The diesel generator owes its roots to mainly two inventors. One of these is the creator of the first generator Michael Faraday and the other is the creator of the diesel engine Rudolph Diesel. The first of these two has contributed greatly to life as we know it today with all his discoveries in electricity.
Michael Faraday was of humble beginning but always had a curious nature. He was at an early age an errand boy for a bookbinding shop and here he vastly increased his knowledge as he read anything he could put his hands on. He was very interested in the concept of energy and force and this interest is one that continued throughout his life and eventually he developed into a famed chemist and physicist.
It was his discovery of electromagnetic induction in the year 1831 that led to the development of the modern generator. He used what he termed his induction ring to discover the electromagnetic induction. This was the generation or induction of electricity in a wire by the use of the electromagnetic effect of the current in another wire. This was the first transformer and followed closely with the discovery of the magneto-electric induction process which is the production of a steady electric current.
He attached two pieces of wire by the use of a sliding contact to a copper disc. He rotated the disc through the poles of a magnet and was able to generate continuous direct current. This was the first generator of time. This group of experiments led to the revolutionized generator that we know today.
The diesel generator however owes its development to the inventor Rudolph Diesel. He started off as a refrigerator engineer and eventually found himself working on many heat engine designs. He in 1892 put out a patent that dealt with the method and design of a engine where combustion would take place in the cylinder. He continued to work to this goal and was successful in the production of a diesel engine that produced an efficiency of 75%.
It is the coupling of his diesel engine with the generator that led to the diesel generator that we known today. His design was rather large and very heavy and found more use in industrial applications as a generator. They were used to power pipelines and for electric plants and water plants. Later on they found applications in the mines and in oil fields. The diesel generator is simply the coupling of the diesel engine with an electrical generator and has been use throughout history since its invention for many applications.
The diesel generator has been seen to be the choice of many of the larger companies as it is well suited for industrial use. A major discouraging factor for its use in terms of the retail market has been the fact that it can be rather noisy but this has been reduced greatly from the first diesel generators and is now almost comparable to the gasoline generators. These generators also offer other perks such as increase fuel economy and reduced maintenance costs which can explain their popularity in industrial applications.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Guide to purchasing a Diesel Generator
There are many grades of durability of diesel generators on the market. You will find that the larger the machine the more well built it is to withstand the pressures of use. This is the general concept when it comes to the diesel generator that the larger the generator the better it is designed.
It is essential when considering purchasing a diesel generator that you are sure of what kind of use you will be demanding. It is very common for the diesel generators that are larger to be installed on ships as backups during power failures. There are often systems on ships that use power systems that are related to weather. This is not reliable and as such a diesel generator is a good choice. It is better to opt for the larger models as these are very well designed to handle the load.
Many businesses seeking to protect their sensitive computer networks can also depend on the diesel generator. These are excellent sources of power should the power fail. This is also great for medical equipment such as those that are essential in hospitals and can provide performance that is low maintenance.
When deciding which diesel generator to choose it is important that a list is constructed of the various pieces of equipment that will be using the generator power. This will aid in the determination of the total wattage requirements and therefore determine which capacity of generator will be required.
One of the first points when comparing diesel generators is to determine the wattage requirement and compare this to the price of the particular generator. This is essential as it is important not to overload the system and this will determine the best generator to suit your needs. It is also possible for persons with intermittent generator usage to opt for the diesel generator due to all the perks such as reduced fuel costs and maintenance costs.
It is also advisable that when you purchase your generator that you install it with a transfer switch. This may require a qualified electrician. It is also essential that the generator you choose will have adequate storage as this is important in maintaining the right temperature. You may also need other features such as soundproof enclosures depending on your space limitations as the diesel generator can be quite noisy and is best installed away from homes.
Other features that will be needed for your generator include shutdown systems. There are three major shutdown systems available. These are low oil pressure automatic shutdown kits, over-speed shutdown kits and high temperature shutdown kits. These are all necessary for the protection of any diesel generator that you purchase.
Make sure that the diesel generator you choose is run at a low rpm approximately 1800 rpm to ensure long life. It is better to opt for a generator that is the best in terms of fuel efficiency and if you can opt for a brand name. They may be a bit more expensive but they will tend to have better warranties than the other generic brands on the market.
It is essential when considering purchasing a diesel generator that you are sure of what kind of use you will be demanding. It is very common for the diesel generators that are larger to be installed on ships as backups during power failures. There are often systems on ships that use power systems that are related to weather. This is not reliable and as such a diesel generator is a good choice. It is better to opt for the larger models as these are very well designed to handle the load.
Many businesses seeking to protect their sensitive computer networks can also depend on the diesel generator. These are excellent sources of power should the power fail. This is also great for medical equipment such as those that are essential in hospitals and can provide performance that is low maintenance.
When deciding which diesel generator to choose it is important that a list is constructed of the various pieces of equipment that will be using the generator power. This will aid in the determination of the total wattage requirements and therefore determine which capacity of generator will be required.
One of the first points when comparing diesel generators is to determine the wattage requirement and compare this to the price of the particular generator. This is essential as it is important not to overload the system and this will determine the best generator to suit your needs. It is also possible for persons with intermittent generator usage to opt for the diesel generator due to all the perks such as reduced fuel costs and maintenance costs.
It is also advisable that when you purchase your generator that you install it with a transfer switch. This may require a qualified electrician. It is also essential that the generator you choose will have adequate storage as this is important in maintaining the right temperature. You may also need other features such as soundproof enclosures depending on your space limitations as the diesel generator can be quite noisy and is best installed away from homes.
Other features that will be needed for your generator include shutdown systems. There are three major shutdown systems available. These are low oil pressure automatic shutdown kits, over-speed shutdown kits and high temperature shutdown kits. These are all necessary for the protection of any diesel generator that you purchase.
Make sure that the diesel generator you choose is run at a low rpm approximately 1800 rpm to ensure long life. It is better to opt for a generator that is the best in terms of fuel efficiency and if you can opt for a brand name. They may be a bit more expensive but they will tend to have better warranties than the other generic brands on the market.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Mobile generator
Raven Technology offers the 5 kW Blackbird generator for the underhood installation in a variety of Ford, GM and International chassis. The generator provides 110 V pure sine power through the flip of a switch to power tools, lights, computers, communications and other equipment used in emergency, utility and construction vehicles. The speed independent Blackbird system weighs in at 75 lb. and is designed to be belt- or PTO- driven from the engine and is speed independent to offer full power from idle to redline, said Raven.
New generator set filter/silencer
The Santa Fe, N.M., manufacturer said the new filter/ silencer is designed to reduce PM emissions by 85% and carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons by up to 99%. The CleanAIR Filter/Silencer has an all stainless-steel construction and is fully insulated for sound attenuation, the company said.
The concept of the CleanAIR filter/silencer combines the benefits of a silencer for sound reduction and the benefits of diesel particulate filters for emissions control into one space-saving unit.
"We designed our Permit filter/silencer specifically to fit facilities that need to reduce emissions and sound," said CleanAIR Sales Engineer, Daniel Serrano. "By combining our diesel particulate filters with a silencer, the customer no longer needs two separate units that take up a lot of space. Our Permit filter/ silencer does the job of both by eliminating emissions while at the same time providing sound reduction. It also reduces the overall cost."
Available for all stationary engine sizes, the custom-designed Permit filter/silencer is manufactured using 304 stainless steel. Utilizing CleanAIR's integrated approach, the product is designed and manufactured in-house, including: product design; flow, stress and sound modeling; filter catalyzation; and custom fabrication of the silencer shell. Each Permit filter/silencer is fully insulated to reduce heat loss and provide sound attenuation.
The concept of the CleanAIR filter/silencer combines the benefits of a silencer for sound reduction and the benefits of diesel particulate filters for emissions control into one space-saving unit.
"We designed our Permit filter/silencer specifically to fit facilities that need to reduce emissions and sound," said CleanAIR Sales Engineer, Daniel Serrano. "By combining our diesel particulate filters with a silencer, the customer no longer needs two separate units that take up a lot of space. Our Permit filter/ silencer does the job of both by eliminating emissions while at the same time providing sound reduction. It also reduces the overall cost."
Available for all stationary engine sizes, the custom-designed Permit filter/silencer is manufactured using 304 stainless steel. Utilizing CleanAIR's integrated approach, the product is designed and manufactured in-house, including: product design; flow, stress and sound modeling; filter catalyzation; and custom fabrication of the silencer shell. Each Permit filter/silencer is fully insulated to reduce heat loss and provide sound attenuation.
Monday, October 08, 2007
Generator drive power pack introduced by Perkins
Perkins Engines has introduced the 1104C-44TAG2 ElectropaK generator drive power pack. First shown at the World of Concrete show earlier this year, Perkins said the hunch of the engine is with an eye on broadening its overall product range in the power generation markets.
Power for the new power pack is Perkins 1104C diesel which is packaged with a skid-mounted cooling system. The 1104C is a four-cylinder, turbo-charged and air-to-air intercooled engine designed for 80 and 100 kW 60 Hz standby applications, as well as 50 Hz prime power needs from 80 to 100 kVA, Perkins said.
Perkins is positioning its 1100 series diesels as its premium emissions compliant platform, with the line available in three-, four- and six-cylinder configurations. For Tier 3, Perkins has increased the 1100 series per cylinder displacement to 1.1 L, and has undertaken aggressive development of the combustion system. Other engineering changes include a fundamental redesign of the cylinder block to create an advanced "open-top deck" structure that Perkins said radically reduces transmitted noise.
Further, the addition of air-to-air charge cooling on the 80 and 100 kVA models has enabled Perkins to offer what it says is six-cylinder power from a four-cylinder package.
Power for the new power pack is Perkins 1104C diesel which is packaged with a skid-mounted cooling system. The 1104C is a four-cylinder, turbo-charged and air-to-air intercooled engine designed for 80 and 100 kW 60 Hz standby applications, as well as 50 Hz prime power needs from 80 to 100 kVA, Perkins said.
Perkins is positioning its 1100 series diesels as its premium emissions compliant platform, with the line available in three-, four- and six-cylinder configurations. For Tier 3, Perkins has increased the 1100 series per cylinder displacement to 1.1 L, and has undertaken aggressive development of the combustion system. Other engineering changes include a fundamental redesign of the cylinder block to create an advanced "open-top deck" structure that Perkins said radically reduces transmitted noise.
Further, the addition of air-to-air charge cooling on the 80 and 100 kVA models has enabled Perkins to offer what it says is six-cylinder power from a four-cylinder package.
Diesel particulate filter regeneration: what Cummins is learning in field tests - Around the World of Diesel
San Diego -- Diesel particulate filters (DPFs) might work "passively" in some applications, but growing field experience shows that many DPFs will need sophisticated engine management or other schemes to avoid failures, Cummins field experience shows.
Example: In tests with 17 "passive" DPFs in a New Jersey Transit (NJT) test program, five cracked or melted, seven failed emissions requirements and seven caused excess backpressure to the engine, Cummins engineer Bruce Bunting explained to the Diesel Engine Emissions Reduction (DEER) workshop here.
Data-logging for a separate project for the U.S. Navy likewise showed that only 30% of vehicle applications would allow DPFs to regenerate passively, and a New York City Transit project with diesel-electric hybrids also showed the need for special heat-boosting measures to ensure DPF regeneration.
"Cold," low-load operations cause excessive soot loading in a DPF. If followed by high-load operation, "uncontrolled" regeneration can crack or melt a DPF.
For the Navy project -- all Thomas school buses with different engines -- data logging indicated that typical duty cycles should have allowed for passive regen, with exhaust temps at 400[degrees]C 10% of the time. Yet in its field tests, Cummins found excessive backpressure, Bunting said.
More issues: DPFs not only must be designed to be able to regenerate in any application, regardless of duty cycle, but also provide "self-monitoring" for problems or service. These systems also must be "easily applied to any application with a minimum of special mapping and test work," he said.
Among the possibilities for fail-safe regen are diesel fuel injection into an upstream catalyst (prior to DPF); injection into an upstream fuel burner to boost DPF temps; DPF electrical heater schemes; an exhaust brake scheme; and engine management (including post-main injection, timing, air/fuel ratio changes, exhaust gas recirculation) combined with an upstream pre-catalyst.
Using an upstream catalyst to oxidize NO to [NO.sub.2] (for soot oxidation) can employ both "passive" and engine management schemes in an exhaust temperature range of about 200 to 400[degrees]C, Bunting showed. By contrast, "catalytically enhanced oxidation" could work at temperatures over 300[degrees]C, while "direct oxidation" (using hydrocarbon injection) works above 450[degrees]C, he showed.
Given the advantage of wide effective temperature range, the engine management/upstream catalyst combo seems to be a logical path for future development. However, integration of combined PM/NOx reduction systems could lead to even more clever schemes, and certain diesel applications might favor special technologies.
Example: In a separate investigation, Cummins tested the Rypos electrically-regenerated soot filter for a gen-set application. This four-month operations test involved two 72kW mobile generator-sets at Edwards Air Force base, with emissions tests by University of Utah.
The Rypos system includes four uncatalyzed sintered metal fiber cartridge elements housed in a metal can. Electric heat regenerates the cartridges sequentially. Electric power for the oxidation conveniently came from the Cummins B9 185 horsepower gen-set itself, although secondary (or extra-large) alternator power could be used in a mobile application.
This first-generation system only filtered 62% of particulates smaller than 10 microns, as it suffered from gasket leaks and a failed cartridge. This has led to an improved design. An "overly aggressive regeneration strategy" also may have penalized system efficiency, he said. So, Cummins aims to test the second-generation system for PM reduction performance and energy efficiency.
Example: In tests with 17 "passive" DPFs in a New Jersey Transit (NJT) test program, five cracked or melted, seven failed emissions requirements and seven caused excess backpressure to the engine, Cummins engineer Bruce Bunting explained to the Diesel Engine Emissions Reduction (DEER) workshop here.
Data-logging for a separate project for the U.S. Navy likewise showed that only 30% of vehicle applications would allow DPFs to regenerate passively, and a New York City Transit project with diesel-electric hybrids also showed the need for special heat-boosting measures to ensure DPF regeneration.
"Cold," low-load operations cause excessive soot loading in a DPF. If followed by high-load operation, "uncontrolled" regeneration can crack or melt a DPF.
For the Navy project -- all Thomas school buses with different engines -- data logging indicated that typical duty cycles should have allowed for passive regen, with exhaust temps at 400[degrees]C 10% of the time. Yet in its field tests, Cummins found excessive backpressure, Bunting said.
More issues: DPFs not only must be designed to be able to regenerate in any application, regardless of duty cycle, but also provide "self-monitoring" for problems or service. These systems also must be "easily applied to any application with a minimum of special mapping and test work," he said.
Among the possibilities for fail-safe regen are diesel fuel injection into an upstream catalyst (prior to DPF); injection into an upstream fuel burner to boost DPF temps; DPF electrical heater schemes; an exhaust brake scheme; and engine management (including post-main injection, timing, air/fuel ratio changes, exhaust gas recirculation) combined with an upstream pre-catalyst.
Using an upstream catalyst to oxidize NO to [NO.sub.2] (for soot oxidation) can employ both "passive" and engine management schemes in an exhaust temperature range of about 200 to 400[degrees]C, Bunting showed. By contrast, "catalytically enhanced oxidation" could work at temperatures over 300[degrees]C, while "direct oxidation" (using hydrocarbon injection) works above 450[degrees]C, he showed.
Given the advantage of wide effective temperature range, the engine management/upstream catalyst combo seems to be a logical path for future development. However, integration of combined PM/NOx reduction systems could lead to even more clever schemes, and certain diesel applications might favor special technologies.
Example: In a separate investigation, Cummins tested the Rypos electrically-regenerated soot filter for a gen-set application. This four-month operations test involved two 72kW mobile generator-sets at Edwards Air Force base, with emissions tests by University of Utah.
The Rypos system includes four uncatalyzed sintered metal fiber cartridge elements housed in a metal can. Electric heat regenerates the cartridges sequentially. Electric power for the oxidation conveniently came from the Cummins B9 185 horsepower gen-set itself, although secondary (or extra-large) alternator power could be used in a mobile application.
