engine Research at Caterpillar.

"Distributed power generation technology is key to reliably meeting the growing power needs of our communities, without building new high-voltage power lines," added Tom Gendron, president and CEO of Woodward. "We are pleased to be working with Caterpillar and Colorado State to help launch this effort"

Woodward donated $150,000 to install the engine in the lab and prepare it for the first phase of testing.

"Woodward became involved with the EECL a few months after its founding in 1992, as part of a multicompany research project to help reduce emissions from engines used in the natural gas pipeline industry," Gendron noted. "Since then, Colorado State and Woodward have collaborated on at least three additional research projects at the facility."

Rudy Stanglmaier, a mechanical engineering assistant professor, will manage the new center within the EECL. In the first phase, researchers and industry representatives will work to make an already efficient engine even more efficient, while further reducing exhaust emissions. During Phase 2, they hope to develop a distributed power facility that would couple the engine to a generator, connect it to the grid and test it in conjunction with utilities such as Fort Collins Light and Power and the Platte River Power Authority.

"We are thrilled to be working with two industry giants on this unique facility" said Stanglmaier. "We want to be at the forefront of advances in this technology because interest in this sector is expected to grow rapidly."

Diesel Gen-Set Line Expanded

Diesel America West has expanded its Loadstar diesel generator set line with the introduction of a 40 kW model. The ADS-040 gen-set is a four-pole, multi-voltage unit targeted at commercial, homeowner and marina applications. It expands the higher range of the Loadstar line, which also includes 20, 25 and 60 kW models.

"The ADS-040 is an effort to meet the demand we've experienced," said Steve Raichlen, vice president of the Friday Harbor, Wash.-based company "We build generators from 3 kW to 250 kW. We have a broad target market for the ADS-040; both commercial and residential."

The ADS-040 gen-set is powered by an air-cooled Deutz F4L912F engine. A factory-installed critical grade muffler is used to reduce exhaust noise emissions. The engine and generator are resilient mounted on a welded steel skid with sound and weather enclosure and a large fuel tank base.

The gen-set has a zinc-treated frame and enclosure. "The unit is rated 80 dB(A) at 1 meter," said Raichlen, "In our attenuated enclosure, the frame and sheet metal enclosure is galvanized before it is powder coated.

Operating speed for the 60 Hz unit is 1800 rpm. The generator is a brushless, self-excited, electronically regulated unit that can supply constant power at both single- and three-phase voltages without lowering output for single phase, the company said.

"The generator we use depends on the customer's specifications," said Raichlen. "We use everybody Marathon, Siemens, Mecc Alte. It's up to the customer."

Other components include Basler Electric regulators and a Barber-Colman Co. model 520 auto control. "It is a full 12-wire machine with a link board," said Raichlen. "We can reterminate on this link board for all voltages, either single or three-phase."

A deluxe control panel includes an a.c. three-pole line circuit breaker and a.c., volt, amp, frequency and hour meters. For fully automated operation, an a.c. start module with LED panel is provided.

The generator set measures 73 in. long, 36 in. wide and 52 in. high. They are assembled in Europe and finished in the U.S.

New compact gen-sets from Subaru Robin

Subaru Robin has introduced a new line of compact gasoline generator sets that incorporate the company's premium EX series OHC engines. The RGX series covers three outputs and target a range of commercial markets including contractors and rental applications. With maximum 60 Hz ratings of 2.9 to 4.8 kW, they are also suitable for home standby, according to the Wood Dale, Ill.-headquartered company.

This is the first application of the EX engines in the company's conventional generator sets. In 2004, Robin used two models of the EX series in its Silent Series RG3200iS and RG4300iS inverter gen-sets.

Looking at the new units, the RGX2900 gen-set is rated 2.9 kW maximum (2.4 kW continuous) and is driven by an EX17 engine with a displacement of 169 cc. The RGX3600 is powered by a 211 cc EX21 engine and has a maximum rating of 3.6 kW (2.9 kW continuous), while the RGX4800 is rated 4.8 kW maximum (4.1 kW continuous) and is equipped with a 265 cc EX27 engine.

All of the engines are single, slant cylinder OHC configurations with cast aluminum blocks, float-type carburetors and mechanical governors. The combustion chamber features a very high efficiency pent-roof design in which the top of the combustion chamber is angled to position the intake and exhaust valves at a 45 [degrees] angle relative to the center of the cylinder. This design, which also incorporates a redesigned intake and exhaust system, intensifies the air intake and fuel-air mixing, while reducing dead volume and eliminating flow losse

Other premium engine features include special heat dissipation fins on the inner and outer crankcase surfaces and cooling passages and fins in the mounting base; a splash lubrication system with an oil scraper on the connecting rod that supplies oil to the cam chain.

The engines directly drive self-exciting, brushless, two-pole single-phase Taiyo generators that deliver 120/240 Vac at 60 Hz. The units also offer dc output of 12 V/8.3 amps and 12 Vdc charging, with a 1.0 power factor. The main panel incorporates Hubbell receptacles with fuseless circuit breaker protection.

Other standard equipment includes a condenser-type voltage regulator, oil sensor, recoil starter, spark-arresting Lo-tone mutter and Hobbs hourmeter. The two larger units also incorporate an automatic idle control system and a full power switch.

Another interesting standard feature of the RGX gen-sets is an integral air cleaner warmer that provides for improved operation and better startability in cold weather. In operation, air warmed by the engine is directed via a tube directly into the air cleaner. There is no interaction required by the operator. "One of the most frustrating things that can happen is when ice knocks out the power from the utility and then ice builds up on die gen-set and knocks out the gen-set," said Brad Murphy, vice president of sales and marketing at Subaru Robin. "This system pulls warm air from under the valve cover and uses it to keep the intake clear of snow and ice. It's a simple thing, but it really adds value."

The greening of Yellowstone

In 1997, when Yellowstone National Park celebrated its 125th anniversary, park management staff began thinking forward to the next 125 years and the sustainable efforts that would ensure the preservation and protection of Yellowstone. As a result, the concept of the "Greening of Yellowstone" was created. A private/public partnership was created to implement an Environmental Management System (EMS). The program, developed by the park in partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency, provides guidance to the partners on how best to manage the environmental aspects of park activities, educate visitors and promote the latest technologies in a more effective and sustainable way, while also giving consideration to environmental protection, pollution prevention and socioeconomic needs.

In 2004, the EMS team identified its first large-scale initiative--solid waste management. Some of the guidelines introduced include Recycling opportunities for visitors. There are currently 63 recycling bins in the park, and it is estimated that there has been a 50 percent increase in the amount of commodities collected in the park, particularly plastics.

* Recycling propane cylinders. Through a partnership with Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone and Grand Teton concessionaires, the Yellowstone Park Foundation and various private entities, there is now a program of collecting and recycling propane cylinders in the greater Yellowstone area. The Propane Bottle Recycler (PBR), a mobile propane recycling unit, is now being used to recycle the estimated 3,000, one-pound propane cylinders discarded in the park each year.

* Recycling tires. About 4,000 tires are discarded annually in Yellowstone. Since June, all used tires are being diverted from the landfill and being recycled.

* Recycling solid waste. The EMS goal is to divert 90 percent of the park's solid waste from the landfill by 2008. An estimated 75 percent has been diverted already this year.

* "GreenPath." Delaware North has implemented an employee "GreenPath" program throughout the park to reduce waste, increase recycling and the use of non-toxic cleaning products; stocking merchandise with recycled content, biodegradability and minimum packaging.

Other sustainable efforts Yellowstone and its partners have undertaken include:

* Boardwalk replacement. Replacing some of Yellowstone's pressure-treated wood boardwalks with alternative, sustainable materials.

* Alternative fuels. Using biodiesel and other alternative fuels and vegetable-based lube and hydraulic oils in many of its vehicles. Additionally, all diesel-powered vehicles used by park employees use a 20 percent blend of canola-derived biodiesel and petroleum diesel. Gasoline-powered vehicles in the park use an ethanol blend (E-10).

* Hybrid vehicles. In 2004, Toyota USA donated four Prius vehicles to the park. These vehicles operate with electricity generated by the gasoline engines and braking systems.

* Employee Ride-Share Program. Approximately 45 employees participate in a Ride-Share Program that helps reduce fuel consumption, improve safety by decreasing traffic on the road and ease parking constraints in the park.

* Green cleaning products. Since 1998, the park and its partners have switched from more than 130 products with health or environmental risks to less than 10 products that are unsafe for people and the environment.

UP "goes green" in a big way, orders 121 switchers

Aided by $81 million in TERP (Texas Emissions Reduction Plan) grants administered by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Union Pacific has awarded contracts to two builders--RailPower Technologies and Wabtec Corp. subsidiary Motive Power Industries--for 111 low-emission, low-horsepower locomotives. By mid-2007, UP plans to deploy 56 units in Houston, 46 in Dallas/Fort Worth, and nine in San Antonio. The locomotives are expected to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 80% while using as much as 40% less fuel.

MotivePower's share of the UP order is for 13 MP20B-3 switchers, which are powered by 2,000-hp Caterpillar engines. while RailPower gets the bulk: 98 RP Series road switchers, consisting of 80 triple-genset (generator-set) units and 18 twin-genset units. The gensets are 700-hp diesel engines (similar to those used in over-the-road trucks) turning a generator that supplies power to the traction motors. The twin-genset locomotives are hybrids. operating on the diesel engines and a battery bank for additional power. UP began evaluating genset locomotives in 2002.

The 98 locomotives give RailPower a backlog of some 175 units and "fills our production schedule through 2006 and part way into 2007," according to President and CEO Jim Maier. The relatively new RP20 Series "was specifically designed to reduce high fuel usage in road and branch line switching operations, where locomotives use up to three times the amount consumed by yard switchers." RailPower is best known for its Green Goat hybrid switche In addition, UP is purchasing 10 of the Green Goats for its Houston and Fort Worth yards. Three already are on site, with the remainder expected by year-end. This acquisition also is aided by the $81 million in TERP grants.