This first-generation system only filtered 62% of particulates smaller than 10 microns, as it suffered from gasket leaks and a failed cartridge. This has led to an improved design. An "overly aggressive regeneration strategy" also may have penalized system efficiency, he said. So, Cummins aims to test the second-generation system for PM reduction performance and energy efficiency.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Next generation gen-set controls from Controls Inc
Controls Incorporated, the Ohio-based manufacturer of engine and generator set controls, is set to unveil the prototypes of its newest generator control platform. The NextGen controllers are designed to operate with both CAN-capable electronic engines and Tier 1 mechanical engines.
"This new generator control platform has been redesigned from the ground up," said Bob Cowen, president of the company. "The purpose of a total redesign from scratch was to incorporate years of customer feedback into the new product. Redesigning from scratch required a significant investment of nine and resources, but it was determined to be worth it to come out with a new product line that addressed customer feedback on issues such as functionality, flexibility, value and simplicity.
"The new design allows for a high quality product/platform that is very flexible in terms of functionality and features, very cost-effective and simple to install."
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The NextGen controllers will be available in two version, the 1.01 for standard engines and the 2.01 for electronic J1939 engines. The NextGen 2.01 control is designed to provide digital monitoring and control of a variety of engine and generator functions. Through CAN-bus communications, it is designed to survey the J1939 data link for engine parameters such as temperature, oil pressure, battery voltage, rpm and engine operating hours, etc., which can be output to an LCD panel. Generator conditions, such as voltage, frequency, etc., are also monitored.
A wide range of other conditions, including coolant level, fuel pressure, coolant pressure, oil level, oil and fuel temperature, intercooler temperature, percent throttle, fuel rate, boost pressure, manifold temperature, air filter differential pressure, exhaust gas temperature, ECM battery voltage, air inlet temperature and rejector pressure, can also be monitored and displayed. A four-button key pad provides access to these additional parameters and other engine and control functions. The unit can also provide system protection and alarms for specified conditions.
The NextGen 1.01 incorporates some of the same features, using analog inputs, outputs and features.
The NextGen systems have been in development for more than a year. "We have been upgrading our technology portfolio over the last several years," Cowen said. "As part of the process, we recently received our first patent that covers several of these technologies.
"Much of the technology that has been developed has been implemented in the new generator control platform. The new product platform will be a first step in bringing to market some of these new circuits/technologies. A new engine control will also be forthcoming as part of this process that will utilize much of the same circuitry/ technology and achieve the same positive benefits and cost-effectiveness."
The key to the NextGen system is a single circuit design that is small in size, according to Cowen. "Minimizing size was certainly one of the design goals.
"The overall goal was to create a product platform that can be individualized to specific customer specifications in terms of functionality and capabilities," he added. "We think of it as "mass customization" or the ability to address a wide range of customer specifications from the most basic through very complex based on the same product platform that can be specified accordingly."
There will be a variety of housing solutions based on customer requests/ specifications, Cowen said. "In addition to providing product functionality and capability options, we wanted the new product to be flexible in how it is housed and easy for customers to install and wire," he noted.
The first of the new units is expected to enter regular production in the first quarter of 2005, with the release of the engine controller to follow.
Aside from the development of its new control system, Controls Inc. has also been busy on other fronts, highlighted by a move from its first location in Sharon Center, Ohio, to a purpose-built, 5600 sq.ft. facility in nearby Medina. "We're having success in the marketplace and needed additional space for assembly, office, testing, storage, etc.," said Cowen. "The new facility was built to our design specifications so that it had the necessary amenities and efficiencies that would improve the business and provide the basis for future growth.
"One of the key benefits with reference to the manufacturing/assembly process is that the facility could be laid out to properly accommodate the assembly process. The proper work flow could be implemented, the proper work stations could be set up, the proper delineation between assembly, storage and shipping could be implemented.
"This new generator control platform has been redesigned from the ground up," said Bob Cowen, president of the company. "The purpose of a total redesign from scratch was to incorporate years of customer feedback into the new product. Redesigning from scratch required a significant investment of nine and resources, but it was determined to be worth it to come out with a new product line that addressed customer feedback on issues such as functionality, flexibility, value and simplicity.
"The new design allows for a high quality product/platform that is very flexible in terms of functionality and features, very cost-effective and simple to install."
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The NextGen controllers will be available in two version, the 1.01 for standard engines and the 2.01 for electronic J1939 engines. The NextGen 2.01 control is designed to provide digital monitoring and control of a variety of engine and generator functions. Through CAN-bus communications, it is designed to survey the J1939 data link for engine parameters such as temperature, oil pressure, battery voltage, rpm and engine operating hours, etc., which can be output to an LCD panel. Generator conditions, such as voltage, frequency, etc., are also monitored.
A wide range of other conditions, including coolant level, fuel pressure, coolant pressure, oil level, oil and fuel temperature, intercooler temperature, percent throttle, fuel rate, boost pressure, manifold temperature, air filter differential pressure, exhaust gas temperature, ECM battery voltage, air inlet temperature and rejector pressure, can also be monitored and displayed. A four-button key pad provides access to these additional parameters and other engine and control functions. The unit can also provide system protection and alarms for specified conditions.
The NextGen 1.01 incorporates some of the same features, using analog inputs, outputs and features.
The NextGen systems have been in development for more than a year. "We have been upgrading our technology portfolio over the last several years," Cowen said. "As part of the process, we recently received our first patent that covers several of these technologies.
"Much of the technology that has been developed has been implemented in the new generator control platform. The new product platform will be a first step in bringing to market some of these new circuits/technologies. A new engine control will also be forthcoming as part of this process that will utilize much of the same circuitry/ technology and achieve the same positive benefits and cost-effectiveness."
The key to the NextGen system is a single circuit design that is small in size, according to Cowen. "Minimizing size was certainly one of the design goals.
"The overall goal was to create a product platform that can be individualized to specific customer specifications in terms of functionality and capabilities," he added. "We think of it as "mass customization" or the ability to address a wide range of customer specifications from the most basic through very complex based on the same product platform that can be specified accordingly."
There will be a variety of housing solutions based on customer requests/ specifications, Cowen said. "In addition to providing product functionality and capability options, we wanted the new product to be flexible in how it is housed and easy for customers to install and wire," he noted.
The first of the new units is expected to enter regular production in the first quarter of 2005, with the release of the engine controller to follow.
Aside from the development of its new control system, Controls Inc. has also been busy on other fronts, highlighted by a move from its first location in Sharon Center, Ohio, to a purpose-built, 5600 sq.ft. facility in nearby Medina. "We're having success in the marketplace and needed additional space for assembly, office, testing, storage, etc.," said Cowen. "The new facility was built to our design specifications so that it had the necessary amenities and efficiencies that would improve the business and provide the basis for future growth.
"One of the key benefits with reference to the manufacturing/assembly process is that the facility could be laid out to properly accommodate the assembly process. The proper work flow could be implemented, the proper work stations could be set up, the proper delineation between assembly, storage and shipping could be implemented.
New gen-sets, switch from cummins power generation
Cummins Power Generation, Minneapolis, Minn., has developed new generator sets on both the small and large end of its gen-set range, along with new switchgear for emergency and standby power applications.
The new 150 kW model GGLB spark-ignited natural gas gen-set is designed to provide full-rated standby power for backup and emergency power applications. The new generator set features a heavy-duty GM 8.1 L four-cycle natural gas engine that is torque matched to a high-capacity Newage ac alternator for handling motor starting loads. An electronic governor provides precise frequency regulation for powering sensitive loads and the unit also accepts 100% of the nameplate standby-rated load in one step in compliance with NFPA 110, Level 1, the company said.
"The new 150 kW model GGLB spark-ignited generator set is both user-friendly and environment-friendly," said Colette Weiser, market manager for Commercial Standby Generator Sets, Cummins Power Generation. "The basic control system is easy to operate and includes system protection features, digital engine speed control and transfer switch compatibility. The industrial, spark-ignited V-8 engine burns clean natural gas for exceptionally low exhaust emissions."
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A wide range of options and accessories is available with the generator set to allow configuration for specific onsite power applications. The optional PowerCommand 2100 generator set control adds microprocessor-based features such as remote start/stop, integrated voltage regulation, alarm and status message display, output metering and auto-shutdown at fault protection for high reliability.
Several alternator sizes offer selectable motor-starting capability with low reactance, the company said. Available permanent magnet generator excitation delivers enhanced motor-starting and precise voltage regulation for nonlinear loads such as variable speed motor controls and UPS systems. The standard cooling system allows full-rated load operation up to 50[degrees]C ambient air temperature. Available weather-protective and sound attenuated enclosures permit installations at outdoor and noise-sensitive sites.
On the larger end, Cummins Power Generation has introduced a new low-BTU generator set series specifically designed to run on the dilute methane gas mixture produced by natural decay in landfills, sewage digesters or methane emitted from coal seams. The new GQ series generator sets produce a continuous 1570 kW (50 Hz) or 1750 kW (50 and 60 Hz) running on landfill or digester gas containing very low thermal energy, while producing low exhaust emissions. Multiple units can be paralleled for higher power production at larger landfill sites.
"Industry studies indicate that, globally, landfills represent an immense untapped energy resource," said Trevor Passmore, general manager for Energy Solutions, Cummins Power Generation. "In North America alone, candidate landfills can produce enough methane gas to support a total generating capacity of approximately 1500 MW. Currently, much of this potential energy is being flared off or vented into the atmosphere. This new generator set will provide landfill operators, utilities and independent power producers with a proven generating solution to make use of this energy resource. In addition, since methane gas released to the atmosphere has about 20 times the greenhouse effect of carbon dioxide and hence global warming potential, burning methane in a generator set can reduce its environmental impact by a factor of about 20."
Minimum pretreatment is required for the landfill gas to remove particulate matter and excess water vapor. Any additional pretreatment is dependent on the quality of the gas at a particular site and project economics.
Powered by modified versions of the model QSV81G 16-cylinder and QSV91G 18-cylinder natural gas reciprocating engines, the new GQ series 1570 kW and 1750 kW low-BTU generator sets feature an enlarged fuel delivery system, double-safety gas shut-off valves, and special coatings and bearing materials to withstand the corrosive contaminants typical in landfill gas.
A Cummins low-BTU generator at a landfill site in Shrewsbury, England, has accumulated more than 5700 hours of operation. Future installations include a wastewater digester site in the Canary Islands and the Viridor Waste Management landfill near Edinburgh, Scotland. At Viridor, Cummins Power Generation is developing a complete turnkey 3.5 MW power plant using two low-BTU generator sets running on methane from the landfill. The electricity produced at the site will be used to run a nearby cement works. An additional pair of low-BTU generators will be installed during the next two years to take advantage of the site's estimated 20-year supply of methane. "Consistent with our goal of providing total energy solutions, Cummins Power Generation can deliver this new product in a number of ways," says Passmore. "For example, we can deliver a Build-Own-Operate (BOO) power plant, or provide application design, installation and project management for a turnkey power plant. Supply of only the generator set, open or containerized, is also available
The new 150 kW model GGLB spark-ignited natural gas gen-set is designed to provide full-rated standby power for backup and emergency power applications. The new generator set features a heavy-duty GM 8.1 L four-cycle natural gas engine that is torque matched to a high-capacity Newage ac alternator for handling motor starting loads. An electronic governor provides precise frequency regulation for powering sensitive loads and the unit also accepts 100% of the nameplate standby-rated load in one step in compliance with NFPA 110, Level 1, the company said.
"The new 150 kW model GGLB spark-ignited generator set is both user-friendly and environment-friendly," said Colette Weiser, market manager for Commercial Standby Generator Sets, Cummins Power Generation. "The basic control system is easy to operate and includes system protection features, digital engine speed control and transfer switch compatibility. The industrial, spark-ignited V-8 engine burns clean natural gas for exceptionally low exhaust emissions."
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A wide range of options and accessories is available with the generator set to allow configuration for specific onsite power applications. The optional PowerCommand 2100 generator set control adds microprocessor-based features such as remote start/stop, integrated voltage regulation, alarm and status message display, output metering and auto-shutdown at fault protection for high reliability.
Several alternator sizes offer selectable motor-starting capability with low reactance, the company said. Available permanent magnet generator excitation delivers enhanced motor-starting and precise voltage regulation for nonlinear loads such as variable speed motor controls and UPS systems. The standard cooling system allows full-rated load operation up to 50[degrees]C ambient air temperature. Available weather-protective and sound attenuated enclosures permit installations at outdoor and noise-sensitive sites.
On the larger end, Cummins Power Generation has introduced a new low-BTU generator set series specifically designed to run on the dilute methane gas mixture produced by natural decay in landfills, sewage digesters or methane emitted from coal seams. The new GQ series generator sets produce a continuous 1570 kW (50 Hz) or 1750 kW (50 and 60 Hz) running on landfill or digester gas containing very low thermal energy, while producing low exhaust emissions. Multiple units can be paralleled for higher power production at larger landfill sites.
"Industry studies indicate that, globally, landfills represent an immense untapped energy resource," said Trevor Passmore, general manager for Energy Solutions, Cummins Power Generation. "In North America alone, candidate landfills can produce enough methane gas to support a total generating capacity of approximately 1500 MW. Currently, much of this potential energy is being flared off or vented into the atmosphere. This new generator set will provide landfill operators, utilities and independent power producers with a proven generating solution to make use of this energy resource. In addition, since methane gas released to the atmosphere has about 20 times the greenhouse effect of carbon dioxide and hence global warming potential, burning methane in a generator set can reduce its environmental impact by a factor of about 20."
Minimum pretreatment is required for the landfill gas to remove particulate matter and excess water vapor. Any additional pretreatment is dependent on the quality of the gas at a particular site and project economics.
Powered by modified versions of the model QSV81G 16-cylinder and QSV91G 18-cylinder natural gas reciprocating engines, the new GQ series 1570 kW and 1750 kW low-BTU generator sets feature an enlarged fuel delivery system, double-safety gas shut-off valves, and special coatings and bearing materials to withstand the corrosive contaminants typical in landfill gas.
A Cummins low-BTU generator at a landfill site in Shrewsbury, England, has accumulated more than 5700 hours of operation. Future installations include a wastewater digester site in the Canary Islands and the Viridor Waste Management landfill near Edinburgh, Scotland. At Viridor, Cummins Power Generation is developing a complete turnkey 3.5 MW power plant using two low-BTU generator sets running on methane from the landfill. The electricity produced at the site will be used to run a nearby cement works. An additional pair of low-BTU generators will be installed during the next two years to take advantage of the site's estimated 20-year supply of methane. "Consistent with our goal of providing total energy solutions, Cummins Power Generation can deliver this new product in a number of ways," says Passmore. "For example, we can deliver a Build-Own-Operate (BOO) power plant, or provide application design, installation and project management for a turnkey power plant. Supply of only the generator set, open or containerized, is also available
* Refer to this month's "HVACR Designer Tips" for the emergency generator system with cogeneration system application design review and startup checklist
* Refer to the 2004 ASHRAE Handbook--HVAC Systems and Equipment, Chapter 1, for an analytical process for determining the optimum system selection. For the next three months, "Back to Basics" will cover a 200kW emergency generator hospital installation supplemented with a 200kW cogeneration unit (August 2004 "Back to Basics"). The emergency power system distribution includes life safety systems, critical systems (e.g., health care systems), and noncritical systems (e.g., heating system).
* Refer to the IEEE Recommended Practice for Electrical Systems in Health Care Facilities (IEEE Std 602-1996) for a comprehensive overview of emergency generator planning and design.
* "Back to Basics" is focused on the HVAC system associated with an emergency generator application. For more specific questions regarding the electrical functional performance associated with these three months worth of tests, contact Tom Cooke, director of construction quality management for Richard D. Kimball Company, Inc. at tcooke@rdkengineers.com.
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Helpful Hints-Design Phase
* Design engineers need to consider both combustion air requirements to the generator engine and ventilation air requirement for limited space heat gain within a generator room.
* If the generator room is located with an exterior wall to accommodate air intake and exhaust louvers, consideration should be given to the short-circuiting of warm-to-hot room. Termination point for engine exhaust is also a short circuit concern when locating air intakes (e.g., operable widows, ventilation louvers, etc.).
* When specifying exterior louvers, consideration should be given to sound attenuator louvers to limit the ambient noise leaving the generator room. For cogeneration equipment, which operates continuously, this type of louver treatment will most likely be mandatory, due to local regulations regarding noise impact on the surrounding neighborhood.