The hybrid switcher is powered by a battery bank. When energy stored in the batteries is depleted to a pre-set level, a small, low-emission diesel engine automatically starts to power a generator that recharges the batteries. The 10 units are expected to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by more than 260 tons annually at UP's yards in Houston and Fort Worth.

Coordinated effort: firm's new data center and headquarters network benefits from suppliers' involvement and assistance

When GMAC Insurance accelerated its St. Louis, Mo., headquarters move from May 2005 to October 2004, network communications manager Wayne Goede found himself in a race against the clock. His challenge: to design and build a new network infrastructure and data center in record time. To complicate matters further, he needed to downsize the data center from 6,000 square feet to 3,700 square feet to provide more space for 1,100 employees, 450 of them in the call center.

"While we lowered our data center square footage substantially, it wasn't great concern for us," Goode says. "There was an advantage in being able to start fresh with new technology.

"There were a number of key design goals that would fit in with our overall infrastructure strategy," Goode explains. "The cable plant for the facility needed to bc totally consolidated. All connections to the desktop locations would be CAT 5e, and the cables would serve no specific purpose. They needed to cross-connect in the data center and wiring closets with standard patch cables to provide service for Ethernet PCs, phones, KVM and extended video."

Additional goals included: installing infrastructure resources that could bc "right-sized" and expanded as needed to address future requirements, minimizing the presence of cables in the data center's raised floor because of limited ceiling height, and powering the entire facility with a backup generator in the event of complete power los One of the staff's initial calls was to Graybar, a provider of supply-chain management services, and a distributor of components, equipment and materials for the electrical and telecommunications industries. The Graybar team provided Goede and his staff with easy access to uninterruptible power supply (UPS), heating and air conditioning (HVAC), network infrastructure and project-management solutions.

For its UPS needs, GMAC Insurance considered both traditional and next-generation options, including the APC InfraStruXure solution, which Goede determined was the right one for the new data center.

Just two years earlier, Graybar had assisted GMAC by providing infrastructure and project-management solutions for the company's new 12,000-square foot primary data center in its Winston-Salem, N.C., facility. Although progressive for its time, Goede says the data center utilized traditional liquid battery technology in its UPS, which included two redundant units so one could supply power while the other was offline for maintenance.

In addition, it required a special environment built to specific OSHA requirements and specialized technicians to maintain the batteries. Realizing these drawbacks, Goede decided the simplicity and security of APC's modular battery design deserved serious consideration.

MODULAR EASE OF USE

"The batteries in the system are, for lack of a better term, consumer-grade batteries," Goede explains. "They are sealed lead-acid batteries that can be safely shipped and handled. The InfraStruXure UPS allows you to pull out a battery module and replace it, with no special equipment and no need to take the UPS offline."

Goede decided to proceed with an integrated UPS, HVAC and enclosure system worth more than $500,000. He worked closely with APC engineers to design the data center system.

"The actual layout of the data center was done in-house," Goede says. "APC, coordinated through Graybar, helped considerably with getting that design finalized. We chose an all-APC solution, with the exception of the open racking, for a variety of reasons, but the biggest is that theirs is an air, UPS, power-distribution-and-enclosure system with all of the parts and pieces fitting together."

The integrated design included HVAC equipment and data center enclosures to complement the UPS. APC's NetworkAIR FM HVAC units contain variable-speed DC motors that speed up or slow down to maintain constant static pressure under the data center floor. In addition, the APC NetShelter VX enclosures feature cable management that allows for organized overhead wiring without ladder racking. Goede says this was crucial for his data center, which had limited ceiling height in its new eighth-floor location.

Naval supply systems command supports hurricane Katrina relief efforts

Hurricane Katrina was one of the worst natural disasters in our nation's history, causing unimaginable devastation and heartbreak throughout the Gulf Coast region. Across the Naval Supply Systems Command enterprise, personnel quickly responded providing operational logistics expertise and support to relief efforts. Here are reports from our activities who were involved in the outstanding work done by the Navy team.

COMFISCS Supports Hurricane Katrina Relief from Jacksonville and Norfolk

Commander, Fleet and Industrial Supply Centers (COMFISCS) teams in Norfolk and Jacksonville have been doing all that they can to support ships deploying from Norfolk and coordinating relief efforts for Navy activities in Pensacola, Pascagoula, Gulfport, and New Orleans.

FISC Jacksonville has been aggressively supporting victims of the Gulf Coast region following the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. The team at FISCJ is coordinating logistics for all Navy forces and activities supporting Joint Task Force (JTF)-Katrina, and has military and civilian personnel from several commands providing 24/7 support.

FISCJ established a Command and Control Cell to coordinate regional requirements. Of primary concern to Navy Region South was getting ground communications established in New Orleans. In the Gulf Coast Region, FEMA requested MREs and cots for temporary personnel.

The FISCJ team executed 41 contracting requirements and modifications for Navy Region Southeast, Navy Region South and Commander, Fleet Forces Command afloat units.

FISCJ contracting personnel are coordinating husbandry type services at New Orleans, to directly enable the JTF--Katrina units to aid relief efforts.

Personnel in the Business Department are coordinating regional relief recovery and financial flow to correctly document and expedite payment of requirements.

Supply Management Department personnel are providing Logistics Support Center services for the growing JTF--Katrina, including preparing for ship loadouts at Mayport/Blount Island, and exercising household Storage In Transit (SIT) authority to appropriately store personal property for the hurricane affected regions.

Industrial Support Department personnel are training a mobile ATAC person to deploy to handle fleet retrograde, and are manning the Command Duty Office to provide coordination and policy guidance.

The Facilities and Fuel Operations Department is tracking all the monumental fuel replenishment requirements, and dispatched a 5,000-gallon tanker of diesel fuel to CBC Gulfport to ensure generator continuity while sourcing longer-term diesel supplies.

Detachment/partner site efforts include logistics flights from Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth to New Orleans, LCAC and fleet freight from Panama City, and support to afloat units from Ingleside and Corpus Christi, Texas, and Pensacola, Fla., just to name a few.

CDR Jerry Rivas, Director of FISCJ's Supply Management Department, deployed to Gulfport as the logistics point of contact for the Region Southeast team, providing on-site expertise, assistance and support.

The other stateside FISCs stand ready to provide assistance to the FISC Norfolk and FISC Jacksonville teams as needed. Clearly there is much more to be done in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, one of the worst natural catastrophes in U.S. history.

Generator arc welder - Brief Article

Available with an optional remote control kit for stick welding, the Classic 300 D offers 300 A DC at 60% duty cycle. It has five current ranges with fine control in each range for various arc welding processes. It generates 3,000 W of AC auxiliary power from 115-V or 230-V duplex receptacles. It is powered by a 4-cyclinder, water-cooled Perkins 104-22 industrial diesel engine and offers emergency shutdown protection for low oil pressure or high water temperature. (Lincoln Electric

A change of direction: assembly of industrial natural gas gen-sets moves from Mexico to Michigan

The story is a familiar one in the modern industrial world. In an effort to remain competitive, a business or product moves south to Mexico. Yet while the tide usually flows out, occasionally it comes back in, as Cummins Bridgeway LLC demonstrated recently.

The New Hudson, Mich.-based Cummins distributor, the authorized distributor for Cummins covering Michigan, Ohio and Western Pennsylvania, recently won a bid to relocate the assembly of industrial gaseous-fueled gen-sets from Cummins' San Luis Potosi, Mexico, operations to New Hudson. The gen-sets assembled by Cummins Bridgeway will be sold through the Cummins distribution network.

"We see it as a reverse in the trend that many are concerned about in business these days" said Greg Boll, president and CEO of Cummins Bridgeway. "We're excited to be creating jobs for Michigan workers and manufacturing a globally marketed product."

The gen-sets to be assembled at Cummins Bridgeway are 4.5 and 5.5 kW units that can operate on natural gas or LP. Marketed under the DCathlon brand, they are targeted toward a range of smaller standby power applications, primarily telecommunications, along with railway, personnel lift, uninterruptible Both the 4.5 and 5.5 kW units are powered by air-cooled, twin-cylinder Briggs & Stratton OHV gaseous-fueled engines with displacements of 480 cc (4.5 kW) and 570 cc (5.5 kW). The engines are rated 16 and 18 hp, respectively and engine features include cast-iron cylinder liners, alloy exhaust valves, Magnetron electronic ignition systems, electronic engine governors, 12 V electric starters, dual-element air cleaners and integral exhaust systems. They incorporate vapor carburetion systems and operate at speeds from 2200 to 3750 rpm.

The engines directly drive brushless, permanent rare earth magnet alternators that provide 24 and 48 Vdc power. Cummins Bridgeway assembles the rotors and has them machined to fight tolerances. The generator section is air coded through a fan mounted on the rotor.

This configuration provides variable speed operation and allows the generator to "walk into the load" rather than slamming a battery bank, the company said.

Engine and generator operations are monitored through a microprocessor control system that includes a three-position (run-off-auto) switch, a runtime meter and circuit breaker disconnect switch. The system also monitors a series of alarm conditions, including overspeed, overvoltage, undervoltage, overcrank, engine stop, circuit breaker trip and over temperature. It provides status and alarm reporting for remote locations, and an annunciator panel that includes visual alarms is also available as an option.

The engine, generator and controls are mounted in a 16-gauge, powder-coated aluminum sound-attenuated enclosure that helps reduce operating noise emissions to less than 70 dB(A) at 23 ft. The enclosure incorporates an internal starting battery tray and tie down, along with a lockable access door, and the entire enclosure tilts for even greater access, the company said.

The 4.5 kW unit is 41 in. long, 28 in. wide and 31 in. high, with a dry weight of 350 lb. The 5.5 kW gen-set is 41 in. long, 32 in. wide and 37 in. high and weighs 450 lb.

As a result of the new assembly business, Cummins Bridgeway has added an assembly line and created 15 new jobs.

"The business had existing domestic and Canadian customers," said Boll.

"We intend to nurture these and capture new accounts, resulting in sales and employment growth. Potential sales of these products are worldwide in scope."

The primary customer for the gen-sets is Bell South, and Cummins Bridgeway has received its first new order from Rogers Communications, Vancouver, British Columbia.

Cummins Bridgeway employs 600 people, 310 of which are Michigan based. The company sells, distributes and supports Cummins diesel and natural gas engines, gen-sets and related products for automotive, industrial and stationary power applications. It also maintains wholesale parts operations, 14 service locations and a comprehensive training organization. Cummins Bridgeway's sales for 2004 were approximately $230 million power supplies (UPS)

For Ingersoll-Rand Co., portable air compressors have always been a significant part of its business. Even its first electrical generators, introduced in the '80s, were packaged with an air compressor.

But things are changing at I-R as the company looks to continue diversifying its product line and become a force in the power generation business, leveraging its brand and industry focus in an effort to turn its new PowerSource generator line into one of its flagship products.

Air compressors have always been associated with I-R and at one time dominated the division's business, said David Puck, director global marketing at the Davidson, N.C.-based Utility Equipment Division. "A majority of our revenue globally came from portable air compressors. We were really very product oriented--essentially a one-man band."

But the band has grown to an orchestra as I-R has diversified its product portfolio over the last two years as part of a strategy to focus on products specifically targeting the midsized contractor. "It was the beginning of the transformation and expansion of our business, as we realized that portable compressors would not provide sustainable growth opportunities to get us where we wanted to be" said Puck. "As a business, we focused on the areas of product, channel and brand and looked at how to leverage what we do well

"Generators were a good first step, a natural progression to business expansion, because of the competencies we've developed over the past 100 years building air compressors. It would not have made much sense to go right from offering compressors to wheel loaders. Taking the next step needs to be done gradually, and leveraged off of what you do very well while stepping out of your comfort zone."

While gen-sets were I-R's initial extension, the company has continued to expand its portfolio, adding a full line of concrete products, wheel loaders, excavators and backhoes, all of which are aimed at midsized contractors. I-R's core product line still includes air compressors and light towers but has gradually grown to include mobile generators which I-R, through its Utility Equipment Division, will launch a total of 11 new models.

The new gen-sets are being marketed under the PowerSource name, aligning them with I-R's AirSource air compressors and LightSource light towers. The first six models (10 to 100 kW) will be available for order during the fourth quarter of 2005 and will be launched at Power Gen International 2005 in Las Vegas. The additional 155 to 500 kW models (G190, G240, G330, G440 and G625) will be introduced in 2006 with the onset of Tier 3 engine emissions standards.

Included in the initial launch is the G10, G25, G40, G60, G80 and G125 with output ratings of 10, 21, 30, 46, 66 and 100 kW, respectively. These six 60 Hz units are the next evolution of IR's environmental generators introduced last year. "For I-R, this is the future of power generation" said Todd Howe, product marketing manager, mobile generators at I-R. "This is the platform that we will build upon and grow. It has the features and requirements that the market demands."

Within the lineup, the three smaller models, the G10, G25 and G40, are equipped with 1.3, 2.5 and 3.3 L, three- and four-cylinder Mitsubishi diesel engines rated 16, 32 and 45 hp at 1800 rpm. John Deere's three-, four-and five-cylinder PowerTech 4045, 5030 and 6068 diesels drive the rest of the range. These 3.1, 4.5 and 6.8 L engines are rated 72, 102 and 150 hp at 1800 rpm.

Both Tier 2 engines are prepackaged with a cooling assembly that includes a Toyo radiator on the Mitsubishi engine. The cooling system also incorporates an engine-driven fan and a redesigned airflow pattern that also provides sound attenuation, the company said. An air inlet grating on each side of the unit directs cool air across the alternator and engine block, which the engine fan pushes through the radiator and out the roof-mounted exhaust grating. The engine package also includes a Denso alternator and Nelson air cleaner.

Motortech, ComAp create MCE to serve North America

ComAp of the Czech Republic and Motortech of Germany have combined their market expertise to form a new company, MCE LLC (Motortech ComAp Electronics) to promote and support ComAp products and services in the U.S.A. and Canada. The company is based in Illinois with Ray Lecuyer, president, and Les Casterline, vice president sales and marketing. The new venture follows a period of the two companies working successfully together in other international markets. Both companies have experience and established product lines for the power generation and gas engine industries.

Motortech specializes in ignition systems, accessories and control equipment for the industrial gas engine sector. First establishing their niche in the gas engine aftermarket, more engine manufacturers are increasingly specifying Motortech products as their original equipment. Over the past 10 years Motortech has built a worldwide distributor network and established Motortech U.S.A. in 2003 to increase market presence in North America.

ComAp was founded in the early 1990s and specializes in developing, producing and servicing electronic equipment for the markets of power generation, marine propulsion and industrial engine drives for pumps and compressors. The company's core business areas include several control systems and diesel engine bi-fuel conversions. ComAp is aware of significant cost reduction opportunities in the service sector as it is possible for system performance data, historical data and engine operating parameters to be communicated remotely via modern, Internet or SMS

Libor Mertl, ComAp managing director, said, "We believe there is strong demand in North American markets for the highly sophisticated products that we offer. Our advances in the interface to newer generation electronic engines and our proven controls communications capabilities provide us with the tools to exceed market expectations."

Motortech President Florian Virchow added, "ComAp products are excellent from a technical perspective and this is just one of the reasons we are pleased to create this partnership."

MC Electronics' mission is to develop North American markets for and promote the sale of electronic control products. Products offered will include ComAp control products and Motortech gas engine control products. Markets served will include power generation, stationary industrial engine markets, including pumps and compressors, marine propulsion, turbine engine controls and diesel engine bi-fuel conversions. Sales will be promoted direct to OEM customers, through existing Motortech distributors and through independent distribution channels, which MCE will develop for specific markets.

Recently, the two companies partnered to create a new All In One gas engine controller, which consolidates monitoring, controlling, regulation and protection functions in one solution. This product will be directed to power generation markets where it has excellent application for biogas-type projects.

A change of direction: assembly of industrial natural gas gen-sets moves from Mexico to Michigan

The story is a familiar one in the modern industrial world. In an effort to remain competitive, a business or product moves south to Mexico. Yet while the tide usually flows out, occasionally it comes back in, as Cummins Bridgeway LLC demonstrated recently.

The New Hudson, Mich.-based Cummins distributor, the authorized distributor for Cummins covering Michigan, Ohio and Western Pennsylvania, recently won a bid to relocate the assembly of industrial gaseous-fueled gen-sets from Cummins' San Luis Potosi, Mexico, operations to New Hudson. The gen-sets assembled by Cummins Bridgeway will be sold through the Cummins distribution network.

"We see it as a reverse in the trend that many are concerned about in business these days" said Greg Boll, president and CEO of Cummins Bridgeway. "We're excited to be creating jobs for Michigan workers and manufacturing a globally marketed product."

The gen-sets to be assembled at Cummins Bridgeway are 4.5 and 5.5 kW units that can operate on natural gas or LP. Marketed under the DCathlon brand, they are targeted toward a range of smaller standby power applications, primarily telecommunications, along with railway, personnel lift Both the 4.5 and 5.5 kW units are powered by air-cooled, twin-cylinder Briggs & Stratton OHV gaseous-fueled engines with displacements of 480 cc (4.5 kW) and 570 cc (5.5 kW). The engines are rated 16 and 18 hp, respectively and engine features include cast-iron cylinder liners, alloy exhaust valves, Magnetron electronic ignition systems, electronic engine governors, 12 V electric starters, dual-element air cleaners and integral exhaust systems. They incorporate vapor carburetion systems and operate at speeds from 2200 to 3750 rpm.

The engines directly drive brushless, permanent rare earth magnet alternators that provide 24 and 48 Vdc power. Cummins Bridgeway assembles the rotors and has them machined to fight tolerances. The generator section is air coded through a fan mounted on the rotor.

This configuration provides variable speed operation and allows the generator to "walk into the load" rather than slamming a battery bank, the company said.

Engine and generator operations are monitored through a microprocessor control system that includes a three-position (run-off-auto) switch, a runtime meter and circuit breaker disconnect switch. The system also monitors a series of alarm conditions, including overspeed, overvoltage, undervoltage, overcrank, engine stop, circuit breaker trip and over temperature. It provides status and alarm reporting for remote locations, and an annunciator panel that includes visual alarms is also available as an option.

The engine, generator and controls are mounted in a 16-gauge, powder-coated aluminum sound-attenuated enclosure that helps reduce operating noise emissions to less than 70 dB(A) at 23 ft. The enclosure incorporates an internal starting battery tray and tie down, along with a lockable access door, and the entire enclosure tilts for even greater access, the company said.

The 4.5 kW unit is 41 in. long, 28 in. wide and 31 in. high, with a dry weight of 350 lb. The 5.5 kW gen-set is 41 in. long, 32 in. wide and 37 in. high and weighs 450 lb.

As a result of the new assembly business, Cummins Bridgeway has added an assembly line and created 15 new jobs.

"The business had existing domestic and Canadian customers," said Boll.

"We intend to nurture these and capture new accounts, resulting in sales and employment growth. Potential sales of these products are worldwide in scope."