* If the generator room is located within the building and away from any exterior wall, consideration should be given to the air static resistance when sizing the makeup air fan, and it should be determined if the generator manufacturer's standard propeller exhaust fan can overcome exhaust duct air resistance.
* An alternative to large makeup air and exhaust air ducts serving a generator room within a building is to furnish and install a remote radiator to reduce duct sizes.
* For fuel oil/diesel emergency generators, consideration should be given to locating the storage tank indoors to avoid underground storage tank failure later in the life of the tank. Locating the tank indoors can avoid potential hazardous waste material contamination associated with underground fossil fuel tanks.
* Design engineers must comply with codes that dictate the criteria for designing an indoor storage tank as it pertains to rated wall construction, ventilation, and containment/dike wall construction.
Helpful Hints-Commissioning
* The commissioning team for this month's application should include the commissioning engineer, the owner's project manager and facility engineer, facility technicians responsible for operating and maintaining the equipment, the general contractor or construction manager's commissioning coordinator, the electrical trade contractor and HVAC trade contractor, and emergency generator manufacturer's representative(s). It shall be the responsibility of the contractor to demonstrate the emergency generator system performance to the owner and the commissioning engineer.
1 ON-OFF CONTROL IN THE MANUAL 'OFF' POSITION CYCLE
ACTION: When emergency generator system is manually shut off to confirm fail-safe positions, the REACTION shall be:
* Generator EM-1 is (off, on, modulating).
* Cogenerator CG-1 is (off, on, modulating).
* Outdoor air damper D-1 is (open, closed, modulating) for minimum outdoor combustion air.
* Outdoor air damper D-4 is (open, closed, modulating) for maximum outdoor ventilation air.
* Engine air damper D-2 is (open, closed, modulating) for EM-1 exhaust from radiator.
* Engine air damper D-3 is (open, closed, modulating) for CG-1 exhaust from radiator.
* Exhaust air damper D-5 is (open, closed, modulating) for maximum outdoor ventilation air.
* Fuel oil pump P-1 is (off, on, modulating).
2 ON-OFF CONTROL IN THE 'ON-TEST' POSITION CYCLE (HEATING SEASON)
ACTION: When normal electrical power is shutoff to test the engine with no connected load on the engine, the REACTION shall be:
* EM-1 is (off, on, modulating).
* CG-1 is (off, on, modulating).
* D-1 is (open, closed, modulating) for minimum outdoor combustion air.
* D-4 is (open, closed, modulating) for maximum outdoor ventilation air.
* Refer to the 2004 ASHRAE Handbook--HVAC Systems and Equipment, Chapter 1, for an analytical process for determining the optimum system selection. For the next three months, "Back to Basics" will cover a 200kW emergency generator hospital installation supplemented with a 200kW cogeneration unit (August 2004 "Back to Basics"). The emergency power system distribution includes life safety systems, critical systems (e.g., health care systems), and noncritical systems (e.g., heating system).
* Refer to the IEEE Recommended Practice for Electrical Systems in Health Care Facilities (IEEE Std 602-1996) for a comprehensive overview of emergency generator planning and design.
* "Back to Basics" is focused on the HVAC system associated with an emergency generator application. For more specific questions regarding the electrical functional performance associated with these three months worth of tests, contact Tom Cooke, director of construction quality management for Richard D. Kimball Company, Inc. at tcooke@rdkengineers.com.
Advertisement
Helpful Hints-Design Phase
* Design engineers need to consider both combustion air requirements to the generator engine and ventilation air requirement for limited space heat gain within a generator room.
* If the generator room is located with an exterior wall to accommodate air intake and exhaust louvers, consideration should be given to the short-circuiting of warm-to-hot room. Termination point for engine exhaust is also a short circuit concern when locating air intakes (e.g., operable widows, ventilation louvers, etc.).
* When specifying exterior louvers, consideration should be given to sound attenuator louvers to limit the ambient noise leaving the generator room. For cogeneration equipment, which operates continuously, this type of louver treatment will most likely be mandatory, due to local regulations regarding noise impact on the surrounding neighborhood.
* If the generator room is located within the building and away from any exterior wall, consideration should be given to the air static resistance when sizing the makeup air fan, and it should be determined if the generator manufacturer's standard propeller exhaust fan can overcome exhaust duct air resistance.
* An alternative to large makeup air and exhaust air ducts serving a generator room within a building is to furnish and install a remote radiator to reduce duct sizes.
* For fuel oil/diesel emergency generators, consideration should be given to locating the storage tank indoors to avoid underground storage tank failure later in the life of the tank. Locating the tank indoors can avoid potential hazardous waste material contamination associated with underground fossil fuel tanks.
* Design engineers must comply with codes that dictate the criteria for designing an indoor storage tank as it pertains to rated wall construction, ventilation, and containment/dike wall construction.
Helpful Hints-Commissioning
* The commissioning team for this month's application should include the commissioning engineer, the owner's project manager and facility engineer, facility technicians responsible for operating and maintaining the equipment, the general contractor or construction manager's commissioning coordinator, the electrical trade contractor and HVAC trade contractor, and emergency generator manufacturer's representative(s). It shall be the responsibility of the contractor to demonstrate the emergency generator system performance to the owner and the commissioning engineer.
1 ON-OFF CONTROL IN THE MANUAL 'OFF' POSITION CYCLE
ACTION: When emergency generator system is manually shut off to confirm fail-safe positions, the REACTION shall be:
* Generator EM-1 is (off, on, modulating).
* Cogenerator CG-1 is (off, on, modulating).
* Outdoor air damper D-1 is (open, closed, modulating) for minimum outdoor combustion air.
* Outdoor air damper D-4 is (open, closed, modulating) for maximum outdoor ventilation air.
* Engine air damper D-2 is (open, closed, modulating) for EM-1 exhaust from radiator.
* Engine air damper D-3 is (open, closed, modulating) for CG-1 exhaust from radiator.
* Exhaust air damper D-5 is (open, closed, modulating) for maximum outdoor ventilation air.
* Fuel oil pump P-1 is (off, on, modulating).
2 ON-OFF CONTROL IN THE 'ON-TEST' POSITION CYCLE (HEATING SEASON)
ACTION: When normal electrical power is shutoff to test the engine with no connected load on the engine, the REACTION shall be:
* EM-1 is (off, on, modulating).
* CG-1 is (off, on, modulating).
* D-1 is (open, closed, modulating) for minimum outdoor combustion air.
* D-4 is (open, closed, modulating) for maximum outdoor ventilation air.
New Producer Price Index for the Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers Industry—NAICS 524114
In July 2004, in its ongoing effort to expand coverage of the service sector in the Producer Price Index (PPI), the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) introduced a new price index for the direct health and medical insurance carriers industry. This index, NAICS 524114--Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers, appears in table 5 of this publication and is available online via the BLS homepage: www.bls.gov. Data are available for December 2002 to present; prior to December 2003, the index is published as discontinued series SIC 6325.
The primary output of this industry is the contractual transfer of the risk for payment of medical costs and financial intermediation. The policy underwritten by the insurer represents a unique output. The policy lists the conditions for which restitution would be made to the policyholder to cover medical costs. The amount of risk being transferred to the insurer is clearly stated in terms of covered benefits (and benefits not covered), and it obligates the insurer to pay claims for all such occurrences. The indexes for this industry measure the change in the total premium (employee and employer contribution) paid to the insurer plus the return on the invested portion of the premium.
The services for which price indexes are available include:
5241141 Medical service plans
524114101 Group comprehensive medical service plans
52411410101 Group managed care medical service plans
52411410102 Group fee-for-service medical service plans
524114102 Other group and individual medical service plans
52411410201 Individual comprehensive medical service plans
52411410202 Dental service plans
52411410203 Supplemental Medicare service plans
52411410204 Other medical service plans
5241142 Accident and health insurance
To track price movement for the selected policy, insurance companies participating in the survey are presented with two options. With the first option, companies are asked to estimate a premium for a "frozen" policy. An actual policy is selected, and the price-determining characteristics are held constant when the policy is priced each year on its anniversary or renewal date. The companies estimate the premium using current charges applied to the characteristics of this policy.
With the second option, the insurance companies follow the selected policy over time. They are asked to provide the actual premium charged to the policyholder and to identify any modifications to the policy each year on the anniversary or renewal date. Any changes in benefits over time must be factored out so that index movements reflect only changes in price and not any additional benefits. To maintain constant quality, the companies must be able to provide the value of the risk change associated with any change to the policy characteristics.
The primary output of this industry is the contractual transfer of the risk for payment of medical costs and financial intermediation. The policy underwritten by the insurer represents a unique output. The policy lists the conditions for which restitution would be made to the policyholder to cover medical costs. The amount of risk being transferred to the insurer is clearly stated in terms of covered benefits (and benefits not covered), and it obligates the insurer to pay claims for all such occurrences. The indexes for this industry measure the change in the total premium (employee and employer contribution) paid to the insurer plus the return on the invested portion of the premium.
The services for which price indexes are available include:
5241141 Medical service plans
524114101 Group comprehensive medical service plans
52411410101 Group managed care medical service plans
52411410102 Group fee-for-service medical service plans
524114102 Other group and individual medical service plans
52411410201 Individual comprehensive medical service plans
52411410202 Dental service plans
52411410203 Supplemental Medicare service plans
52411410204 Other medical service plans
5241142 Accident and health insurance
To track price movement for the selected policy, insurance companies participating in the survey are presented with two options. With the first option, companies are asked to estimate a premium for a "frozen" policy. An actual policy is selected, and the price-determining characteristics are held constant when the policy is priced each year on its anniversary or renewal date. The companies estimate the premium using current charges applied to the characteristics of this policy.
With the second option, the insurance companies follow the selected policy over time. They are asked to provide the actual premium charged to the policyholder and to identify any modifications to the policy each year on the anniversary or renewal date. Any changes in benefits over time must be factored out so that index movements reflect only changes in price and not any additional benefits. To maintain constant quality, the companies must be able to provide the value of the risk change associated with any change to the policy characteristics.
Friday, April 13, 2007
New technology won't put freeze on fluids
Improving technology in vehicle manufacturing and in maintenance products to keep cars running better and longer is a double-edged sword for automotive chemical suppliers. Extended-life formulations in categories such as antifreeze, and the debut of lifetime-warranted transmissions in vehicles are shrinking the market for fluids and additives, presenting challenges for suppliers and retailers. On the plus side, these new products carry higher retail prices and margins.
As the market shifts toward longer-life products, suppliers are going along, promoting these less frequently purchased products while exploring new growth segments, such as diesel additives and products targeting the sport performance market.
"The general trend in fluids is to move closer and closer to a fill-for-life standard," said Larry Beaver, vp of technology at Radiator Specialty Company. "The day will come when there are fewer and fewer fluids to put in."
While this trend would seemingly panic a company such as RSC, which makes oil and fuel additives, brake, power steering and transmission fluids, and engine cleaners under the brands Solder SeaVGunk and Engine Brite, the company has responded proactively by focusing on products geared toward older vehicles. A new line of additives and fluids will debut this fall for older cars with 50,000 or more miles. Also in the works is a line of diesel additives related to a small but growing segment of diesel vehicles now coming to market, such as some Volkswagen models.
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The pattern of declining sales continued last year in functional fluid categories, according the to the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA). Sales of transmission, brake and power steering fluids all declined at the top automotive aftermarket chains, according to AAIA, while fuel and oil additives fared slightly better, showing slight growth. Transmission and diesel additives were up by more than 30%.
As for the largest revenue generator in chemicals--antifreeze--sales in that category declined 5.5% at the top auto chains. Again, better-performing products are leading to less purchase frequency of antifreeze, while weather also was a factor.
Antifreeze formulations specific to certain makes of vehicles began emerging in the mid-1990s. While at least five different colors/formulations are now on the market, depending on the make of cal, the latest innovation in antifreeze is a universal formula that works with all the newer models. Old World Industries launched its Peak Global extended-life antifreeze and coolant last fall, and now Prestone has followed suit. These universal formulas are expected to eventually replace the make-specific products and reduce retailers' SKU counts. Both provide a five-year, 150,000-mile limited warranty with a flush and fill.
"Retail customers were becoming overwhelmed by the numerous varieties of antifreeze/coolant they were carrying to meet consumer needs, which led to higher inventory costs and lower returns on their investments," said John King, Prestone product manager.
With the confusing category driving many consumers to service providers to check and fill antifreeze, these new universal formulas may revive DIY coolant sales.
"We wanted to make it easy and simplify the situation," said Jeff Stauffer, vp of marketing at Old World Industries. "It also is a benefit to us in terms of focusing and marketing one brand that we can put a lot of emphasis behind."
These new offerings in Peak and Prestone brands are a step-up in price to the traditional green ethylene glycol-based antifreeze used for older models of vehicles. For that reason, most retailers will offer a good/better/best selection, including make-specific antifreeze products such as Dex-cool for General Motors cars. Stauffer expects universal antifreeze will one day replace make-specific products.
Demand for premixed antifreeze is another factor reshaping the category, considering 70% of antifreeze sold is used for topping off rather than a complete flush and fill. Most companies make both concentrate and premixed antifreeze, with the ready-to-use segment growing to about 30% of sales, according to Stauffer.
Another niche segment is low-toxicity antifreeze, such as Old World's Sierra and Prestone's LowTox brands. These propylene glycol-based products appeal to those concerned about poisoning of pets or children from regular antifreeze.
As the market shifts toward longer-life products, suppliers are going along, promoting these less frequently purchased products while exploring new growth segments, such as diesel additives and products targeting the sport performance market.
"The general trend in fluids is to move closer and closer to a fill-for-life standard," said Larry Beaver, vp of technology at Radiator Specialty Company. "The day will come when there are fewer and fewer fluids to put in."
While this trend would seemingly panic a company such as RSC, which makes oil and fuel additives, brake, power steering and transmission fluids, and engine cleaners under the brands Solder SeaVGunk and Engine Brite, the company has responded proactively by focusing on products geared toward older vehicles. A new line of additives and fluids will debut this fall for older cars with 50,000 or more miles. Also in the works is a line of diesel additives related to a small but growing segment of diesel vehicles now coming to market, such as some Volkswagen models.
Advertisement
The pattern of declining sales continued last year in functional fluid categories, according the to the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA). Sales of transmission, brake and power steering fluids all declined at the top automotive aftermarket chains, according to AAIA, while fuel and oil additives fared slightly better, showing slight growth. Transmission and diesel additives were up by more than 30%.
As for the largest revenue generator in chemicals--antifreeze--sales in that category declined 5.5% at the top auto chains. Again, better-performing products are leading to less purchase frequency of antifreeze, while weather also was a factor.
Antifreeze formulations specific to certain makes of vehicles began emerging in the mid-1990s. While at least five different colors/formulations are now on the market, depending on the make of cal, the latest innovation in antifreeze is a universal formula that works with all the newer models. Old World Industries launched its Peak Global extended-life antifreeze and coolant last fall, and now Prestone has followed suit. These universal formulas are expected to eventually replace the make-specific products and reduce retailers' SKU counts. Both provide a five-year, 150,000-mile limited warranty with a flush and fill.
"Retail customers were becoming overwhelmed by the numerous varieties of antifreeze/coolant they were carrying to meet consumer needs, which led to higher inventory costs and lower returns on their investments," said John King, Prestone product manager.
With the confusing category driving many consumers to service providers to check and fill antifreeze, these new universal formulas may revive DIY coolant sales.
"We wanted to make it easy and simplify the situation," said Jeff Stauffer, vp of marketing at Old World Industries. "It also is a benefit to us in terms of focusing and marketing one brand that we can put a lot of emphasis behind."
These new offerings in Peak and Prestone brands are a step-up in price to the traditional green ethylene glycol-based antifreeze used for older models of vehicles. For that reason, most retailers will offer a good/better/best selection, including make-specific antifreeze products such as Dex-cool for General Motors cars. Stauffer expects universal antifreeze will one day replace make-specific products.
Demand for premixed antifreeze is another factor reshaping the category, considering 70% of antifreeze sold is used for topping off rather than a complete flush and fill. Most companies make both concentrate and premixed antifreeze, with the ready-to-use segment growing to about 30% of sales, according to Stauffer.
Another niche segment is low-toxicity antifreeze, such as Old World's Sierra and Prestone's LowTox brands. These propylene glycol-based products appeal to those concerned about poisoning of pets or children from regular antifreeze.