The primary customer for the gen-sets is Bell South, and Cummins Bridgeway has received its first new order from Rogers Communications, Vancouver, British Columbia.

Cummins Bridgeway employs 600 people, 310 of which are Michigan based. The company sells, distributes and supports Cummins diesel and natural gas engines, gen-sets and related products for automotive, industrial and stationary power applications. It also maintains wholesale parts operations, 14 service locations and a comprehensive training organization. Cummins Bridgeway's sales for 2004 were approximately $230 million

Squeezing the grid: the increase in the demand for electricity has strained the utility industry's ability to deliver power as reliably as it once did

On Aug. 14, 2003, the largest blackout in North American history left more than 50 million people in nine states and parts of Canada in the dark. Only $180 million of the losses were insured, according to Insurance Services Office Inc., in part because many business interruption policies don't cover power outages.

That left consumers and businesses on the hook. The blackout cost the United States between $4 billion and $10 billion, according to the Electric Consumer Research Council.

For the most part, the nation's power grid is reliable. "The power grid is still a fairly reliable system--about 99.99 percent reliable, in fact," says Daniel O'Neill, a director with Atlanta-based Navigant Consulting, which advises companies on utility transmission/distribution reliability. "However, as our reliance on electricity continues to increase, it is arguable that we, as a nation, are expecting even greater reliability. As such, the grid needs to become even more reliable."

More competition in the electric power industries has resulted in thinner profit margins for many energy providers, leading producers to invest less in upgrading the power grid. In addition, the demand for power has gone up According to the U.S. Department of Energy, total U.S. electricity use in 1975 was about 1.8 trillion kilowatt-hours, while investment in transmission capacity was about $6 billion. By 2000, usage almost doubled to more than 3.5 trillion kwh, while investment had dropped by roughly two-thirds to just over $2 billion.

The utility industry plans to spend an additional $4 billion to $7 billion over the next five years to upgrade the power grid, according to research conducted by GF Energy, a Washington, D.C.-based utility industry consulting firm.

"In general, the nation's power grid has historically been reliable and has been working well," says Roger Gale, CEO of GF Energy. "However, like everything else, it has served its time, and we are now in a new era that depends on centralized systems, not a decentralized system such as is the ease with the existing power grid."

To address the needs of their employers, O'Neill suggests that risk managers conduct assessments to determine the requirements for continuity of service. Assessments should cover all three segments of the power grid.

The first segment is power production, or the wholesale energy market. The second segment is the transmission lines that move energy from production to local distribution of the electricity. The last segment is the local power distribution network. That's where local utility companies take high-voltage energy and deliver it in low voltages to homes and businesses.

EXPOSURES COME IN FOURS

Risk managers should consider four areas when assessing exposure to power outages: redundant systems, diesel-powered backup generators, third-party risk partners and hydrogen fuel cells. Many companies already have one or both of the first two systems in place.

* Redundant Systems. "The first line of protection is dual or redundant distribution feed from the local utility company, including automatic throw-over switches," says O'Neill. In such cases, if one feeder line fails, service is automatically provided by a second line. "This is common in hospitals and other facilities where power is particularly critical," he says. Redundant systems may be more readily available in some areas of the country than others. Large cities are more likely to have redundant systems than rural areas.

* Diesel Generators. These are economical ways to back up a portion of your power needs. Denver Water takes full advantage of this basic technology. The utility has three major operational areas of concern when a power outage occurs: the administrative complex, the water treatment plants and the network of pump stations that pump water to about 30 percent of the city. "We frequently lose electrical power in the Denver area either due to heavy, wet snows or lightning strikes," says Jim Crockett, Denver Water's manager of risk and benefits. To ensure backup power, the department relies on diesel generators. A 2-megawatt stand-by diesel generator serves the administrative complex. It has a 4,000-gallon capacity, which can be refueled by the utility's own diesel fuel, or from deliveries. The utility has also installed 1-megawatt to 2-megawatt stand-by diesel generators at its pump stations. Plus, each water treatment plant has a 2-megawatt stand-by diesel generator."

* Third-Party Risk Partners. According to GF Energy's Gale, commercial and industrial customers need to manage their power risk issues by working with utility companies willing to share risks. "These are companies that are willing, for example, to take the fuel volatility risk for natural gas, to help companies manage their loads more effectively by shifting loads," he says. This is a growing business, according to Gale. Constellation Energy in Baltimore, for instance, offers risk-managed contracts for commercial and industrial companies. That allows risk managers to breathe easier, knowing that they have a partner sharing the risk for power dependability

Ecom introduces stationary engine emissions analyzer

Designed for stationary engine applications such as generator or compressor sets and boilers, Ecom America Ltd. has introduced a wall-mounted emissions monitoring and reporting system designed for unattended operation.

The new Ecom stationary engine emissions analyzer (SEEA) is designed to measure [O.sub.2], CO and N[O.sub.x] in the exhaust gas of up to four diesel or natural gas engines, as well as gas turbines or boilers at preset intervals.

Besides the standard system, SEEA is also available in a low N[O.sub.x] version capable of measuring single-digit N[O.sub.x] applications with 0.1 ppm resolution, said Drew Wilson, president of Ecom, Gainesville, Ga.

"The SEEA provides operators of stationary engine installations with a recognized means of automatically monitoring and recording the exhaust emissions of their engines," Wilson said.

The SEEA system is built around the Ecom A Plus analyzer, which has been tested under EPA's ETV verification program. Operators can program the system to periodically sample each of the four exhaust ports and temporarily store the emissions data in a spreadsheet until it can be downloaded to a host PC. The data can be retrieved via USB link, dial-up, or it can be automatically sent, via email, to a designated e-mail address The analyzer's NEMA 12 housing is designed to be mounted in a climate-controlled space in close proximity to the engines being monitored. The 0.25 in. sample lines are routed from each engine exhaust system to sample connections located on the top of the analyzer housing. The system is powered by 120 Vac 60 Hz and measures 20 in. x 20 in. x 10 in.

The test sequence begins with the SEEA turning on and initializing, and then selecting the first engine exhaust port. A sample of gas is drawn over a user-defined time and frequency. The SEEA then automatically switches over to the rest of the engine ports, repeating the sequence.

All of the data, Ecom said, is time stamped, and includes engine identification and location information for review and analysis. The system then goes into standby mode until the next measurement cycle. Specific measurement and cycle times are user programmable.

The system is designed for unattended operation and requires minimal periodic maintenance and calibration, Ecom said, with the calibration generally determined by the installation's specific operating permit.

The system has an alert lamp to provide visual identification of filter change or fault, and alerts are also available as part of the reports for remote notification of engine or analyzer problems

Bukh-Farymann expands with emissions compliance, new sales partners

After a period in administration, the builder of Farymann brand diesel engines is well and truly back in business. With a new senior management team and trading under the new name Bukh-Farymann Diesel GmbH, the engine builder based in Lampertheim, Germany, is part of a larger, Danish-owned group with strong engine interests. In fact, the company, a specialist in single-cylinder diesels, now sees itself well beyond the consolidation stage and is developing what it sees as its core products, including certification of engines to Tier 2 of North America's EPA off-highway emissions legislation and Stage 2 of the EU's NRMM directive.

"We are part of an organization based in Aabrenraa, Denmark, which also includes the builders of Bukh Diesel and Callesen Marine Diesel engines and we are now the official source of all the products and services previously offered by Farymann Diesel GmbH," noted Bukh-Farymann Managing Director Rainer Smermer. "The Bukh group is a world leader in manufacture of lifeboat engines. It also produces marine engines for standard applications, which is a market long served by Farymann diesels. Thus, there are obvious synergies between our single-cylinder diesels and the other engines made in the group. As a result, the Lampertheim works--with its technical resources--is now home to a company-wide engine development center for all its diesel engines."

In terms of products, the company is concentrating on its well-established 290 cc displacement vertical cylinder diesels, the air-cooled 18D and water-cooled 18W (bore 82 x stroke 55 mm), as well as the 709 cc, air-cooled horizontal cylinder, low-profile type 43F (bore 95 x stroke 100 mm). The 18D and 18W are offered with ratings from 6.1 to 6.9 hp at 3600 rpm, while the standard rating of the 43F diesel is 14.75 hp at 3000 rpmWith the emphasis on these engines, we aim to expand on the traditional applications of Farymann brand engines, like small construction equipment, including building site dumper trucks, vibration plates and drills, etc., small generator sets, the propulsion of small boats and onboard power supply on larger craft," said Stuermer. "Naturally, Tier 2/Stage 2 emissions compliance for our engines is central to our plans, and hence our 18D, 18W and 43F diesels are presently in the process of certification."

It was the popularity of these engines--and especially the horizontal cylinder 43F with its overall height of only 14.5 in.--which maintained the company as a going concern, reported Sales Manager Walter Knitel. "Our customers kept faith with Farymann diesels and continued ordering, and it was this which allowed us to come through to the point where we are now ready to expand our offering again," he said. "Of course, the 43F's extremely low profile makes it a unique selling proposition and a very difficult power unit to replace in its applications."

The upgrading of the Bukh-Farymann engine range takes two forms--the 18D, 18W and 43F diesels will be offered in Tier 2-compliant versions and responding to demand from customers, the company will also present the 43W diesel, which is a water-cooled version of the 43F engine.

Arnold Schoenbeck, senior manager of development, outlined measures taken to attain Tier 2 compliance. "We have increased injection pressure, optimized the angle and spray pattern of the injectors and changed the combustion chamber shape via a new form of piston bowl," he said. "At the same time, with applications such as building site dumper trucks in mind, we have also made modifications to give our engines a more flexible range of engine speeds.

"In power generation applications on the other hand, where we enjoy an excellent position with OEMs of smaller generator sets, we will be making our engines available using an electric governing system from Governors America Corp. which allows switching between 50 and 60 Hz frequencies."