Plugged into Energy Use
Knowing how facilities use - and plan to use - energy can increase the EFFECTIVENESS OF TECHNOLOGIES designed to help cut power costs
More than one facility executive has tried to reduce energy costs by shutting off hallway lights, adjusting HVAC set-points and turning off unused computers and copy machines.
While those tried-and-true methods work, they are only as effective as building occupants' tolerances for walking in the dark, breaking a sweat in their cubicles and waiting for a computer to reboot.
Reducing energy costs by merely cutting the amount of kilowatts facilities consume is a nice start. But really, it's that - a start. Making an effective dent in energy costs requires a deeper understanding of energy than just how much electricity facilities use.
Facility executives serious about reducing energy costs - not just energy consumption - should know how their facilities use electricity, what the electricity is used for and how they would get by without it.
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"We know, and have learned the hard way, that it's not just enough to have enough widgets - energy-efficient windows, lights and other things," says Evan Mills, a scientist with the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. "You have to make sure they're applied correctly."
Knowing which widgets can best be applied to reduce energy expenses starts with knowing how much energy use costs the organization, says Mills. To the surprise of some, that's usually more than just the product of the number of kilowatt-hours used and the electric rate.
BEYOND KWH
There are a number of charges that electric utilities bill to customers that have little to do with how much electricity is consumed in each billing cycle. Those charges include connection charges, fees based on the time of day that electricity is consumed and the quality of the power measured as it exits the facility. And for those facility executives who lease space, there could be additional charges that the building owner collects based on the presumption that each tenant is responsible for a certain amount of electricity, so-called common charges.
The key to reducing those charges is to understand how they are determined and how they can be controlled.
Organizations pay connection charges, also known as customer charges, for simply having the ability to draw electricity from the utility grid. To a certain extent, the charge is based on the amount of electricity the facility expects to use, not how much it actually uses. The fee is set based upon the facility's rate class. All commercial buildings of a size and type, for example, would likely pay the same connection charge.
What's important for facility executives to understand about those charges, says Lindsay Audin, president of the energy consulting firm EnergyWiz, is that connection charges comprise a larger percentage of the electric bill as energy use declines. That means a high connection charge will remain so even if energy usage drops.
An important part in controlling a facility's energy bill has to do with determining how much electricity is expected to be used monthly. When setting electric service requirements, facility executives undoubtedly want to allow for a facility's electricity use to grow as the organization expands.
Sometimes, however, that anticipated growth is never realized because the organization changes location rather than expanding within its existing facility. It might also not be realized because the equipment placed in service to accommodate expansion will be more energy efficient than originally thought. Replacement lamps, ballasts, cooling technologies and office equipment will be more efficient than the original equipment.
One of the most important reasons facility executives should get a handle on anticipated electricity load, Audin says, is because of the relationship between kilowatts and back-up power demands. And the more important power is to the organization, the more important it is to figure loads accurately.
A mission-critical facility that uses 4,000 kw, for example, would likely want 7,000 kw of back-up generation available. The extra capacity is necessary in case a generator is offline for maintenance or fails to start when needed.
"If you're only using 1,000 kw instead of the 4,000 kw you thought you were going to use, you've got a lot invested in equipment that's not ever going to be used," Audin says.
Cyrus Izzo, senior vice president of online environments for the Syska Hennessy Group, an engineering firm, suggests facility executives develop a five-year plan to determine how much energy their facilities will need. He cites one firm, a data center based in North Carolina, that looked at how much energy the company used at each of its various facilities located around the country. From there, it used historical data to determine the likelihood of expansion within five years and then determined how large the expansion would be.
What resulted, Izzo says, was a plan that will allow the company to expand with minimal disruption to its business, while in the meantime avoiding unnecessary cost
More than one facility executive has tried to reduce energy costs by shutting off hallway lights, adjusting HVAC set-points and turning off unused computers and copy machines.
While those tried-and-true methods work, they are only as effective as building occupants' tolerances for walking in the dark, breaking a sweat in their cubicles and waiting for a computer to reboot.
Reducing energy costs by merely cutting the amount of kilowatts facilities consume is a nice start. But really, it's that - a start. Making an effective dent in energy costs requires a deeper understanding of energy than just how much electricity facilities use.
Facility executives serious about reducing energy costs - not just energy consumption - should know how their facilities use electricity, what the electricity is used for and how they would get by without it.
Advertisement
"We know, and have learned the hard way, that it's not just enough to have enough widgets - energy-efficient windows, lights and other things," says Evan Mills, a scientist with the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. "You have to make sure they're applied correctly."
Knowing which widgets can best be applied to reduce energy expenses starts with knowing how much energy use costs the organization, says Mills. To the surprise of some, that's usually more than just the product of the number of kilowatt-hours used and the electric rate.
BEYOND KWH
There are a number of charges that electric utilities bill to customers that have little to do with how much electricity is consumed in each billing cycle. Those charges include connection charges, fees based on the time of day that electricity is consumed and the quality of the power measured as it exits the facility. And for those facility executives who lease space, there could be additional charges that the building owner collects based on the presumption that each tenant is responsible for a certain amount of electricity, so-called common charges.
The key to reducing those charges is to understand how they are determined and how they can be controlled.
Organizations pay connection charges, also known as customer charges, for simply having the ability to draw electricity from the utility grid. To a certain extent, the charge is based on the amount of electricity the facility expects to use, not how much it actually uses. The fee is set based upon the facility's rate class. All commercial buildings of a size and type, for example, would likely pay the same connection charge.
What's important for facility executives to understand about those charges, says Lindsay Audin, president of the energy consulting firm EnergyWiz, is that connection charges comprise a larger percentage of the electric bill as energy use declines. That means a high connection charge will remain so even if energy usage drops.
An important part in controlling a facility's energy bill has to do with determining how much electricity is expected to be used monthly. When setting electric service requirements, facility executives undoubtedly want to allow for a facility's electricity use to grow as the organization expands.
Sometimes, however, that anticipated growth is never realized because the organization changes location rather than expanding within its existing facility. It might also not be realized because the equipment placed in service to accommodate expansion will be more energy efficient than originally thought. Replacement lamps, ballasts, cooling technologies and office equipment will be more efficient than the original equipment.
One of the most important reasons facility executives should get a handle on anticipated electricity load, Audin says, is because of the relationship between kilowatts and back-up power demands. And the more important power is to the organization, the more important it is to figure loads accurately.
A mission-critical facility that uses 4,000 kw, for example, would likely want 7,000 kw of back-up generation available. The extra capacity is necessary in case a generator is offline for maintenance or fails to start when needed.
"If you're only using 1,000 kw instead of the 4,000 kw you thought you were going to use, you've got a lot invested in equipment that's not ever going to be used," Audin says.
Cyrus Izzo, senior vice president of online environments for the Syska Hennessy Group, an engineering firm, suggests facility executives develop a five-year plan to determine how much energy their facilities will need. He cites one firm, a data center based in North Carolina, that looked at how much energy the company used at each of its various facilities located around the country. From there, it used historical data to determine the likelihood of expansion within five years and then determined how large the expansion would be.
What resulted, Izzo says, was a plan that will allow the company to expand with minimal disruption to its business, while in the meantime avoiding unnecessary cost
A royal reinvention: RB Royal positions itself as a manufacturer of custom fluid transfer components and systems
Just as in nature, businesses evolve or they perish. Some companies are unable to recognize or adapt to new market conditions and suffer a slow, withering demise. Others recognize the need to change, accommodate new business realities quickly, develop strategies to meet those new challenges and ultimately thrive and grow.
It's clear that the latter has been the case for RB Royal Industries.
For at least half of its 62 years in business, the Fond du Lac, Wis., company was essentially a job shop manufacturer of fluid handling components such as fluid lines, hoses, fittings and assemblies. The typical process involved the company producing exactly what the customer designed and drew without the opportunity of seeing the application.
"In that kind of business, it quickly boils down to price," said Jim Neumann, president of RB Royal. "Today, it's very difficult to compete on price alone because of global sourcing options. If we were to survive, we had to reinvent ourselves and how we did business. We had to add value or demonstrate the additional value we already provided."
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Today, RB Royal is positioning itself as specialists in fluid transfer applications. Its primary customers are OEMs that recognize the value of a supplier/ partner offering engineering-based custom solutions to their fluid handling challenges.
"We do not approach a potential customer and ask for prints to quote," Neumann said. "We ask for the opportunity to learn about their application and work side by side with their people to improve what they have. We are experts with a lot to offer in fluid handling applications. In that way, we can usually accomplish at least one of two things. Either we help enhance an end product for our customer, thus creating additional value in that product or we help them drive down their total cost of producing and getting their product to market.
"Reinventing ourselves included the development of a tool to quantify the positive results our customers can expect. We call it our value proposition. It's an important tool we use in the 'consultative' or 'value added' approach we take to winning and keeping customers."
Of course, reinvention is not a new concept to RB Royal. In fact, it played a key role in the early development of the company. Back in 1942, the company was founded in Chicago by John Neumann Sr.--Jim's father--after losing his job as a brass fitting salesman. The manufacturer he worked for could no longer use brass for producing much else but ordinance for the war effort so they had no need for a brass salesman.
The elder Neumann realized that he still had customers depending on him to provide fittings to keep the cars, trucks and small shops running on the home front. As a solution, he sorted brass fittings held by scrap dealers, selecting those that with minor refurbishing could still have some service life. He then offered the scrap dealers a few cents more than the scrap value, thus producing a win-win situation for him and his new source of supply. In that fashion, John Neumann St. was able to provide for himself, his young family and his customers throughout the war years.
Following the war, the business grew through more typical channels of supply and was moved to Fond du Lac in the late 1940s, where it operated primarily as a distributor and light manufacturer from John's home until 1952 when the first corporate building was built. The late 1950s saw the company invest in automatic manufacturing machinery and begin to service larger customers. Around this time, it also expanded its expertise from brass fittings and brake lines to custom work in hose assemblies and tubing assemblies.
By the end of the century, the company had expanded as far as it could at the original facility. RB Royal built a 90,000 sq.ft. facility that became its home in early 2002. The facility--designed by the same company that did the new Lambeau Field stadium in Green Bay, was designed as a model for establishing a lean enterprise environment, Neumann said. Employees were also invited to contribute their thoughts and ideas in the facility's design.
All facets of the facility, including the office, are designed with flexibility in mind. In RB Royal's lean environment, classic cam-style turning equipment is combined with some of the latest in CNC technology for metal cutting and bending. But Neumann noted that for RB Royal, lean is not so much about utilizing the most modern equipment as it is about the elimination of waste, including using equipment wisely.
"We've been very involved in lean enterprise for a number of years now," Neumann said. "In fact, in association with Wisconsin Manufacturers Extension Partnership, we have provided demonstrations or clinics at our facility for the benefit of other companies looking to learn more about lean."
It's clear that the latter has been the case for RB Royal Industries.
For at least half of its 62 years in business, the Fond du Lac, Wis., company was essentially a job shop manufacturer of fluid handling components such as fluid lines, hoses, fittings and assemblies. The typical process involved the company producing exactly what the customer designed and drew without the opportunity of seeing the application.
"In that kind of business, it quickly boils down to price," said Jim Neumann, president of RB Royal. "Today, it's very difficult to compete on price alone because of global sourcing options. If we were to survive, we had to reinvent ourselves and how we did business. We had to add value or demonstrate the additional value we already provided."
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Today, RB Royal is positioning itself as specialists in fluid transfer applications. Its primary customers are OEMs that recognize the value of a supplier/ partner offering engineering-based custom solutions to their fluid handling challenges.
"We do not approach a potential customer and ask for prints to quote," Neumann said. "We ask for the opportunity to learn about their application and work side by side with their people to improve what they have. We are experts with a lot to offer in fluid handling applications. In that way, we can usually accomplish at least one of two things. Either we help enhance an end product for our customer, thus creating additional value in that product or we help them drive down their total cost of producing and getting their product to market.
"Reinventing ourselves included the development of a tool to quantify the positive results our customers can expect. We call it our value proposition. It's an important tool we use in the 'consultative' or 'value added' approach we take to winning and keeping customers."
Of course, reinvention is not a new concept to RB Royal. In fact, it played a key role in the early development of the company. Back in 1942, the company was founded in Chicago by John Neumann Sr.--Jim's father--after losing his job as a brass fitting salesman. The manufacturer he worked for could no longer use brass for producing much else but ordinance for the war effort so they had no need for a brass salesman.
The elder Neumann realized that he still had customers depending on him to provide fittings to keep the cars, trucks and small shops running on the home front. As a solution, he sorted brass fittings held by scrap dealers, selecting those that with minor refurbishing could still have some service life. He then offered the scrap dealers a few cents more than the scrap value, thus producing a win-win situation for him and his new source of supply. In that fashion, John Neumann St. was able to provide for himself, his young family and his customers throughout the war years.
Following the war, the business grew through more typical channels of supply and was moved to Fond du Lac in the late 1940s, where it operated primarily as a distributor and light manufacturer from John's home until 1952 when the first corporate building was built. The late 1950s saw the company invest in automatic manufacturing machinery and begin to service larger customers. Around this time, it also expanded its expertise from brass fittings and brake lines to custom work in hose assemblies and tubing assemblies.
By the end of the century, the company had expanded as far as it could at the original facility. RB Royal built a 90,000 sq.ft. facility that became its home in early 2002. The facility--designed by the same company that did the new Lambeau Field stadium in Green Bay, was designed as a model for establishing a lean enterprise environment, Neumann said. Employees were also invited to contribute their thoughts and ideas in the facility's design.
All facets of the facility, including the office, are designed with flexibility in mind. In RB Royal's lean environment, classic cam-style turning equipment is combined with some of the latest in CNC technology for metal cutting and bending. But Neumann noted that for RB Royal, lean is not so much about utilizing the most modern equipment as it is about the elimination of waste, including using equipment wisely.
"We've been very involved in lean enterprise for a number of years now," Neumann said. "In fact, in association with Wisconsin Manufacturers Extension Partnership, we have provided demonstrations or clinics at our facility for the benefit of other companies looking to learn more about lean."
Quieting a controversy? Prototype hybrid system for snowmobiles using new motor design could pave the way for guilt-free fun in winter
Over the last several years, snowmobiles have been a source of environmental controversy and have even been banned in some wilderness areas. But interestingly enough, a hybrid sled, using a new electric motor technology, may quiet that controversy.
Raser Technologies Inc., Provo, Utah, has demonstrated a prototype hybridelectric snowmobile that could potentially address many of the noise and emissions concerns of environmentalists while providing the speed and capability snowmobile enthusiasts crave. The Polaris prototype snowmobile features a low-cost, industrial electric motor enhanced with Raser's Symetron technology replacing the Polaris' normal two-stroke engine.
Thanks to the Symetron technology, the small, lightweight (80 lb.) motor delivers up to 80 hp--as much power as many popular two-stroke engine snowmobiles. In this series hybrid, the electric motor powers the snowmobile. A 6 hp Polaris gasoline engine drives a generator that recharges onboard batteries for range extension. The advanced lithium battery, supplied by Compact Power Inc., is normally charged from the electric grid in this "plug-in" hybrid.
Hybrid-electric snowmobiles like this prototype could help quell the controversy over the use of-snowmobiles in national parks such as Yellowstone as well as other popular snow-mobiling locations around the country. "We think the horsepower is finally equivalent to what you would expect in a combustion machine, but we can run quietly and cleanly," said David West, vice president, marketing for Raser Technologies. He cited measurements that indicated the hybrid electric snowmobile was over 600 times quieter than the combustion engine version.
Raser Technologies Inc., Provo, Utah, has demonstrated a prototype hybridelectric snowmobile that could potentially address many of the noise and emissions concerns of environmentalists while providing the speed and capability snowmobile enthusiasts crave. The Polaris prototype snowmobile features a low-cost, industrial electric motor enhanced with Raser's Symetron technology replacing the Polaris' normal two-stroke engine.
Thanks to the Symetron technology, the small, lightweight (80 lb.) motor delivers up to 80 hp--as much power as many popular two-stroke engine snowmobiles. In this series hybrid, the electric motor powers the snowmobile. A 6 hp Polaris gasoline engine drives a generator that recharges onboard batteries for range extension. The advanced lithium battery, supplied by Compact Power Inc., is normally charged from the electric grid in this "plug-in" hybrid.