In step with these development projects--as engine development center for the whole Bukh group--investments are being made in new equipment, including new test stands for emissions measurements.

"We have also formed a new application engineering task force," Schoenbeck reported. "The aim is to be faster in developing new solutions for existing customers and to respond faster to demand from potential new customers."

At the same time, Bukh Farymann is also revising its sales arrangements. "Our important markets are North America and Central Europe and we are currently looking for new sales partners all over the world. We are presently refining our arrangements in North America to better take advantage of the considerable potential of this market for our engines. There are chances for the right organizations to enter into collaborations," Knitel concluded

Claim that gasoline cars could beat clean-diesels on 'global warming' stirs more public debate

Controversial claims by Stanford University researcher Mark Jacobson that cars with diesel particulate filters (DPFs) can still cause more net "global warming" emissions than gasoline cars continue to stir debate.

Jacobson's initial claims (based on certain assumptions about diesel car emissions, measurement methods, and regulatory limits) were first contradicted last year by University of Minnesota's renowned engine combustion particle scientist David Kittelson (see Diesel Fuel News 9/16/02, Ps,. 1/7/02, P1 3), who pointed out the excellent carbon-trapping efficiency of diesel particulate filters (DPFs).

Reducing "black carbon" from combustion could have a greater short-term impact on reducing "global warming" than simply reducing carbon dioxide ([CO.sub.2]), which takes many decades to have much impact on climate change, recent scientific studies indicate.

But in another presentation this month to a California Air Resources Board (CARB) "international vehicle technology symposium" on cutting climate-change emissions from vehicles, Jacobson now cites other recent studies about vehicle particulate matter (PM) emissions. By his calculations, these data supposedly that show gasoline cars can have an advantage over diesel cars on to Jacobson compares the average miles per gallon of the latest gasoline/electric hybrid cars (Honda Insight, Toyota Prius) versus the Volkswagen Golf, Jetta and Beetle diesel cars. However, the "Insight" is a tiny, two-seater vehicle, and the Prius is smaller than some diesel cars cited in the comparison.

Nor do these hybrids deliver the torque, highway mileage, and highway acceleration performance of the larger, new-generation diesels -- and larger gasoline hybrids have yet to emerge, or show they can out-perform diesels in larger vehicle categories.

What's more, the possible emergence of diesel-electric hybrids (much better on fuel economy/[CO.sub.2] than gasoline hybrids) is left out of the "gasoline beats diesel" claims.

Still, adding a diesel particulate filter (DPF) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) trap for upcoming Tier 2/LEV-2 emissions limits would further penalize diesel's average fuel economy (due to hydrocarbon reductant for NOx/PM trap regeneration), thus making the gasoline-electric hybrid even better on both [CO.sub.2] and particulate matter, Jacobson claims.

However, while NOx/PM trap regeneration might represent a few percent fuel penalty, diesels still have an overwhelming fuel-economy (and hence [CO.sub.2]) advantage over gasoline.

What's more, in a 2001 study for Swedish National Road Administration comparing 45 diesel and gasoline cars, the DPF-equipped diesels regularly beat gasoline on PM emissions. "If diesel manufacturers choose to equip their models with particle filters, the diesel cars will definitely emit fewer ultrafine particles than cars with spark-ignition direct-injection engines," that study found. What's more, the PSA/Peugeot DPF-equipped diesel often beats the gasoline cars on PM number emissions, not just mass emissions, that report found.

A separate study in 2002 by Europe's Ecotraffic found that the DPF-equipped PSA car produced only a small fraction of the PM emissions of its gasoline car counterpart.

Another presentation to the same CARB vehicles/climate change symposium likewise undercuts sweeping claims that gasoline or gasoline-hybrid cars would beat diesel on total global-warming impact.

New generation diesel cars can have an average 3 6-42% fuel economy advantage over gasoline cars, implying about a 20-25% [CO.sub.2] reduction (minus some DPF regeneration fuel penalty), Ford Motor researcher Matti Maricq showed at the CARB symposium. DPFs and ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) fuel reduce both soot and sulfate PM emissions, while improved catalysts can also reduce hydrocarbons that could nucleate to form PM, he said. Hence the "black carbon" (BC) impact of clean-diesels on "global warming" would be greatly diminished.tal "global warming" impact

Hot Water Pressure Washer has compact, portable design

Featuring 4 evenly balanced tubed pneumatic tires, gas-powered SUV stands 39 in. high and weighs less than 400 lb. It incorporates brass manifold; single-piece, all-steel frame; and Landa pump with 3 ceramic plungers. Models SUV3-20124 and SUV3-24124 deliver cleaning power of 2.5 and 2.7 gpm max pressure of 2,000 and 2,400 psi, respectively. Their 6 and 7 hp Subaru engines, coupled with Super-Duty Regulator, produce constant supply of 12 Vdc power for diesel-fired burner used to heat water.

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Landa, North America's largest manufacturer of industrial pressure washers, has enhanced its super-compact, gasoline-powered SUV line of hot water pressure washers by upgrading to the Landa pump with a 7-year warranty.

The Landa pump, with its three ceramic plungers, increases the average expectant life of the high-pressure pumps for these models to 2,500 hours-matching the average life of the 6 and 7 HP engines used on the two SUV models. In addition to its market-leading 7-year warranty on the oil end of the pump, the Landa pump has a lifetime warranty on the brass manifold. It is also engineered to produce the same amount of water flow as other tri-plunger pumps but at a 10% lower RPM, which adds life to the pump's long-term operation.

The two models of the self-contained, super-compact, SUV pressure washer features 6 and 7 HP Subaru engines that are coupled with Landa's proprietary Super-Duty Regulator to produce a constant supply of 12V DC power for the diesel-fired burner used to heat the water. It also eliminates the need for a battery or generator.

The SUV, which stands only 39-inches high and weighs less than 400 lbs., is ideal for on-site cleaning where electricity is not available. The two models-SUV3-20124 and SUV3-24124-deliver cleaning power of 2.5 and 2.7 GPM (gallons per minute) and 2000 and 2400 PSI (pounds per square inch) of pressure respectively.

SUV's ruggedness is also found in its heating coil made of Schedule 80 steel pipe with 5-year warranty, energy-efficient Beckett burner system with Clean Cut oil pump; vibration isolators to absorb vibration from engine and moving parts, extending the life of the pressure washer; rugged, single-piece, all-steel frame made of 1-inch square steel tubing; and four evenly balanced tubed pneumatic tires for all-terrain maneuverability

Redesigned gen-sets for North and South America

With Power-Gen International, Orlando, Fla., as its platform, generator set manufacturer Triton Power is launching a redesigned version of its Triton Generator line to be distributed by its North and South American supplier, Americas Generators. The Miami-based supplier will stock a range of the 30 to 2000 kW gen-sets featuring Tier 1 and Tier 2 John Deere and Cummins engines, Deep Sea control panels and a new sound attenuating cabinet enclosure option.

"The company (Triton Power) is the fifth largest gen-set manufacturer in the world," said Eric Johnston, senior vice president at Americas Generators. "Since they're located in Istanbul, Turkey, they have no representation in the U.S., or for that matter in North or South America. So we're the distributor for the entire line using a network of dealers."

With more than 35 models in the Triton series, Americas Generators stocks 100 to 200 units in the 30 to 1000 kW range at its Miami facility to supply North and South America. Application of these models according to Johnston is, "everything from a hotel to a restaurant, to a hospital to a factory and everything in between. It's anything wherever backup power is needed or even continuous power in some locations." Powering the generators' 30 to 2000 kW ac output range are John Deere and Cummins diesels rated 59 to 3000 hp. Units with outputs from 30 kW to 264 kW are equipped with John Deere 3029, 4039, 4045, 6068 and 6081 engines rated 59 to 317 hp, depending on model. This offering includes a 2.9 to 6 L, inline, four-cycle platform in three to six cylinders.

The high-end of the generator series, 110 to 2000 kW, features Cummins 6BT, 6CT, LTA, NT8, QSX, KTA, VTA, QST and QSK engines rated 170 to 2000 hp. The 5.9 to 60.2 L Cummins engines are inline, four-cycle engines with six to 16 cylinders. Both Tier 2 options are fitted with Donaldson air cleaners and a RAZA tropical cooling radiator and fan.

Throughout the series, the engines are teamed with a Stamford Newage UC or HC series alternator package. The four-pole generator end incorporates a double-layer concentric stator winding. Triton produces the entire line as three-phase units with the option of single-phase in the 30 to 100 kW range. Siemens breakers are used across all models.

Each generator is fitted with a Deep Sea 730, 740, 5210 or 5220 control panel, depending on application requirements. The Deep Sea 740 and 5220 panels act as an automatic mains failure control module. The module monitors the mains supply and automatically starts the generator during a mains failure or via remote computer access. The control also monitors operational status and fault conditions by shutting the gen-set down and indicating failure on the provided LED display. Additional system monitoring is provided by the module for alternator voltage, engine speed, oil pressure, engine temperature and battery output.

Standard options on the generators include an automatic starting system, removable fuel tanks, catch basins to handle fluid overflow, exhaust silencers and steel bellows, battery, chargers and ,jacket water heaters. Additional options include opened or enclosed systems, automatic fuel filling systems, remote radiators, engine oil heaters, low fuel alarms, oversized alternators, automatic transfer switches and trailers, as well as the newest option, a sound-attenuated weatherproof cabinet. The new cabinet is constructed of 14-gauge steel with motorized intake louvers and gravity discharge louvers which are intended to reduce air resonation.