Hybrid-electric snowmobiles like this prototype could help quell the controversy over the use of-snowmobiles in national parks such as Yellowstone as well as other popular snow-mobiling locations around the country. "We think the horsepower is finally equivalent to what you would expect in a combustion machine, but we can run quietly and cleanly," said David West, vice president, marketing for Raser Technologies. He cited measurements that indicated the hybrid electric snowmobile was over 600 times quieter than the combustion engine version.
Friday, April 06, 2007
The 40th Annual EGSA Spring Convention: Mission possible: 40 years of power reliability: March 20-22, 2005 Hilton San Diego Resort San Diego, Californ
Stephen A. Fairfax, President, MTechnology, Inc. Steve Fairfax frequently makes presentations to power industry organizations and has published numerous papers on issues of high availability, engineering, and practical applications.
It's All About Attitude
Sam Glenn, President, Sam Glenn Presentations Attitude affects every aspect of our lives: business, career, family, relationships, health--you name it. The right attitude will profit us always. The wrong, average, so-so attitude will work to defeat us and keep us from what we desire and deserve. This is not your normal "attitude pep talk." You will be amazed by the insight of how the right attitude can take you and every aspect of your life to a whole new level.
EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS
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Distributed Generation From Both Sides of the Fence
A panel discussion consisting of end-users and equipment suppliers detailing the economics, design and operating theories of CHP systems.
Panelists:
* Vince J. Canino, Vice President Business Development, DG Energy, LLC
* Kevin Best, CEO, Real Energy LLC
* Gerrit Marks, Major Projects Manager, Hawthorne Power Systems
The State of the Market
Ray Kacvinsky, V. P. Power Generation, Marathon Electric Mfg. Corp. This presentation will review EGSA generator statistics through the turbulent times of 1999 thru 2004. There are some very interesting observations by kilowatt range. A comparison will be made to some other industry information. He will then apply an economic early warning technique to these statistics to provide a near-future look at the On-Site Power market.
Understanding Home Standby Generators
Charlie Habic, Vice President of Manufacturing, Gillette Mfg., Inc. This presentation will provide an in-depth look at the many variables in planning back-up power for homes. Each of the main points and recommendations on the appropriate path to take will be discussed.
BREAKOUT SESSION
Educational content tailored exclusively to the needs of On-Site Power Distributor/Dealers!
Rental Fleet Management
Steve Garceau, General Sales Manager, Hawthorne Power Systems
A detailed presentation on the specifications, utilization, maintenance, advertising, retirement and overall economics of rental fleet operations.
MANUFACTURERS SHOWCASE
The exhibit hall is open for 2 hours during the Conference, thus allowing ample time for Exhibitors to interact with attendees. Manufacturers, Manufacturer's Reps, Consultants, or any company that offers a service to Distributor/Dealers are encouraged to exhibit in the Showcase. Here, they will interact with Manufacturers, Distributor/Dealers, Manufacturer's Reps, and Consultants who are interested in On-Site Power products and services. Call EGSA to reserve your tabletop today!
EGSA GOLF TOURNAMENT
Participate in EGSA's Golf Tournament and you may be the lucky golfer to win $10,000 cash at our hole-in-one contest. You also may compete for the "longest drive" and "closest to the pin." Each player will receive a Golf Sponsor "Goodie Bag" filled with valuable items. All golf contest winners will be announced during our Closing Reception on Tuesday night and golf raffle prizes also will be given away.
The designers and builders have created three lakes, five waterfalls, and provided for more than 40 acres of native wildflowers throughout the course. Dramatic, natural rock features and sweeping elevation changes combined with superb playing conditions and unsurpassed service make the Maderas Golf Club a truly unforgettable experience. Don't forget to register for the Golf Tournament when you register for the Annual Spring Convention!
It's All About Attitude
Sam Glenn, President, Sam Glenn Presentations Attitude affects every aspect of our lives: business, career, family, relationships, health--you name it. The right attitude will profit us always. The wrong, average, so-so attitude will work to defeat us and keep us from what we desire and deserve. This is not your normal "attitude pep talk." You will be amazed by the insight of how the right attitude can take you and every aspect of your life to a whole new level.
EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS
Advertisement
Distributed Generation From Both Sides of the Fence
A panel discussion consisting of end-users and equipment suppliers detailing the economics, design and operating theories of CHP systems.
Panelists:
* Vince J. Canino, Vice President Business Development, DG Energy, LLC
* Kevin Best, CEO, Real Energy LLC
* Gerrit Marks, Major Projects Manager, Hawthorne Power Systems
The State of the Market
Ray Kacvinsky, V. P. Power Generation, Marathon Electric Mfg. Corp. This presentation will review EGSA generator statistics through the turbulent times of 1999 thru 2004. There are some very interesting observations by kilowatt range. A comparison will be made to some other industry information. He will then apply an economic early warning technique to these statistics to provide a near-future look at the On-Site Power market.
Understanding Home Standby Generators
Charlie Habic, Vice President of Manufacturing, Gillette Mfg., Inc. This presentation will provide an in-depth look at the many variables in planning back-up power for homes. Each of the main points and recommendations on the appropriate path to take will be discussed.
BREAKOUT SESSION
Educational content tailored exclusively to the needs of On-Site Power Distributor/Dealers!
Rental Fleet Management
Steve Garceau, General Sales Manager, Hawthorne Power Systems
A detailed presentation on the specifications, utilization, maintenance, advertising, retirement and overall economics of rental fleet operations.
MANUFACTURERS SHOWCASE
The exhibit hall is open for 2 hours during the Conference, thus allowing ample time for Exhibitors to interact with attendees. Manufacturers, Manufacturer's Reps, Consultants, or any company that offers a service to Distributor/Dealers are encouraged to exhibit in the Showcase. Here, they will interact with Manufacturers, Distributor/Dealers, Manufacturer's Reps, and Consultants who are interested in On-Site Power products and services. Call EGSA to reserve your tabletop today!
EGSA GOLF TOURNAMENT
Participate in EGSA's Golf Tournament and you may be the lucky golfer to win $10,000 cash at our hole-in-one contest. You also may compete for the "longest drive" and "closest to the pin." Each player will receive a Golf Sponsor "Goodie Bag" filled with valuable items. All golf contest winners will be announced during our Closing Reception on Tuesday night and golf raffle prizes also will be given away.
The designers and builders have created three lakes, five waterfalls, and provided for more than 40 acres of native wildflowers throughout the course. Dramatic, natural rock features and sweeping elevation changes combined with superb playing conditions and unsurpassed service make the Maderas Golf Club a truly unforgettable experience. Don't forget to register for the Golf Tournament when you register for the Annual Spring Convention!
EGSA Bylaws
1. They manufacture prime movers for power generation.
2. They manufacture generators or other power conversion devices producing electricity.
3. They manufacture switchgear or electrical control devices
4. They manufacture or assemble generator sets, UPS systems, solar power, hydropower, geothermal, or any other power production or conversion system including related components, or accessories for national or regional distribution.
5. They are a wholly owned subsidiary of a firm which qualifies under rule one through four.
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b. Distributor/Dealer Membership
Any individual, sole proprietor, partnership or corporation actively engaged as a distributor or dealer for products listed under manufacturers, Section 1, Paragraph a., may apply for full membership as a Distributor/Dealer. If an organization qualifies under Section 1, Paragraph a., it is not qualified under this section.
c. Manufacturer's Representative Membership
Any individual, sole proprietor, partnership or corporation actively engaged in the representation of products listed under manufacturers, Section 1, Paragraph a., may apply for full membership as a Manufacturer's Representative. If an organization qualifies under Section 1, Paragraph a, or b, it is not qualified under this section.
d. Energy Management Company
Any individual, sole proprietor, partnership or corporation engaged in energy management, including Energy Service Companies (ESCOs), Independent Power Producers (IPPs), Integrators, Aggregators, and other similar enterprises may apply for Full Membership as an Energy Management Company.
Any individual, sole proprietor, partnership or corporation meeting the requirements of Section 2-Associate Membership, may apply for full membership at their option to enjoy the privileges of Full Membership under Section 4, Paragraph a. Initiation fees and annual dues will be assessed at the existing non-manufacturers full member rates.
Section 2. Associate Membership
a. Any trade publication dealing with the electrical generating systems industry or its suppliers may apply for Associate Membership-Trade Publications.
b. Any trade association made up of individual or company members sharing a common interest in the electrical generating systems industry may apply for Associate Membership-Allied Associations.
c. Any consulting or specifying engineer may apply for Associate Membership-Engineer. Membership may either be held in the employer's name or individual's name under this classification. Individuals whose employer qualifies as a Full Member, as described in Section 1, do not qualify for this category.
d. Any individual employee of a company who owns or operates electrical generating equipment and/or related switchgear or components, whose responsibility to his employer includes planning, design, installation, supervision, or service of such equipment may apply for Associate Membership-User. Membership may either be held in the employer's name or individual's name under this classification. Individuals whose employer qualifies as a Full Member, as described in Section 1, do not qualify for this category.
e. Any individual or organization that offers services such as research, testing, or repair to the electrical generating systems industry may apply for Associate Membership-Services. Membership may either be held in the individual's name or the organization's name under this classification. Individual companies whose employer or parent organizations qualifies as a Full Member, as described in Section 1, do not qualify for this category.
Any individual who retires from a member company may apply for Associate Membership-Retired. This classification does not apply to any individual who is employed more than 20 hours per week.
g. Any individual currently enrolled at an academic institution may apply for Associate Membership-Student.
h. Any postsecondary vocational-technical school or college offering onsite power generation-related instruction may apply for Association Membership-Education Institution.
Section 3. Election of Members
Application for membership shall be made to the Association in writing on a form approved by the Board of Directors. The election of an applicant to membership shall be by majority vote of the Board of Directors at a Board of Directors meeting or by Mail Ballot.
2. They manufacture generators or other power conversion devices producing electricity.
3. They manufacture switchgear or electrical control devices
4. They manufacture or assemble generator sets, UPS systems, solar power, hydropower, geothermal, or any other power production or conversion system including related components, or accessories for national or regional distribution.
5. They are a wholly owned subsidiary of a firm which qualifies under rule one through four.
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b. Distributor/Dealer Membership
Any individual, sole proprietor, partnership or corporation actively engaged as a distributor or dealer for products listed under manufacturers, Section 1, Paragraph a., may apply for full membership as a Distributor/Dealer. If an organization qualifies under Section 1, Paragraph a., it is not qualified under this section.
c. Manufacturer's Representative Membership
Any individual, sole proprietor, partnership or corporation actively engaged in the representation of products listed under manufacturers, Section 1, Paragraph a., may apply for full membership as a Manufacturer's Representative. If an organization qualifies under Section 1, Paragraph a, or b, it is not qualified under this section.
d. Energy Management Company
Any individual, sole proprietor, partnership or corporation engaged in energy management, including Energy Service Companies (ESCOs), Independent Power Producers (IPPs), Integrators, Aggregators, and other similar enterprises may apply for Full Membership as an Energy Management Company.
Any individual, sole proprietor, partnership or corporation meeting the requirements of Section 2-Associate Membership, may apply for full membership at their option to enjoy the privileges of Full Membership under Section 4, Paragraph a. Initiation fees and annual dues will be assessed at the existing non-manufacturers full member rates.
Section 2. Associate Membership
a. Any trade publication dealing with the electrical generating systems industry or its suppliers may apply for Associate Membership-Trade Publications.
b. Any trade association made up of individual or company members sharing a common interest in the electrical generating systems industry may apply for Associate Membership-Allied Associations.
c. Any consulting or specifying engineer may apply for Associate Membership-Engineer. Membership may either be held in the employer's name or individual's name under this classification. Individuals whose employer qualifies as a Full Member, as described in Section 1, do not qualify for this category.
d. Any individual employee of a company who owns or operates electrical generating equipment and/or related switchgear or components, whose responsibility to his employer includes planning, design, installation, supervision, or service of such equipment may apply for Associate Membership-User. Membership may either be held in the employer's name or individual's name under this classification. Individuals whose employer qualifies as a Full Member, as described in Section 1, do not qualify for this category.
e. Any individual or organization that offers services such as research, testing, or repair to the electrical generating systems industry may apply for Associate Membership-Services. Membership may either be held in the individual's name or the organization's name under this classification. Individual companies whose employer or parent organizations qualifies as a Full Member, as described in Section 1, do not qualify for this category.
Any individual who retires from a member company may apply for Associate Membership-Retired. This classification does not apply to any individual who is employed more than 20 hours per week.
g. Any individual currently enrolled at an academic institution may apply for Associate Membership-Student.
h. Any postsecondary vocational-technical school or college offering onsite power generation-related instruction may apply for Association Membership-Education Institution.
Section 3. Election of Members
Application for membership shall be made to the Association in writing on a form approved by the Board of Directors. The election of an applicant to membership shall be by majority vote of the Board of Directors at a Board of Directors meeting or by Mail Ballot.
EGSA Bylaws
1. They manufacture prime movers for power generation.
2. They manufacture generators or other power conversion devices producing electricity.
3. They manufacture switchgear or electrical control devices
4. They manufacture or assemble generator sets, UPS systems, solar power, hydropower, geothermal, or any other power production or conversion system including related components, or accessories for national or regional distribution.
5. They are a wholly owned subsidiary of a firm which qualifies under rule one through four.
Advertisement
b. Distributor/Dealer Membership
Any individual, sole proprietor, partnership or corporation actively engaged as a distributor or dealer for products listed under manufacturers, Section 1, Paragraph a., may apply for full membership as a Distributor/Dealer. If an organization qualifies under Section 1, Paragraph a., it is not qualified under this section.
c. Manufacturer's Representative Membership
Any individual, sole proprietor, partnership or corporation actively engaged in the representation of products listed under manufacturers, Section 1, Paragraph a., may apply for full membership as a Manufacturer's Representative. If an organization qualifies under Section 1, Paragraph a, or b, it is not qualified under this section.
d. Energy Management Company
Any individual, sole proprietor, partnership or corporation engaged in energy management, including Energy Service Companies (ESCOs), Independent Power Producers (IPPs), Integrators, Aggregators, and other similar enterprises may apply for Full Membership as an Energy Management Company.
Any individual, sole proprietor, partnership or corporation meeting the requirements of Section 2-Associate Membership, may apply for full membership at their option to enjoy the privileges of Full Membership under Section 4, Paragraph a. Initiation fees and annual dues will be assessed at the existing non-manufacturers full member rates.
Section 2. Associate Membership
a. Any trade publication dealing with the electrical generating systems industry or its suppliers may apply for Associate Membership-Trade Publications.
b. Any trade association made up of individual or company members sharing a common interest in the electrical generating systems industry may apply for Associate Membership-Allied Associations.
c. Any consulting or specifying engineer may apply for Associate Membership-Engineer. Membership may either be held in the employer's name or individual's name under this classification. Individuals whose employer qualifies as a Full Member, as described in Section 1, do not qualify for this category.
d. Any individual employee of a company who owns or operates electrical generating equipment and/or related switchgear or components, whose responsibility to his employer includes planning, design, installation, supervision, or service of such equipment may apply for Associate Membership-User. Membership may either be held in the employer's name or individual's name under this classification. Individuals whose employer qualifies as a Full Member, as described in Section 1, do not qualify for this category.
e. Any individual or organization that offers services such as research, testing, or repair to the electrical generating systems industry may apply for Associate Membership-Services. Membership may either be held in the individual's name or the organization's name under this classification. Individual companies whose employer or parent organizations qualifies as a Full Member, as described in Section 1, do not qualify for this category.
Any individual who retires from a member company may apply for Associate Membership-Retired. This classification does not apply to any individual who is employed more than 20 hours per week.
g. Any individual currently enrolled at an academic institution may apply for Associate Membership-Student.
h. Any postsecondary vocational-technical school or college offering onsite power generation-related instruction may apply for Association Membership-Education Institution.
Section 3. Election of Members
Application for membership shall be made to the Association in writing on a form approved by the Board of Directors. The election of an applicant to membership shall be by majority vote of the Board of Directors at a Board of Directors meeting or by Mail Ballot.
2. They manufacture generators or other power conversion devices producing electricity.
3. They manufacture switchgear or electrical control devices
4. They manufacture or assemble generator sets, UPS systems, solar power, hydropower, geothermal, or any other power production or conversion system including related components, or accessories for national or regional distribution.