Sound attenuation when equipped with the cabinet is between 67 and 73 dB(A). Overall dimensions of the generators when enclosed are 82.6 in. x 33.5 in. x 56.3 in. (l x w x h) at 30 kW and 480 in. x 96 in. x 102 m. (l x w x h) at 2000 kW. Weights range from 2248 lb. to 47,123 lb.

Triton manufactures the Triton Generator line at its 250,000 sq.ft. facility in Istanbul. Americas Generators' 30,000 sq.ft. Miami facility, Triton said, allows it to store generator models equipped with the most commonly selected options such as batteries, block heaters, battery chargers and mainline circuit breakers. Additional accessories are also located at the facility including fuel tanks, trailers, transfer switches and parts, allowing the company to customize each unit to the required specifications of each application, said Triton

The triumph of the "tin horse." - diesel locomotives

In the 19th Century, the railroads revolutionized U.S. industry. In the 20th Century, the diesel locomotive revolutionized the railroads--and the revolution continues.

"The diesel locomotive came onto the scene as a new tool at the very time when our railway system was badly in need of just what such a tool had to offer," wrote H. L. Hamilton, founder of Electro-Motive Co., in the September 1956 Centennial edition of Railway Age. "The effect this new tool had is now very apparent."

The dieselization of the U.S. railroad industry cannot be traced to a single event, a single type of locomotive, or a single supplier. Many railroads resisted dieselization until their steam fleets became quite long in the tooth, but economics and market conditions, according to William L. Withuhn, curator of transportation at the Smithsonian Institute, forced them to eventually dieselize. Thus, dieselization can be viewed as market-driven, rather than railroad-driven. The actual transformation from steam to diesel (specifically, diesel-electric) took place over the greater part of three decades spanning the mid-1920s to the late 1950s.

* Early efforts. Central Railroad of New Jersey No. 1000, a 60-ton, 300-hp boxcab diesel-electric switcher developed by American Locomotive Co. (ALCO), General Electric (GE), and Ingersoll-Rand (IR), which entered revenue service in 1925, is regarded as the first commercially successful diesel locomotive. It served CNJ's Bronx Terminal for 32 years. Shortly after CNJ's purchase, the Baltimore & Ohio acquired a similar unit, which was placed in service at the 26th St. yard in Manhattan. No. 1000 now resides at the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore.

No. 1000, while uncomplicated and unglamorous compared to the superpower steam locomotives being built at the time, was a harbinger of things to come. Oliver Jensen, in The American Heritage-History of Railroads in America, wrote about the advantages of No. 1000 and the diesels that have followed it: "At first, this power was used entirely in switching operations, for which the diesel was ideally suited; it developed maximum power in starting and at low speeds, and it did not have to waste time in taking on huge amounts of water. When new, it spent less time than its steam counterpart undergoing repairs. One did not start a little fire and build it into a big one; one pushed a self-starter."

The development of the "tin horse," as Jensen termed the diesel locomotive, goes back much further than No. 1000. The heart of the diesel locomotive, the diesel powerplant itself, got its name from Dr. Rudolph Diesel, a German scientist and inventor who devised an internal-combustion engine based upon the concept of compression ignition of fuel.

Dr. Diesel was not alone in the development of this type )f powerplant. Charles Ackroyd Stuart obtained an English patent on a compression-ignition engine in 1888, four years before Dr. Diesel. The English firm Hornsby and Company began manufacture of a compression-ignition engine in the 1880s; the design was acquired by the DeLaVergne Refrigerating Machine Co. in 1891, which used the technology to power compressors for a growing refrigeration industry.

Dr. Diesel, meanwhile, began licensing his technology to several German, English, and U.S. firms, which took his basic concept and tried to improve upon it. Many met with failure, but among the successful firms was the Diesel Motor Co. of America, New York, N.Y., founded in 1898 by Adolphus Busch (of Anheuser-Busch Brewing Co., St. Louis, Mo.).

In 1911, Busch, along with Dr. Diesel and the Swiss firm Sulzer Brothers, formed the Busch-Sulzer Brothers Diesel Engine Co., St. Louis, which became one of the largest manufacturers of stationary and marine powerplants in the U.S. The company, however, did not produce a diesel locomotive powerplant until 1935, when it provided a 10-cylinder unit for an Illinois Central locomotive built by GE.

Irrigation agreement for Iveco motors: engine supply agreement with Rainbow Irrigation continues Iveco's North American market growth

Iveco Motors of North America Inc., a Fiat Powertrain Technologies (FPT) company, has announced an engine supply agreement with Rainbow Irrigation Systems, Fitzgerald, Ga., to power a line of Rainbow's centrifugal irrigation pumps.

"Our customers are very concerned with their applications' fuel consumption levels," said Jamie Mann, co-owner of Rainbow. "After researching and testing engines, we realized that Iveco's fuel consumption rates are significantly lower."

With Over 200 dealers in North, Central and South America, Rainbow distributes between 250 to 300 irrigation pump sets a year. Rainbow also manufactures construction, dewatering and hard hose traveler applications, as well as a line of Deere-powered irrigation pumping units, a line of irrigation power units, Deutz-powered irrigation generator sets from 5 to 25 kW, and a line of standby gen-sets from 10 to 300 kW.

Rainbow, said Jaime and Terry Mann, is a highly vertically integrated manufacturer which includes manufacturing its own line of centrifugal pumps. Currently, many of the company's pump and gen-sets go to agricultural dealers, as well as into rental applications. While pumps sets for irrigation are the company's primary product range, in recent years Rainbow has begun to expand into a variety of industrial and construction markets for all its product ranges.

Rainbow will be installing Iveco's NEF 4NA, NEF 4TC, NEF 4TAA, NEF 6NA and NEF 6TAA in its centrifugal irrigation pump sets, which will be used for agricultural irrigation, turf irrigation and industrial applications. The centrifugal irrigation pumps will also have the option of being clutch-mounted or direct-drive.

The NEF 4TC has a gross power output of 99 hp at 2300 rpm, the NEF 4TAA is rated 126 hp at 2300 rpm and the NEF 4NA produces 80 hp at 2300 rpm.

The NEF 4TC and NEF 4TAA are both turbocharged, four-cylinder, inline diesel engines, with the NEF 4TAA being aftercooled. The NEF 4NA is naturally aspirated, four-cylinder, inline diesel. All of the NEF engines have a mechanical injection system and a displacement of 4.5 L.

The NEF 6TAA and NEF 6NA are both 6.7 L, six-cylinder, inline diesels. The NEF 6TAA is a turbocharged, aftercooled diesel with a mechanical injection system and is rated 173 hp at 2300 rpm. The NEF 6NA is naturally aspirated with a rotary pump and produces 109 hp at 2500 rpm.

The activities of Iveco Motors of North America, together with all the other activities around the world, converged in March 2005, in the Trucks & Industrial product line of Fiat Power-train Technologies (FPT). The new sector of the Fiat Group integrates all the group's capabilities and expertise in engines and transmissions.

Iveco Motors of North America began official operation in Carol Stream, Ill., in January 2004. Now entering its third year as an engine supplier for the North American markets, Vincenzo Perrone, vice president and general manager said, "since we started, we have developed good and even growth in every sector in which we are present." Perrone said that for 2005, Iveco Motors of North America finished 40% ahead of its target sales in the power generation, industrial and marine markets.

The company has established a network of 22 engine distributors throughout North America and has established a spare parts distribution warehouse, managed by NewStream Enterprises, in Springfield, Mo., to support its engine applications. "This allows us to provide our customers a faster and more efficient delivery of spare parts in the North American marketplace," Perrone said.

Iveco also signed an exclusive agreement with Impco Technologies Inc., to use Impco's Eclipse low-pressure natural gas fuel system on Iveco's NEF gas engines. Production of the NEF 5.9 L natural gas engine began in November 2005 for use in power generation and industrial stationary applications.

Caterpillar Dealer Identity: Customer Loyalty and an Extraordinary Partnership

Caterpillar is an organization that has fine-tuned its brand and knows its value in the marketplace. The dilemma is giving that value and the associated relationships with customers a dear presence across an international network of independent dealers. Martin Gierke probes the issues surrounding this problem and describes what Caterpillar is doing to partner the corporate brand effectively with the companies that actually sell and service its products.

A relatively small number of events in 2004 quietly marked a significant milestone for Caterpillar Inc. -the 100th anniversary of the technology that led to the formation of the company. The story of Caterpillar dates back to the late nineteenth century, when Daniel Best and Benjamin Holt each experimented with ways to fulfill the promise steam tractors held for farming. Prior to the merger that formed Caterpillar Tractor Co. in 1925, The Holt Manufacturing Company and C.L. Best Tractor Co. had individually pioneered gasoline-powered track-type tractors (Figures 1,2, and 3).

In 1931, Caterpillar created a separate engine sales group to market diesel engines to other original equipment manufacturers. This group was replaced in 1953 with a sales and marketing division to better serve the needs of a broad range of engine customers. Today, Caterpillar is a leading player in the diesel engine and power generation markets. Engine sales now account for approximately one-third of the company's total sales and revenues. Cat engines power everything from onhighway trucks, buses, ships, pleasure boats, and locomotives to earth-moving, construction, and material-handling equipment. Through generating systems, Cat engines supply power to areas inaccessible to utility power grids, including off-shore oil drilling rigs, remote mines, and isolated communities. Cat generator sets provide emergency power to hospitals, schools, factories, office buildings, and airports. Caterpillar is also the leading supplier of industrial gas turbines through its subsidiary, Solar Turbines Inc., which was purchased in 1981. In 1963, Caterpillar and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. formed one of the first joint ventures in Japan to include US ownership. Caterpillar Mitsubishi Ltd. started production in 1965 in a new facility at Sagamihara, 28 miles southwest of Tokyo. Renamed Shin Caterpillar Mitsubishi Ltd. in 1987 to reflect an expansion of the original agreement, the joint venture today is the number-two maker of construction and mining equipment in Japan. In early 2003, Shin Caterpillar Mitsubishi announced plans to expand into the Asian region.