5. They are a wholly owned subsidiary of a firm which qualifies under rule one through four.
Advertisement
b. Distributor/Dealer Membership
Any individual, sole proprietor, partnership or corporation actively engaged as a distributor or dealer for products listed under manufacturers, Section 1, Paragraph a., may apply for full membership as a Distributor/Dealer. If an organization qualifies under Section 1, Paragraph a., it is not qualified under this section.
c. Manufacturer's Representative Membership
Any individual, sole proprietor, partnership or corporation actively engaged in the representation of products listed under manufacturers, Section 1, Paragraph a., may apply for full membership as a Manufacturer's Representative. If an organization qualifies under Section 1, Paragraph a, or b, it is not qualified under this section.
d. Energy Management Company
Any individual, sole proprietor, partnership or corporation engaged in energy management, including Energy Service Companies (ESCOs), Independent Power Producers (IPPs), Integrators, Aggregators, and other similar enterprises may apply for Full Membership as an Energy Management Company.
Any individual, sole proprietor, partnership or corporation meeting the requirements of Section 2-Associate Membership, may apply for full membership at their option to enjoy the privileges of Full Membership under Section 4, Paragraph a. Initiation fees and annual dues will be assessed at the existing non-manufacturers full member rates.
Section 2. Associate Membership
a. Any trade publication dealing with the electrical generating systems industry or its suppliers may apply for Associate Membership-Trade Publications.
b. Any trade association made up of individual or company members sharing a common interest in the electrical generating systems industry may apply for Associate Membership-Allied Associations.
c. Any consulting or specifying engineer may apply for Associate Membership-Engineer. Membership may either be held in the employer's name or individual's name under this classification. Individuals whose employer qualifies as a Full Member, as described in Section 1, do not qualify for this category.
d. Any individual employee of a company who owns or operates electrical generating equipment and/or related switchgear or components, whose responsibility to his employer includes planning, design, installation, supervision, or service of such equipment may apply for Associate Membership-User. Membership may either be held in the employer's name or individual's name under this classification. Individuals whose employer qualifies as a Full Member, as described in Section 1, do not qualify for this category.
e. Any individual or organization that offers services such as research, testing, or repair to the electrical generating systems industry may apply for Associate Membership-Services. Membership may either be held in the individual's name or the organization's name under this classification. Individual companies whose employer or parent organizations qualifies as a Full Member, as described in Section 1, do not qualify for this category.
Any individual who retires from a member company may apply for Associate Membership-Retired. This classification does not apply to any individual who is employed more than 20 hours per week.
g. Any individual currently enrolled at an academic institution may apply for Associate Membership-Student.
h. Any postsecondary vocational-technical school or college offering onsite power generation-related instruction may apply for Association Membership-Education Institution.
Section 3. Election of Members
Application for membership shall be made to the Association in writing on a form approved by the Board of Directors. The election of an applicant to membership shall be by majority vote of the Board of Directors at a Board of Directors meeting or by Mail Ballot.
Impco launches Eclipse engine management system: heavy-duty, spark-ignition gas engine markets targeted; same technology for on-and off-highway; allia
Impco Technologies Inc. is introducing Eclipse, a new product line designed specifically for the heavy-duty spark-ignition gas engine market-place. "The Eclipse product line is an engine management solution for transportation and industrial markets, with OEM and aftermarket engine applications." said Mike LaPlante, director of sales for the Cerritos, Calif., manufacturer.
The Eclipse heavy-duty product line strategy is built around Impco's core products, with additional technology applied in a building Nock approach, technologically matched to increasing levels of global emissions requirements, LaPlante said.
The system can be used with both naturally aspirated or turbocharged engines and is offered in four series--Eclipse I, II, III, IV, which Impco said achieves progressively more stringent emission standards for global proliferation.
"We looked at what our customers will need over the next decade, where more stringent emission standards and improved fuel economy will be major market drivers" LaPlante said. "The Eclipse system is designed to provide unparalleled flexibility for upgrading to obtain emission targets and proven technology for longevity of the engine."
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LaPlante described Eclipse as a full-featured, integrated engine management system for natural gas (CNG, LNG) and LPG heavy-duty engines. The system includes an array of fuel metering technologies constructed in a building block approach based on Impco's existing air/gas mixer, and adding solenoid and electronic pressure regulation enhancements with port fuel and hybrid injection options.
Eclipse employs closed loop feedback and feed-forward fueling strategies, for the control of single point, multipoint and hybrid fuel injection techniques. The system can be configured for both stoichiometric and lean-burn air fuel ratios for naturally aspirated and turbocharged engines.
"The nature of stoichiometric internal combustion requires the use of a three-way exhaust gas catalyst in the system to attain emissions that are compliant with government regulations," LaPlante said. A two-way oxidation catalyst for lean-burn fueling strategies is used to achieve compliance for more stringent emissions standards.
Eclipse has a 24 V CAN Link-enabled engine control unit that has advanced control algorithms capable of precise fuel and air metering management with diagnostics, feedback and feed-forward strategies.
Further, LaPlante said, Eclipse features 10,000-hour target durability, sensors to provide fault indication, and a fail-safe design for engine protection. Additional features include drive-by-wire, vehicle speed limiting, electronic governing, knock detection and abatement, and electronically optimized turbocharger boost via electronic wastegate control.
In bringing Eclipse to market, Impco is looking at a multitude of application possibilities. These include: fuel and spark control systems for gaseous fuel optimized engines; remanufacturing of a diesel engine to gaseous fuel operation using OEM available engine components; diesel-based engine development for gaseous fuel operation and engine management system application; and vehicle intergration.
LaPlante said the same Eclipse technologies can be used for both on-highway and off-highway applications. On-highway applications as transit buses, refuse and cargo vehicles are bring target, ed. Stationary applications would encompass engines with a limited range of speedload operating conditions, e.g., idle to wide open throttle, between 50 hp and 5000 hp. The most common uses are expected to be generator sets, gas compression, drilling and pumping applications.
The launch of the Eclipse system also includes a pair of strategic alliances with E-Controls and Lotus Engineering. The agreement with E-Controls involves the development of proprietary electronic control technology for Impco's commercial product lines. As a result, "the heavy-duty product line has adopted the same ECU technology Impco uses in its material handling applications."
The strategic alliance with Lotus involves, "leveraging each other's resources to provide alternative fuel solutions. This is not an exclusivity agreement, however it does allow Impco to engage with Lotus on a project-by-project basis," LaPlante said.
In cooperation with Lotus, Impco will develop the engine modifications, and then integrate the Eclipse engine management system to the engine. This would include base engine modifications for compatibility with gaseous fuels and calibration to enable power and emission specifications to be achieved.
The Eclipse heavy-duty product line strategy is built around Impco's core products, with additional technology applied in a building Nock approach, technologically matched to increasing levels of global emissions requirements, LaPlante said.
The system can be used with both naturally aspirated or turbocharged engines and is offered in four series--Eclipse I, II, III, IV, which Impco said achieves progressively more stringent emission standards for global proliferation.
"We looked at what our customers will need over the next decade, where more stringent emission standards and improved fuel economy will be major market drivers" LaPlante said. "The Eclipse system is designed to provide unparalleled flexibility for upgrading to obtain emission targets and proven technology for longevity of the engine."
Advertisement
LaPlante described Eclipse as a full-featured, integrated engine management system for natural gas (CNG, LNG) and LPG heavy-duty engines. The system includes an array of fuel metering technologies constructed in a building block approach based on Impco's existing air/gas mixer, and adding solenoid and electronic pressure regulation enhancements with port fuel and hybrid injection options.
Eclipse employs closed loop feedback and feed-forward fueling strategies, for the control of single point, multipoint and hybrid fuel injection techniques. The system can be configured for both stoichiometric and lean-burn air fuel ratios for naturally aspirated and turbocharged engines.
"The nature of stoichiometric internal combustion requires the use of a three-way exhaust gas catalyst in the system to attain emissions that are compliant with government regulations," LaPlante said. A two-way oxidation catalyst for lean-burn fueling strategies is used to achieve compliance for more stringent emissions standards.
Eclipse has a 24 V CAN Link-enabled engine control unit that has advanced control algorithms capable of precise fuel and air metering management with diagnostics, feedback and feed-forward strategies.
Further, LaPlante said, Eclipse features 10,000-hour target durability, sensors to provide fault indication, and a fail-safe design for engine protection. Additional features include drive-by-wire, vehicle speed limiting, electronic governing, knock detection and abatement, and electronically optimized turbocharger boost via electronic wastegate control.
In bringing Eclipse to market, Impco is looking at a multitude of application possibilities. These include: fuel and spark control systems for gaseous fuel optimized engines; remanufacturing of a diesel engine to gaseous fuel operation using OEM available engine components; diesel-based engine development for gaseous fuel operation and engine management system application; and vehicle intergration.
LaPlante said the same Eclipse technologies can be used for both on-highway and off-highway applications. On-highway applications as transit buses, refuse and cargo vehicles are bring target, ed. Stationary applications would encompass engines with a limited range of speedload operating conditions, e.g., idle to wide open throttle, between 50 hp and 5000 hp. The most common uses are expected to be generator sets, gas compression, drilling and pumping applications.
The launch of the Eclipse system also includes a pair of strategic alliances with E-Controls and Lotus Engineering. The agreement with E-Controls involves the development of proprietary electronic control technology for Impco's commercial product lines. As a result, "the heavy-duty product line has adopted the same ECU technology Impco uses in its material handling applications."
The strategic alliance with Lotus involves, "leveraging each other's resources to provide alternative fuel solutions. This is not an exclusivity agreement, however it does allow Impco to engage with Lotus on a project-by-project basis," LaPlante said.
In cooperation with Lotus, Impco will develop the engine modifications, and then integrate the Eclipse engine management system to the engine. This would include base engine modifications for compatibility with gaseous fuels and calibration to enable power and emission specifications to be achieved.
New single-speed gen-set controller
Woodward has expanded its digital engine control systems with the introduction of the APECS 500 single-speed electronic engine controller. Woodward said the APECS 500 is designed as a low cost, easy-to-operate control primarily for small generator set manufacturers.
According to Woodward, the APECS 500 controller combines the convenience of manual adjustments with the flexibility of a computer-based calibration tool. Electrical connections consist of six wires for the battery, actuator and magnetic speed pickup. For most applications, APECS 500 can be connected and adjusted with simple hand tools. The controller has a multi-turn potentiometer for speed adjustment and a single-turn potentiometer for gain adjustment, Woodward said.
The APECS 500 is designed to control engine speed by adjusting the fuel-control lever or engine throttle with a Woodward APECS or EPG proportional actuator. The controller will maintain fixed engine speed regardless of load, provided that the engine's available power is not exceeded (i.e., isochronous operation).
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Additionally, Woodward stud the control can be optimized for specific applications using the available APECS calibration tool (ACT), a Windows-based program that can configure a number of parameters, including: proportional, integral and derivative gains; overspeed shutdown and delay; underspeed shutdown and delay; crank-to-run transition speed; warmup speed and time; start-up gains; offset to actuator command; and battery voltage compensation.
According to Woodward, the APECS 500 controller combines the convenience of manual adjustments with the flexibility of a computer-based calibration tool. Electrical connections consist of six wires for the battery, actuator and magnetic speed pickup. For most applications, APECS 500 can be connected and adjusted with simple hand tools. The controller has a multi-turn potentiometer for speed adjustment and a single-turn potentiometer for gain adjustment, Woodward said.
The APECS 500 is designed to control engine speed by adjusting the fuel-control lever or engine throttle with a Woodward APECS or EPG proportional actuator. The controller will maintain fixed engine speed regardless of load, provided that the engine's available power is not exceeded (i.e., isochronous operation).
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Additionally, Woodward stud the control can be optimized for specific applications using the available APECS calibration tool (ACT), a Windows-based program that can configure a number of parameters, including: proportional, integral and derivative gains; overspeed shutdown and delay; underspeed shutdown and delay; crank-to-run transition speed; warmup speed and time; start-up gains; offset to actuator command; and battery voltage compensation.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Obscuration
Smoke and other obscurants have been used in wars dating back to the ancient Greeks. On today's battlefield, smoke can counter new generations of smart weapons. Smoke is used as camouflage, as blinding smoke laid directly on enemy positions and as a decoy to confuse and mislead enemy forces. These basic smoke applications are used to increase survivability, buy maneuver time for the attacker and protect forward-assembly areas and high-priority rear areas for the defense.
Smoke particles scatter or absorb radiant energy used by troops and smart weapons for target acquisition and for weapon guidance and control. Smart weapon sensors operate in three main parts of the electromagnetic spectrum: visible, near-, mid-and far-infrared wavelengths, and millimeter wavelengths. The most effective scattering smokes are aerosols that are the same size as the operating wavelengths of the sensor to be defeated. The best smoke for the visible spectrum may be transparent in the far-infrared area. The entire chain of electro-optical, infrared and millimeter-wave devices linking a smart weapon to a target is susceptible to smoke and other obscurants. In addition to absorbing light, some smokes emit heat, which can cover or clutter the thermal images of targets.
The reflection of laser or radar beams from smoke clouds can produce false targeting information for smart weapons, which can be blinded and defeated by smoke. Battlefield obscurants allow combatants to take advantage of technology overmatch. In Operation Desert Storm, U.S. ground forces used infrared-viewer technology at night to achieve dramatic results.The Army uses several models of smoke-generation systems, including: the M56 Coyote, the M58 Wolf, the M157A2 Lynx and the M1059/ M1059A3 Lynx. In addition, the M6 countermeasure discharger provides self-screening protection to individual combat vehicles.
The M56 Coyote Smoke-Generation System (SGS) provides large-area obscuration in the visual and infrared spectra. It is a Humvee-mounted, large-area, smoke-generator system. In addition to providing enhanced spectrum coverage, the M56 system provides smoke generators with a new wheeled-vehicle platform. The system is mounted on the new expanded-capacity M1113 Humvee and provides greater payload capacity and higher mobility for supporting smoke units.
Six M56 Coyotes form a smoke platoon. They support light and airborne maneuver units by disseminating smoke on the move or from stationary positions to defeat enemy sensors and smart munitions, such as tank thermal sights, guided munitions, directed energy weapons and other systems operating in the visible through far-infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The system is modular and uses a gas turbine engine to disseminate obscurants. The visual screening module is capable of vaporizing fog oil at a rate equal to the M157 smoke generator for up to 90 minutes. The infrared screening module can disseminate particulate material to provide 30 minutes of screening. M56 program planners cite the expanding global use of infrared targeting and sighting devices for prompting development of the M56 Coyote, the Army's first large-area smoke system capable of generating visible and infrared blocking screens.
The M56 Coyote was type-classified "standard" in September 1994 and was followed by an initial production contract award for 296 systems in March 1995. First-article and production verification testing were successfully completed in September 1996. By the end of February 2000, 231 systems had been fielded to U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) and U.S. Army Reserve Command (USARC). Fielding continues to FORSCOM and USARC with a follow-on six-year contract.
A materiel change program to add a millimeter-wave module began in FY 2001. This program will provide extended spectral coverage to defeat threat weapon systems operating in the millimeter regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
The fielding of new M56 Coyotes pushed older M157 SGSs down to lower priority units. The last chemical unit with the aging M3A4 smoke-generation systems received M56 Coyotes in the first quarter of FY 2002.
The M58 Wolf Smoke-Generation System places the capabilities of the M56 on a derivative of the tracked M113 armored personnel family. In addition to its current multispectral obscurant screening capabilities, planned materiel changes will allow the addition of a millimeter-wave (MMW) obscuration module, providing the capability to counter the threat arising from the wide proliferation of advanced visual and infrared sensors and future MMW sensors.
Smoke particles scatter or absorb radiant energy used by troops and smart weapons for target acquisition and for weapon guidance and control. Smart weapon sensors operate in three main parts of the electromagnetic spectrum: visible, near-, mid-and far-infrared wavelengths, and millimeter wavelengths. The most effective scattering smokes are aerosols that are the same size as the operating wavelengths of the sensor to be defeated. The best smoke for the visible spectrum may be transparent in the far-infrared area. The entire chain of electro-optical, infrared and millimeter-wave devices linking a smart weapon to a target is susceptible to smoke and other obscurants. In addition to absorbing light, some smokes emit heat, which can cover or clutter the thermal images of targets.
The reflection of laser or radar beams from smoke clouds can produce false targeting information for smart weapons, which can be blinded and defeated by smoke. Battlefield obscurants allow combatants to take advantage of technology overmatch. In Operation Desert Storm, U.S. ground forces used infrared-viewer technology at night to achieve dramatic results.The Army uses several models of smoke-generation systems, including: the M56 Coyote, the M58 Wolf, the M157A2 Lynx and the M1059/ M1059A3 Lynx. In addition, the M6 countermeasure discharger provides self-screening protection to individual combat vehicles.
The M56 Coyote Smoke-Generation System (SGS) provides large-area obscuration in the visual and infrared spectra. It is a Humvee-mounted, large-area, smoke-generator system. In addition to providing enhanced spectrum coverage, the M56 system provides smoke generators with a new wheeled-vehicle platform. The system is mounted on the new expanded-capacity M1113 Humvee and provides greater payload capacity and higher mobility for supporting smoke units.
Six M56 Coyotes form a smoke platoon. They support light and airborne maneuver units by disseminating smoke on the move or from stationary positions to defeat enemy sensors and smart munitions, such as tank thermal sights, guided munitions, directed energy weapons and other systems operating in the visible through far-infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The system is modular and uses a gas turbine engine to disseminate obscurants. The visual screening module is capable of vaporizing fog oil at a rate equal to the M157 smoke generator for up to 90 minutes. The infrared screening module can disseminate particulate material to provide 30 minutes of screening. M56 program planners cite the expanding global use of infrared targeting and sighting devices for prompting development of the M56 Coyote, the Army's first large-area smoke system capable of generating visible and infrared blocking screens.
The M56 Coyote was type-classified "standard" in September 1994 and was followed by an initial production contract award for 296 systems in March 1995. First-article and production verification testing were successfully completed in September 1996. By the end of February 2000, 231 systems had been fielded to U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) and U.S. Army Reserve Command (USARC). Fielding continues to FORSCOM and USARC with a follow-on six-year contract.
A materiel change program to add a millimeter-wave module began in FY 2001. This program will provide extended spectral coverage to defeat threat weapon systems operating in the millimeter regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
The fielding of new M56 Coyotes pushed older M157 SGSs down to lower priority units. The last chemical unit with the aging M3A4 smoke-generation systems received M56 Coyotes in the first quarter of FY 2002.
The M58 Wolf Smoke-Generation System places the capabilities of the M56 on a derivative of the tracked M113 armored personnel family. In addition to its current multispectral obscurant screening capabilities, planned materiel changes will allow the addition of a millimeter-wave (MMW) obscuration module, providing the capability to counter the threat arising from the wide proliferation of advanced visual and infrared sensors and future MMW sensors.
Union Pacific to test low-emissions yard locomotive - lets contract to RailPower Technologies - Brief Article - Statistical Data Included
RailPower Technologies just nabbed a one-year demonstration deal with North American railroad giant Union Pacific (UP) to test its ultra-low-emissions "Green Goat" yard/switcher locomotive.
Not only does the locomotive claim to cut nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions about 80-90% compared to conventional switcher locomotives, but also RailPower claims that at $600,000 capital cost, it's about half the price of a conventional switcher -- and it saves about 30% on fuel while running on ordinary diesel.
Besides capital and operating cost savings seen, "it also has no impact on our fueling infrastructure as both its two generator modalities -- conventional [diesel] engine and micro-turbine -- use standard diesel fuel," UP said.
The remaining issues: Real-world performance and durability. UP hopes to learn whether the "Green Goat" technology can indeed stand up to harsh railroad operating conditions over the next year, before committing substantial dollars to purchase such units, company spokesman John Bromley told us. Green Goat uses a relatively small diesel engine or microturbine to recharge a group of lead-acid batteries that provide 2,000 horsepower, more than enough for typical railroad yard/switcher operations where many old, relatively "dirty" diesel-electric locomotives of 1,500 horsepower typically operate. Because of the avoidance of deep-cycle recharge with the system, the batteries should last 10 years, and the rather small diesel gen-set engine recharging the batteries would only need replacement once or twice over the 20-year standard life expectancy of switchers, RailPower President Gerard Koldyk told us.
Even with battery and engine replacement, the net cost to railroads would represent big savings over conventional switchers, along with big emissions reductions, Koldyk says.
UP will test the unit at a yard near Sacramento, Calif. California is North America's toughest diesel emissions regulatory area, where South Coast Air Quality Management District is pushing very costly natural gas locomotive technology.
Not only does the locomotive claim to cut nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions about 80-90% compared to conventional switcher locomotives, but also RailPower claims that at $600,000 capital cost, it's about half the price of a conventional switcher -- and it saves about 30% on fuel while running on ordinary diesel.
Besides capital and operating cost savings seen, "it also has no impact on our fueling infrastructure as both its two generator modalities -- conventional [diesel] engine and micro-turbine -- use standard diesel fuel," UP said.
The remaining issues: Real-world performance and durability. UP hopes to learn whether the "Green Goat" technology can indeed stand up to harsh railroad operating conditions over the next year, before committing substantial dollars to purchase such units, company spokesman John Bromley told us. Green Goat uses a relatively small diesel engine or microturbine to recharge a group of lead-acid batteries that provide 2,000 horsepower, more than enough for typical railroad yard/switcher operations where many old, relatively "dirty" diesel-electric locomotives of 1,500 horsepower typically operate. Because of the avoidance of deep-cycle recharge with the system, the batteries should last 10 years, and the rather small diesel gen-set engine recharging the batteries would only need replacement once or twice over the 20-year standard life expectancy of switchers, RailPower President Gerard Koldyk told us.
Even with battery and engine replacement, the net cost to railroads would represent big savings over conventional switchers, along with big emissions reductions, Koldyk says.
UP will test the unit at a yard near Sacramento, Calif. California is North America's toughest diesel emissions regulatory area, where South Coast Air Quality Management District is pushing very costly natural gas locomotive technology.
Power Modules feature NEBS-compliant design
ultracapacitor-based, 48 V backup power modules provide maintenance-free alternative to batteries for short-term bridge power in UPS systems. Modules stay fully charged and recharge in seconds in case there are multiple grid power interruptions. Rack-mount units are suited for telecommunications, industrial, and medical applications.
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POWERCACHE[R] Products Feature NEBS-Compliant Design and Construction, Provide Lower-Maintenance And Space-Saving Alternative to Batteries for Short-Term 'Bridge' Power
SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- Maxwell Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: MXWL) announced today that it has introduced two POWERCACHE[R] ultracapacitor-based backup power modules that provide a space-saving, maintenance-free alternative to batteries for short-term "bridge" power in uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems for telecommunications, industrial and medical applications.
Robert Tressler, Maxwell's vice president of sales and marketing, said that the new 48-volt rack-mount modules, rated at 1.6 and 2.3 kW, are designed and constructed to comply with Network Equipment Building System (NEBS) standards required for telecommunications installations.Mission-critical facilities, such as wireless telecommunications base stations, data centers, automated factories and hospitals rely on UPS systems to avoid downtime in the event of power interruptions," Tressler said. "The batteries that currently are used in most of these systems are large and heavy, require regular maintenance and replacement, and are difficult to monitor in terms of state-of-charge. For those reasons, many end-users are looking for more reliable, more compact, lower maintenance alternatives, which is where Maxwell's POWERCACHE products come in."
Tressler said that Maxwell has been collaborating for some time with UPS system integrators, fuel cell and other backup power generator manufacturers to integrate its ultracapacitor-based bridge power systems with long-term backup power sources.
"Fuel cells, diesel generators and micro-turbines all take from a few seconds to a minute to start up and reach their full output, so UPS systems in which they are the primary backup power source all require a complementary short-term source that is instantly available," Tressler explained. "Our POWERCACHE modules stay fully charged and recharge in seconds in case there are multiple grid power interruptions.
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POWERCACHE[R] Products Feature NEBS-Compliant Design and Construction, Provide Lower-Maintenance And Space-Saving Alternative to Batteries for Short-Term 'Bridge' Power
SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- Maxwell Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: MXWL) announced today that it has introduced two POWERCACHE[R] ultracapacitor-based backup power modules that provide a space-saving, maintenance-free alternative to batteries for short-term "bridge" power in uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems for telecommunications, industrial and medical applications.
Robert Tressler, Maxwell's vice president of sales and marketing, said that the new 48-volt rack-mount modules, rated at 1.6 and 2.3 kW, are designed and constructed to comply with Network Equipment Building System (NEBS) standards required for telecommunications installations.Mission-critical facilities, such as wireless telecommunications base stations, data centers, automated factories and hospitals rely on UPS systems to avoid downtime in the event of power interruptions," Tressler said. "The batteries that currently are used in most of these systems are large and heavy, require regular maintenance and replacement, and are difficult to monitor in terms of state-of-charge. For those reasons, many end-users are looking for more reliable, more compact, lower maintenance alternatives, which is where Maxwell's POWERCACHE products come in."
Tressler said that Maxwell has been collaborating for some time with UPS system integrators, fuel cell and other backup power generator manufacturers to integrate its ultracapacitor-based bridge power systems with long-term backup power sources.
"Fuel cells, diesel generators and micro-turbines all take from a few seconds to a minute to start up and reach their full output, so UPS systems in which they are the primary backup power source all require a complementary short-term source that is instantly available," Tressler explained. "Our POWERCACHE modules stay fully charged and recharge in seconds in case there are multiple grid power interruptions.
Turbulence times three: Coast Guard units respond to a trio of deadly storms that hit the Southeast coast
As Southerners stayed glued to radios and television sets, Hurricane Ivan slammed into Gulf Shores, Ala., Sept. 16 with devastating winds clocked at 130 mph hurling debris throughout the turbulent night and spawning swirling tornadoes and pounding surf.
For Florida residents, it was the third major storm in five weeks. With brute force, Hurricane Charley struck just north of Fort Myers, Fla., Aug. 13. Soon after, Hurricane Frances struck the East Coast Sept. 5. The two storms caused dozens of deaths and billions of dollars in damage.
It was the first time since reservists were fully integrated into the Coast Guard that the Southeast braced for a series of turbulent storms. As the storms churned toward the region, contingency plans were tested and response personnel worked long hours in preparation.
The storms posed a series of complex problems for captains of the port. While the Sunshine State has already received $178 million in hurricane aid and, as of press time, 353,716 Floridians have registered for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Florida Governor Jeb Bush expressed strong concerns about preserving the flow of commerce and the arrival of fuel to his state even while hopes for a productive citrus season dimmed. It's a series of concerns the Coast Guard is used to juggling. But it's the first time in recent memory Coast Guard advisors were located within the Florida Emergency Operations Center. Their performance received high marks.
"Floridians throughout the state owe a debt of gratitude to the Coast Guard," said Bush. "No one could have anticipated what hurricane season 2004 could have brought Florida, and the hard work of the Coast Guard helped ensure that we were prepared for the worst."
From Miami to Charleston, S.C., and from Port Canaveral, Fla., to New Orleans, consideration of keeping ports open to commerce had to be balanced carefully with safety concerns, said Cmdr. George Boyle, senior reserve and training officer at MSO Tampa. Boyle, who works for the Florida Department of Transportation as a civilian, has been on active duty since Sept. 11, 2001. Originally joining the Coast Guard as an enlisted member on active duty, he has been a reservist since 1976. He recently returned from a week in the Florida Emergency Operations Center where he worked advising the secretary of the department of environmental protection during the onslaught of Hurricane Frances. Boyle had high praise for both Secretary Colleen Castille and the governor.
"The Governor has so many people tugging at him, but he and Secretary Castille are well-versed in port issues, and they're impressive in their understanding of what we do to maintain navigable ports," he said. "Everyone seemed to be aware of the vital role we play in keeping fuel coming into the state, which affects virtually everything from transportation to food and power," he said. "The governor had grave concerns about the shortage of gasoline and diesel fuel but understood safety issues thoroughly."
There was an interagency element that also impressed Boyle.
"It was good to see the lessons learned after 9/11 put into play. As agencies scrambled to share information, everything flowed smoothly," said Boyle.
The remnants of Ivan pummeled Gulf states--destroying homes, flooding neighborhoods and leaving hundreds of thousands of people without power. It has been categorized as the deadliest hurricane since Hurricane Floyd struck in 1999.
According to the 7th and 8th Districts, the integration of active duty and reserve members has ensured quicker response time and smooth management throughout an unusually hectic season. Nowhere was that more evident than in the aftermath of Ivan as teams from the Atlantic coast mobilized support.
Group St. Petersburg mobilized personnel after Hurricane Charley to check on auxiliarists and reservists located on the west coast of Florida. Having well-versed and well-trained teams helps response efforts run smoothly, said Lt. j.g. Brett Chianella, law enforcement officer at Group St. Petersburg.
Chianella heads a Coast Guard team comprised of active duty and reservists with a wide array of abilities, skills and knowledge. That team was quick to respond when Hurricane Charley smacked into an area north of Fort Myers, Fla., in early August.
"The whole area was devastated, and while Station Fort Myers suffered some damage, our fellow Coasties need time off to repair their own homes," he said. "It's very unfortunate, but it was also rewarding to be able to help out our fellow Coast Guardsmen, and I know they'd have done the same for us."
For Florida residents, it was the third major storm in five weeks. With brute force, Hurricane Charley struck just north of Fort Myers, Fla., Aug. 13. Soon after, Hurricane Frances struck the East Coast Sept. 5. The two storms caused dozens of deaths and billions of dollars in damage.
It was the first time since reservists were fully integrated into the Coast Guard that the Southeast braced for a series of turbulent storms. As the storms churned toward the region, contingency plans were tested and response personnel worked long hours in preparation.
The storms posed a series of complex problems for captains of the port. While the Sunshine State has already received $178 million in hurricane aid and, as of press time, 353,716 Floridians have registered for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Florida Governor Jeb Bush expressed strong concerns about preserving the flow of commerce and the arrival of fuel to his state even while hopes for a productive citrus season dimmed. It's a series of concerns the Coast Guard is used to juggling. But it's the first time in recent memory Coast Guard advisors were located within the Florida Emergency Operations Center. Their performance received high marks.
"Floridians throughout the state owe a debt of gratitude to the Coast Guard," said Bush. "No one could have anticipated what hurricane season 2004 could have brought Florida, and the hard work of the Coast Guard helped ensure that we were prepared for the worst."
From Miami to Charleston, S.C., and from Port Canaveral, Fla., to New Orleans, consideration of keeping ports open to commerce had to be balanced carefully with safety concerns, said Cmdr. George Boyle, senior reserve and training officer at MSO Tampa. Boyle, who works for the Florida Department of Transportation as a civilian, has been on active duty since Sept. 11, 2001. Originally joining the Coast Guard as an enlisted member on active duty, he has been a reservist since 1976. He recently returned from a week in the Florida Emergency Operations Center where he worked advising the secretary of the department of environmental protection during the onslaught of Hurricane Frances. Boyle had high praise for both Secretary Colleen Castille and the governor.
"The Governor has so many people tugging at him, but he and Secretary Castille are well-versed in port issues, and they're impressive in their understanding of what we do to maintain navigable ports," he said. "Everyone seemed to be aware of the vital role we play in keeping fuel coming into the state, which affects virtually everything from transportation to food and power," he said. "The governor had grave concerns about the shortage of gasoline and diesel fuel but understood safety issues thoroughly."
There was an interagency element that also impressed Boyle.
"It was good to see the lessons learned after 9/11 put into play. As agencies scrambled to share information, everything flowed smoothly," said Boyle.
The remnants of Ivan pummeled Gulf states--destroying homes, flooding neighborhoods and leaving hundreds of thousands of people without power. It has been categorized as the deadliest hurricane since Hurricane Floyd struck in 1999.
According to the 7th and 8th Districts, the integration of active duty and reserve members has ensured quicker response time and smooth management throughout an unusually hectic season. Nowhere was that more evident than in the aftermath of Ivan as teams from the Atlantic coast mobilized support.
Group St. Petersburg mobilized personnel after Hurricane Charley to check on auxiliarists and reservists located on the west coast of Florida. Having well-versed and well-trained teams helps response efforts run smoothly, said Lt. j.g. Brett Chianella, law enforcement officer at Group St. Petersburg.