Following a boom period in the 1970s, the worldwide recession of the early 1980s forced Caterpillar to look at long-term changes to lessen the adverse impact of future economic downturns. Among the changes was a $1.8 billion facility modernization program launched in 1987 to streamline the manufacturing process. Caterpillar also diversified the product line to meet a greater variety of customer needs and to reduce sensitivity to economic cycles.

To better focus on critical product and service areas, Caterpillar made several organizational changes during the 1980s. In 1983, Caterpillar Leasing Company was expanded to offer equipment financing options to its customers worldwide and was renamed Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation. The Caterpillar Tractor Co. changed its name in 1986 to Caterpillar Inc.-a more accurate reflection of the enterprise's growing diversity. In 1990, Caterpillar reorganized into business units, with each accountable for its own results. The company continues to fine-tune the organization, which today includes more than 25 business units.

Caterpillar products are manufactured in 50 US facilities and in 65 other locations, including Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, England, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, The Netherlands, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Poland, Russia and South Africa. In addition to manufacturing, customers around the globe are served by worldwide Caterpillar facilities focused on marketing, research and design, financial products, and training.

Caterpillar is well known for its product support capability, and an extensive network ensures that Cat dealers are able to deliver parts when and where they are needed. A manufacturing and transportation logistics network supports the needs of internal Caterpillar customers, while Caterpillar Logistics Services Inc. builds on the global distribution expertise of the parent company to provide customized distribution solutions for nearly 50 external clients. Cat Logistics operates more than 95 offices and facilities in 25 countries on six continents.

Green power taking hold in South Carolina

Green power purchase programs continue to take hold in the United States for a variety of reasons, some of which include more economical and technically advanced methods for harnessing and generating renewable energy, as well as an increased willingness of utilities to address public demand for power produced from renewable energy sources. One of the more popular and cost-effective methods of generating green power is the use of gases produced as a result of natural decomposition of waste at landfill sites.

While capturing landfill gases for use in power generation is nothing new, the sophistication of the gas collection and cleaning systems has evolved over the years. Santee Cooper, South Carolina's state-owned electric and water utility, started its green power purchase program in 2001 with the opening of the 2.2 MW Horry County generating station near Conway, S.C. This was followed by the opening of the 5.4 MW Lee County generating station, dedicated in April 2005 in Bishopville.

And in March of this year, Santee Cooper commissioned a 5.5 MW gas turbine generating station in Richland County. All three projects are fueled by gas from adjacent landfill sites. As the largest power provider in South Carolina, Santee Cooper directly serves more than 150,000 residential and commercial customers in Berkeley, Horry and Georgetown counties and generates the electricity distributed to more than 665,000 customers in all 46 counties by the state's 20 electric cooperatives. Santee Cooper also supplies power to 31 large industries, the municipal utilities in Bamberg and Georgetown, and the Charleston Air Force Base. With a diverse fuel and energy supply that includes predominantly coal-based generating assets, the company also has a mix of nuclear power, hydro power and gas-fired combustion turbines, as well as its nascent green power initiatives.

Green power is offered to residential customers in blocks of 100 kWh each. Because it costs more to produce green power than by conventional means, a $3 premium is charged on a customer's electric bill. Commercial customers are offered green power in blocks of 200 kWh each for a $6 premium.

"We know that the landfill gas is the best option in South Carolina for what's called a renewable energy source," explained Elizabeth Kress, principal engineer of capital projects for Santee Cooper. "We have started with the landfill gas and we have a plan in place to go out to 11 different landfill sites across the state and develop those landfills into projects. We will now have four of the 11 after June."

The state is growing at a tremendous rate, which makes planning for future energy needs critical. South Carolina's population is increasing about 3 to 4% annually and the state is expected to have five million residents by 2025. Santee Cooper's growth rate in its direct serve area has averaged 3% over the past five years.

"We've taken our renewables program in the order of least cost first," Kress said. "We're looking at the other renewable resources out there to see what does make sense. So we're assessing all the resources out there, including other types of biogas, solar and wind, but we know the landfill gas is a good option so Santee Cooper has moved ahead strong with that.

"The premium paid for green power is being used to reinvest into other green power projects."

The Lee County generating facility was recently recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP) as a 2005 LMOP Project of the Year. Other team members recognized include GE Jenbacher, the supplier of the generator sets, and Allied Waste, the operator of the landfill. The Lee County plant is expected to grow to 12 units, producing 21.6 MW by 2010. Santee Cooper expects to have a total of 54 MW of green power online by 2012.

The Lee County generating station, Santee Cooper's second green power generating facility, was dedicated in April 2005 and consists of three 1800 kW GE Jenbacher gas engines for a total output of 5400 kW. The LEANOx J616GS gas engines, manufactured at GE Jenbacher's facilities in Austria, drive 4160 V Kato Engineering generators at 1800 rpm through Eickhoff speed increasing gearboxes. The engines have N[O.sub.x] emissions of 0.5 g/bhp-hr under normal operating conditions.

Other major components at the Lee County site include Woodward SPMD synchronizing systems, Thompson Technology generator breakers, SEL generator protection relays, Eaton Cutler-Hammer motor control centers, Silex silencers, radiators from Sutton Stromart and vibration isolators from Getzner. The ExxonMobil Pegasus gas engine lube oil flows through Tranter plate frame heat exchangers.

Regenerative exhaust filters clean up Virginia power plant: reducing visible smoke in growing area goal of $1.1 million project

Like many electrical power plants built in pre-emissions times, the VMEA Generation Plant in Manassas, Va., was originally built in a remote area, literally "out in the country." Built in 1990, the 24 MW plant has 16 Caterpillar 3516A-powered generator sets providing peak electrical power for the city of Manassas and the other VMEA members, all nearby municipalities. The 12,600 sq.ft. plant is owned by the Virginia Municipal Electric Association (VMEA), a seven-member purchase power group.

Over time, the area around the plant has been developed, said Jamie Hester, generation supervisor for the power plant. An industrial park is now close by, and more recently a highway bypass routes thousands of people past the plant daily.

With environmental concerns becoming increasingly important for such facilities and a top priority for the City of Manassas Utility Dept., a two-year study was conducted by Aegis Environmental, Richmond, Va., to reduce visible smoke from the VMEA Generation Plant.he result was a $1.1 million project to install 16 regenerative exhaust filter/silencer systems at the plant. Manufactured by CleanAIR Systems, Santa Fe, N.M., the first filter/silencer was installed as a pilot project in late 2005. Results from the pilot installation showed a 90% reduction in visible emissions. The remaining 15 filter/ silencers were due to be installed by the end of April.

Founded in 1993, CleanAIR is an integrated manufacturer of complete emission control systems for almost all types of engines for both mobile and stationary applications.

For the VMEA installation, the CleanAIR filters are a custom-designed regenerative exhaust filter and silencer package specifically designed to fit into the same installation envelope as the exhaust silencers they are replacing. CleanAIR took a flat "race track"-type silencer design and redesigned and repackaged it to fit the vertical installation required at VMEA.

The regenerative exhaust filters at the VMEA plant are part of CleanAIR's Permit Filter system. A catalyzed diesel particulate filter verified by CARB for Level 3 (greater than 85%) particulate matter reduction on emergency standby generators, the Permit Filter system also reduces emissions of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and odor by greater than 90%, said CleanAIR's Daniel Serrano.

He said the design of the Permit Filter controls PM by removing particulates of carbon from the engine's exhaust. The filter is made of a cordierite ceramic honeycomb with thousands of parallel channels. To control the flow of exhaust gas, 0.5 in. long plugs are placed in the end of half of the channels, forming a checkerboard pattern.

Plugs are also placed in the other end of the filter to form the same checkerboard pattern, offset by one. This checkerboard arrangement of plugs forces the exhaust gases through the porous, thin ceramic honeycomb walls. When the gases carrying the carbon particles flow through the fine pores of the walls, the carbon particles are filtered out of the exhaust gases.

Serrano said the process of particulate matter collection begins as soon as an engine is started and continues while the engine is operating. As the carbon particles are collected on the ceramic walls, the backpressure of the system increases. The filter substrate has a catalyst coating that allows the filter to regenerate by oxidizing the trapped particulate into gases, mostly C[O.sub.2], that can pass through the filter.

Regeneration occurs when the exhaust gas temperature increases enough to initiate the oxidation of trapped particulate in the filter, with those temperatures varying depending on the sulfur content of the fuel.

CleanAIR also said that the catalyst coating reduces CO and HC. As the exhaust gases come in contact with the catalyst, a chemical reaction takes place that oxidizes the gases. The oxidation process turns carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons into water and carbon dioxide.

The Permit Filter catalyzed diesel particulate filter is packaged with the race track-type silencer that CleanAIR redesigned for the vertical installation required at VMEA. The filter/ silencer package is housed in a 304 L stainless-steel shell and achieves a sound attenuation of 27 to 35 dB(A), the company said.

Serrano said typically the filter package can be incorporated into a variety of configurations depending upon the specific application requirements.

The most basic configuration is a packaged filter with cones on both inlet and outlet ends. Typical sound attenuation for this design is 12 to 20 dB(A). Replacement muffler designs are used for applications where space is too tight to add the filter separate from the existing muffler. Special inlet or outlet configurations, or brackets can be used that will allow the filter to replace an existing muffler

Atlas Copco adds 25 kW gen-set

Atlas Copco, through its Atlas Copco Compressors Inc. business, has recently begun production on the new 25 kW QAS 30 generator set. The new gen-set is positioned at the lower range of its 15 to 288 kW QAS series generators and is targeted primarily at the rental market.

The new unit joins the John Deere-powered 25 to 120 kW portion of the QAS series and is powered by a 2.4 L four-cylinder Deere 4024TF270 turbocharged diesel engine rated 43 hp at 1800 rpm. QAS units at the top (144 to 288 kW) and bottom (15 to 35 kW) end of the QAS series are equipped with MTU Detroit Diesel and Yanmar engines, respectively. On the QAS 30, Atlas Copco has paired the Deere engine with a high capacity fuel filter/ water separator, Donaldson two-stage air cleaner and API radiator.

Electrical output is provided by a Newage BCI 184 G alternator that delivers 25 kW (31 kVA). The alternator has 12 leads, class H insulation with marine impregnation and operates at 1800 rpm at 60 Hz. A brushless excitation system and three-phase sensing automatic voltage regulator (AVR) are also integrated into the drive, which Atlas Copco said provides rapid response to load changes and optimizes starting capabilities.

The control panel for the generator is protected behind a lockable door with gauges for oil pressure, coolant temperature, fuel level, running hours and engine speed/frequency. A Hobut voltmeter and ampmeter are integrated into the terminal along with a Merlin Grien potentiometer and Red Dot GFCI receptacles. Remote start/ stop is standard, along with LED indicators for high coolant temperature, low coolant level, low oil pressure, overspeed, overcrank and undervoltage, plus a warning indicator for charging system failure.

The panel also incorporates three-pole circuit breakers with high and low voltage operation, which Atlas Copco said offers protection against overload and short circuiting. Quick fix electrical connections can be made at the terminal board while a lockable voltage selector configures the generator's phase and voltage output. There is also an emergency stop button which shuts down the engine and trips the main circuit breaker.

The QAS 30 has a zinc-treated enclosure with a powder-coated paint finish to resist corrosion. Dimensions on the unit are 81 in. long, 38 in. wide by 47 in. high when skid-mounted. Dry weight is 1970 lb. Atlas Copco has lined the enclosure with foam for sound attenuation and added flexible isolators, which keep transmitted vibration from the powertrain to a minimum. Airflow circulation was also engineered to provide a reduced noise level throughout the unit, bringing the noise emissions on the QAS 30 to 63 dB(A) at 23 ft. and 75% load.

Available as either a skid- or trailer-mounted unit, the QAS 30 has 110% fluid containment, the company said. Skid-mounted units are capable of full-shift operation without refueling, which according to Atlas Copco is 25 hours at 100% load. Trailer units include an auxiliary fuel cell that extends operation to 24 hours.

Standby power for engine production plant - generator sets at Kohler Co.'s plant in Hattiesburg, MS

When Kohler Co. established its new engine manufacturing plant in Hattiesburg, Miss., the company, through its Generator Div., planned on installing an emergency standby power system. The new plant's layout would also include plans to parallel with the utility for peak shaving and curtailable-rate savings.

Opened in January 1998, the production facility in Hattiesburg currently assembles Kohler's Command single-cylinder, vertical shaft engines. The air-cooled, four-cycle gasoline models are the mainstay of the company's product line and are used in a variety of consumer and commercial mowing equipment. The engines are also used to power agricultural, construction and recreational equipment, as well as selected models of Kohler generators.

Mississippi Power Co., the local utility, worked closely with Kohler's management and facilities engineering group to develop a standby generating system that would benefit both the company and the utility. With these guidelines, Kohler Power Systems began designing and manufacturing the generator sets and necessary paralleling switchgear. The final installation called for two generator sets operating in parallel with one another and the utility grid.

Each of the generator sets is housed within Pritchard Brown sound-absorbing, weatherproof enclosures with exhaust air ducted upward to aid in reducing the sound level near the sets. The enclosures incorporate 2500 gal. sub-base fuel tanks and 3 in. of acoustic insulation. Harco round pancake-style silencers were selected so they could be placed within the low-profile enclosures to further improve installation aesthetics. The silencers were also insulated to reduce the heat build-up in the enclosures.

The generator sets were installed in a courtyard near the plant and are positioned at a 90 [degrees] angle so the intake air is drawn from the side away from the plant, further reducing noise. Each enclosure is 33 ft. long, 13 ft. high and 12 ft. wide.

Two utility power lines were brought in underground through the courtyard to matched pad-mounted transformers that step down the utility voltage of 12,470 V to 480 V to match both the generated voltage and the plant utilization voltage. All synchronization and paralleling occurs at the 480 V level.

Kohler's paralleling switchgear contains two utility main circuit breakers, a main bus tie circuit breaker, two generator output circuit breakers, two tie circuit breakers that serve to isolate the generating system totally from the utility - if necessary - and 16 distribution (feeder) circuit breakers that distribute the power to the various areas of the plant. Power factor correction capacitors will ultimately be used as Kohler's engine plant expands in its production capability and more production machinery is added. These will be automatically added to maintain an overall plant power factor in excess of 95 percent.

Kohler Power Systems' engineers designed the switchgear, produced all the necessary drawings to build the assembly, and assisted in manufacturing the switchgear. The switchgear incorporates Cutler Hammer DSII drawout breakers. The generator sets and switchgear were systems-tested at Kohler's Wisconsin facility prior to installation at the Hattiesburg site.

The gen-sets' digital controllers, the Kohler Decision Maker 340, maintains communication among the generator sets, paralleling switchgear, and outside communication links. With the Decision Maker 340 controllers and operator interface terminals on the switchgear, together with PLC controllers in the switchgear, a communications system was implemented, allowing the generator sets and switchgear to be monitored locally and from Kohler's generator plant in Wisconsin. Synchronizing, load sharing and load transferring are accomplished using Woodward DSLC, and MSLC digital synchronizers and load controls. Utility intertie protective relaying is combined in a Beckwith multifunction relay.

Tier 4 off-highway rules set: it starts in 2008, with new standards phased in through 2015; the age of aftertreatment dawns

The diesel emissions box is now officially small; make that very, very small. On May 11, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officially announced the Clean Air Nonroad Diesel Rule, or Tier 4 off-highway to the rest of us. It also, almost officially, inaugurates the age of aftertreatment since most engine manufacturers, as it stands today, said it will require some sort of device after combustion to meet these new and very stringent standards (see accompanying tables).

Standards for new diesel engines will be phased in starting with the engines under 25 hp in 2008, and move up the horsepower charts until all but engines over 750 hp have to meet both N[O.sub.x] and PM standards in 2014. Off-highway engines over 750 hp will have one additional year to meet these new emissions standards.

Tier 4, said EPA, is expected to cut emission levels from construction, agricultural and industrial diesel-powered equipment by more than 90%. The rule, EPA said, complements the Clean Diesel Truck and Bus Rule announced December 21, 2000, which will place a fleet of heavy-duty trucks and buses on American highways that will be 95% cleaner than today's trucks and buses. On-highway compliance requirements take effect with the 2007 model year.

Maybe most importantly to the engine community, EPA also said the new rule will also remove 99% of the sulfur in diesel fuel by 2010, resulting in dramatic reductions in particulate matter from all diesel engines. By EPA's estimate, diesel fuel currently contains about 3000 ppm sulfur. The new rule will cut that to 500 ppm in 2007 and 15 ppm by 2010.

"We are going to make that burst of black smoke that erupts from diesels a thing of the past," EPA Administrator Mike Leavitt said. "We're able to accomplish this in large part because of a masterful collaboration with engine and equipment manufacturers, the oil industry, state officials, and the public health and environmental communities."

EPA's release announcing Tier 4 noted that, "the non-road rule represents an unprecedented commitment and collaboration that included the White House, EPA, the Office of Management and Budget, the environmental community, states and local governments, engine and equipment manufacturers, refiners, technology companies, and other groups and associations."

And in fact, most of the responding press releases from engine manufacturers acknowledged this cooperation.

Low hanging fruit - Top Dead Center - shakeout looms in hot electric generator market

There is little doubt that power generation is going to be one of the baseline engine markets for at least the rest of this decade and likely beyond.

The fundamentals are simple. Our need for quality electricity has passed absolute. If the power goes out, most businesses grind to an expensive halt. Rebooting a data center, or not being able to run CNC machines, cash registers or just plain old computers, means business doesn't happen. We don't need power, we require and demand it, and at a high quality level.

Because the power available from utilities appears to be finite for now, it has lead to the growth in what many are calling distributed power or distributed generation. A definition that is ever changing.

Originally linking existing standby sets together electronically to provide additional kW or MW without adding new units, distributed power is now seen as almost any generator set not operated by a utility. Distributed to the point of use.

Last year was a pretty decent year for power generation, at least through June. California's perceived power woes had manufacturers tossing engines and generators of all sorts into truck trailers and sending them over the Rockies as fast as they could be built. With the advent of plug and play controls, a generating system became a fast moving reality.

Where the scenario becomes familiar is in some of the grandiose numbers and projections being thrown around. Optimism has zoomed past high to crazy People are getting into the business that couldn't spell EPG a year ago. The smell of money is in the water.

One company was billing itself at a recent show as a "leading manufacturer of power generation enclosures and systems." Close scrutiny revealed that a year ago they were making metal outbuildings for farms, but an order for 16 large gen-set enclosures on a rush basis put them into the EPG system and elevated them to "leading manufacturer" status.

Gen-set packagers are coming out of the woodwork. Skid, engine, generator, controls, business plan. Silencer manufacturers are making catalysts for gen-sets, catalyst manufacturers are making silencers. All to meet the EPG boom.

It's dot.com and equipment rental II. The same unbridled enthusiasm, the same price and margin crushing competition. In some cases, the same people. All, of course, supported by a well researched, infallible "business model."

How diesels powered storm cleanup efforts - diesel-powered equipment used to rebuild North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Fran

ight 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