Chianella heads a Coast Guard team comprised of active duty and reservists with a wide array of abilities, skills and knowledge. That team was quick to respond when Hurricane Charley smacked into an area north of Fort Myers, Fla., in early August.
"The whole area was devastated, and while Station Fort Myers suffered some damage, our fellow Coasties need time off to repair their own homes," he said. "It's very unfortunate, but it was also rewarding to be able to help out our fellow Coast Guardsmen, and I know they'd have done the same for us."
Fuel 'em up and let 'em roll: BNSF's new main line locomotive fueling facility at Hauser Yard in Idaho dramatically improves train throughput
In a move toward increased service efficiency and better motive power utilization for its northern transcontinental corridor, Burlington Northern and Santa Fe has opened a main fine refueling facility at its Hauser Yard near Rathdrum, Idaho. Locomotives handling intermodal and other high-priority shipments now avoid the many hours of downtime involved with being serviced at conventional facilities in Seattle, Portland, or Spokane. Instead, trains pull into the Hauser facility, refuel, change crews, and depart in less than an hour. BNSF says Hauser was the best place to build the facility because there was already a freight yard there with ample room for expansion, and because the site is located along the so-called "Funnel" between Spokane, Wash., and Sandpoint, Idaho, where BNSF's traffic between the Pacific Northwest and the entire eastern half of the U.S. gets channeled onto a single corridor.
Refueling operations were phased in beginning Aug. 31, with full operation officially kicking off Sept. 1. Two run-through refueling main lines are currently in service at the 380-foot long platform, allowing trains to stop for servicing without fouling the corridor's existing double-track main line. A third refueling track handles light-engine consists brought in from the adjacent freight yard. That track, as well as a fourth refueling track, will eventually have its own main line approaches installed, doubling the facility's capacity. BNSF's goal is to have nearly half of the route's 60-plus daily trains refueled at Hauser. In addition to the main refueling shed, there's a 450-foot-long shed housing two spur tracks where diesel fuel is delivered by tank car, as well as a third track where wastewater collected from the facility's surface runoff is loaded into tank cars for shipment to an approved treatment facility.
Not only is the Hauser refueling facility a major boost to BNSF's Northwest operations, it's also a major achievement in engineering, public relations, and safety. After the project was announced in 1997, it drew steady fire from environmental groups and local citizens who feared the large-scale storage of diesel fuel over the region's main aquifer would threaten the sole source of drinking water for nearly half a million people. The facility's original design already surpassed local requirements for fuel containment and groundwater protection, but the final design went even further. Today, many of the people who were previously opposed to the project now embrace it as a model for others to follow. BNSF Assistant Vice President-Technical Research Development and Environmental Mark Stehly says, "This facility does set the standard for handling petroleum products."
Conceptual design, engineering, and construction for the $42 million project were performed by Hanson-Wilson, Inc. Specializing in major infrastructure for the rail and petroleum industries, H-W has built similar refueling facilities for BNSF at Belen, N. Mex., and Commerce, Calif. H-W and BNSF both say that Hauser is far more advanced. From the double-layered, 60-mil, high-density polyethylene membrane installed below ground to the double-walled pipes and double-bottomed storage tanks above ground, everything is designed to prevent fuel from reaching the aquifer. Five-foot-high concrete walls surrounding the tank farm can hold the maximum contents of all tanks if they were to fail, exceeding the regulatory requirements by approximately 300%. Interstitial space within the double-lined piping is pressurized with nitrogen at 20 psi; any change in pressure plus or minus 5 psi might indicate a leak and will automatically trigger all valves to close and activate a plant-wide alarm. In fact, valves throughout the facility are designed to "fail-safe" in their closed positions when locomotives aren't being fueled or any time there's a malfunction or electrical failure. The latter should not be a problem, since Hauser has a large diesel-driven generator that can power the entire facility.
Refueling operations were phased in beginning Aug. 31, with full operation officially kicking off Sept. 1. Two run-through refueling main lines are currently in service at the 380-foot long platform, allowing trains to stop for servicing without fouling the corridor's existing double-track main line. A third refueling track handles light-engine consists brought in from the adjacent freight yard. That track, as well as a fourth refueling track, will eventually have its own main line approaches installed, doubling the facility's capacity. BNSF's goal is to have nearly half of the route's 60-plus daily trains refueled at Hauser. In addition to the main refueling shed, there's a 450-foot-long shed housing two spur tracks where diesel fuel is delivered by tank car, as well as a third track where wastewater collected from the facility's surface runoff is loaded into tank cars for shipment to an approved treatment facility.
Not only is the Hauser refueling facility a major boost to BNSF's Northwest operations, it's also a major achievement in engineering, public relations, and safety. After the project was announced in 1997, it drew steady fire from environmental groups and local citizens who feared the large-scale storage of diesel fuel over the region's main aquifer would threaten the sole source of drinking water for nearly half a million people. The facility's original design already surpassed local requirements for fuel containment and groundwater protection, but the final design went even further. Today, many of the people who were previously opposed to the project now embrace it as a model for others to follow. BNSF Assistant Vice President-Technical Research Development and Environmental Mark Stehly says, "This facility does set the standard for handling petroleum products."
Conceptual design, engineering, and construction for the $42 million project were performed by Hanson-Wilson, Inc. Specializing in major infrastructure for the rail and petroleum industries, H-W has built similar refueling facilities for BNSF at Belen, N. Mex., and Commerce, Calif. H-W and BNSF both say that Hauser is far more advanced. From the double-layered, 60-mil, high-density polyethylene membrane installed below ground to the double-walled pipes and double-bottomed storage tanks above ground, everything is designed to prevent fuel from reaching the aquifer. Five-foot-high concrete walls surrounding the tank farm can hold the maximum contents of all tanks if they were to fail, exceeding the regulatory requirements by approximately 300%. Interstitial space within the double-lined piping is pressurized with nitrogen at 20 psi; any change in pressure plus or minus 5 psi might indicate a leak and will automatically trigger all valves to close and activate a plant-wide alarm. In fact, valves throughout the facility are designed to "fail-safe" in their closed positions when locomotives aren't being fueled or any time there's a malfunction or electrical failure. The latter should not be a problem, since Hauser has a large diesel-driven generator that can power the entire facility.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Pipe Dream' Becomes Reality as Sub Training Enters Information Age
The control room of the USS Virginia would astonish a submariner who retired only a few years ago. Commissioned in October, the Virginia is the first of a new class of attack submarines. For members of the crew, it is a step into the 21st century.
Oversized computer touch screens have replaced dials and switches at the various work stations, the yokes for the planesman and helmsman have been exchanged for joysticks and the periscope is gone, replaced by a television camera atop one of the masts and a few yards of fiberoptic cable.
Capt. Arnold O. Lotring, commander of the Submarine Learning Center in Groton, Conn., said such dramatic changes in the fleet mean the schools that prepare sailors have to transform as well. You cannot use an Industrial Age education system to prepare sailors for the 21st century, he said.My mission is to bring submarine training into the Information Age," Lotring said. He is constructing a model for education that includes more computer simulations and self-paced learning, and an ability to deliver "just-in-time" training to sailors who are getting ready to deploy, or already on deployment.
Lotring's mantra has become "right training, right time, right place."
Virginia and the USS Hyman G. Rickover, a Los Angeles-class attack submarine based in Norfolk, Va., will soon become the first submarines to deploy with the Integrated Learning Environment (ILE), a computer network that will be loaded with training software specific to the missions those submarines will conduct. The ILE will.deliver high-quality content to the learners, and instant feedback on their progress to on-board mentors or instructors.
"We never had the ability to do that before. It was a pipe dream two years ago, even 18 months ago, but now we're getting ready to put it on deploying submarines," Lotring said. "We want to be able to flow learning to the sailor when he wants it and where he needs it."
The advances in sub training are indicative of a major realignment of training functions within the Navy. All submariners once were trained under the auspices of the Commander, Naval Education and Training (CNET), but the Navy has created 14 learning centers to push control down closer to the fleet operators. Lotring now oversees six submarine schools, 1,400 instructors and 500 other staff, and an annual budget of more than $80 million. The creation of the Submarine Learning Center last year was the first step toward delivering a training system that is rapidly responsive to fleet needs.
With the Learning Center operational, Lotring's staff told him it would be more effective to modify software used in the big, expensive navigation simulators, which can accommodate only two students at a time, to run in a limited fashion on desktop computers, on a network that can be expanded with a few mouse clicks. Students now master basic skills before they get to the simulator, so the throughput has increased.
"This is going to put training decisions much closer to the instructor," Lotring said. "I can see the benefits and say, 'let's go invest in that,' much more quickly than if we had to go up through CNET."
Naval Submarine School, the hub of submarine training, has long used advanced technology to train its students. During the last couple years, for instance, it has constructed a networked submarine navigation trainer.
It started with VESUB, the Virtual Environment Submarine Shiphandling Trainer. Built by RDR of Centreville, Va., it is a virtual reality system in which an officer of the deck under instruction dons a helmet that feeds him a view of a harbor that he must safely navigate, outbound or inbound. An instructor monitors his progress on a large screen that shows what the pilot is seeing, and can change wind, currents, ship traffic patterns and other parameters to make the trip more challenging. That was followed by RDR's Submarine Piloting and Navigation System, a virtual reality system that re-creates a control room.
But unlike bulky trainers in the past that were dedicated to a specific class of submarine, the new off-theshelf systems in the trainers can be rapidly reconfigured, by changing a few cables or loading a new CD in an internal drive. The Submarine Multimission Team Trainer, or "Smitty" as it is known at Submarine School, is produced by Lockheed Martin's Maritime Sensors and Systems unit, and will take that one step further, by running the same tactical software in the combat control systems of different classes of submarines. Changing the trainer will require only a few minutes at a keyboard.
Oversized computer touch screens have replaced dials and switches at the various work stations, the yokes for the planesman and helmsman have been exchanged for joysticks and the periscope is gone, replaced by a television camera atop one of the masts and a few yards of fiberoptic cable.
Capt. Arnold O. Lotring, commander of the Submarine Learning Center in Groton, Conn., said such dramatic changes in the fleet mean the schools that prepare sailors have to transform as well. You cannot use an Industrial Age education system to prepare sailors for the 21st century, he said.My mission is to bring submarine training into the Information Age," Lotring said. He is constructing a model for education that includes more computer simulations and self-paced learning, and an ability to deliver "just-in-time" training to sailors who are getting ready to deploy, or already on deployment.
Lotring's mantra has become "right training, right time, right place."
Virginia and the USS Hyman G. Rickover, a Los Angeles-class attack submarine based in Norfolk, Va., will soon become the first submarines to deploy with the Integrated Learning Environment (ILE), a computer network that will be loaded with training software specific to the missions those submarines will conduct. The ILE will.deliver high-quality content to the learners, and instant feedback on their progress to on-board mentors or instructors.
"We never had the ability to do that before. It was a pipe dream two years ago, even 18 months ago, but now we're getting ready to put it on deploying submarines," Lotring said. "We want to be able to flow learning to the sailor when he wants it and where he needs it."
The advances in sub training are indicative of a major realignment of training functions within the Navy. All submariners once were trained under the auspices of the Commander, Naval Education and Training (CNET), but the Navy has created 14 learning centers to push control down closer to the fleet operators. Lotring now oversees six submarine schools, 1,400 instructors and 500 other staff, and an annual budget of more than $80 million. The creation of the Submarine Learning Center last year was the first step toward delivering a training system that is rapidly responsive to fleet needs.
With the Learning Center operational, Lotring's staff told him it would be more effective to modify software used in the big, expensive navigation simulators, which can accommodate only two students at a time, to run in a limited fashion on desktop computers, on a network that can be expanded with a few mouse clicks. Students now master basic skills before they get to the simulator, so the throughput has increased.
"This is going to put training decisions much closer to the instructor," Lotring said. "I can see the benefits and say, 'let's go invest in that,' much more quickly than if we had to go up through CNET."
Naval Submarine School, the hub of submarine training, has long used advanced technology to train its students. During the last couple years, for instance, it has constructed a networked submarine navigation trainer.
It started with VESUB, the Virtual Environment Submarine Shiphandling Trainer. Built by RDR of Centreville, Va., it is a virtual reality system in which an officer of the deck under instruction dons a helmet that feeds him a view of a harbor that he must safely navigate, outbound or inbound. An instructor monitors his progress on a large screen that shows what the pilot is seeing, and can change wind, currents, ship traffic patterns and other parameters to make the trip more challenging. That was followed by RDR's Submarine Piloting and Navigation System, a virtual reality system that re-creates a control room.
But unlike bulky trainers in the past that were dedicated to a specific class of submarine, the new off-theshelf systems in the trainers can be rapidly reconfigured, by changing a few cables or loading a new CD in an internal drive. The Submarine Multimission Team Trainer, or "Smitty" as it is known at Submarine School, is produced by Lockheed Martin's Maritime Sensors and Systems unit, and will take that one step further, by running the same tactical software in the combat control systems of different classes of submarines. Changing the trainer will require only a few minutes at a keyboard.
HALF MOON'S 'NAM Tour, The
The discovery of an old cruise book rekindles fond memories of a veteran Coast Guard cutter's Vietnam deployment
Since writing two earlier articles on AVP's - "Whatever Became of the Coast Guard's Casco-class Cutters" in May 2002 and "Whatever Became of Those AVPs?" in February 2003 - I have received numerous communications from fellow AVP sailors. Most recently, I was honored to receive a copy of the USCGC Half Moon's (WHEC-378) 1967 cruise book documenting the ship's deployment to Vietnam during 1967. It came from one of the ship's former crew members, David Lockwood, via his brother John Lockwood, also an AVP sailor on the USCGC Rockaway. What a wonderful time capsule!
In reading it, I was so impressed with its contents that I was inspired to write this article and share some of the story. An interview with the former Lt. Bill Barry, USCG, engineering officer on the Half Moon during 1967, provided me with some additional first-person insights into the Half Moon experience. Bill also happened to be my classmate at the US Coast Guard Academy, and is affectionately referred to as "Bos'n Bill" by the class of 1961.
The story starts in early 1967, when decisions were made to form a Coast Guard squadron to carry out a coastal surveillance mission in waters off the coast of South Vietnam. Although the Coast Guard had already started a building program to modernize its High Endurance Cutter fleet, the current work-horses of the time were still the venerable AVP class of cutters. The 311's, affectionately known as the "White Elephants" by many of their CG crews, had already served two lives of active service: First as sea plane tenders (AVPs) for the Navy during WWII, and next as weather ships (WAVPs) for the USCG from the late 1940s through the late 60s. The High Endurance Cutters WHEC (designation changed in 1966) were called upon to assume a third role during the Vietnam conflict where they would carry out the assignment of coastal surveillance/interdiction, in-shore gunfire support, and logistical support for the numerous smaller craft that were actively engaged in the theater of war.Historically the USS Half Moon (AVP-26), a Barnegat-class sea plane tender, was built by the Lake Washington Shipyard in Houghton, Washington. Her keel was laid down on 15 August 1941. Launching followed on 7 December 1942, and she was finally placed in commission on 15 June 1943 where she was deployed on various assignments throughout the Pacific during the war.
She was deactivated on 1 December 1945 and was again reactivated on 14 August 1948, placed on loan to the US Coast Guard and commissioned as USCGC Half Moon (WAVP-378) where she served in the North Atlantic as an Ocean Station Weather Ship for the next 20-plus years. On 1 May 1966 she was designated as a AVHEC High Endurance Cutter. She was returned to the US Navy on 15 July 1969 for decommissioning and ultimately sold to Italy for scrap on 18 June 1970.
Because of their relatively shallow draft (approximatly 13-ft) and their high-endurance diesel propulsion plant (25,000-miles without refueling at 10-knots) they were ideal platforms for the assignment in spite of their age (some were built in the late 1930s and most in the early 1940s).
The first hint of a new assignment for the Half Moon's crew came when she was ordered to have an air conditioning system installed onboard. This was a rare luxury for the crew, who at once suspected that a "free lunch" courtesy of the CG's Commandant was certainly not being served up. Something big was in the air and scuttlebutt was rampant.
By early March, orders were at last received to make preparation for deployment to the South China Sea off the coast of South Vietnam and become part of the newly-formed CG Squadron Three under the command of Capt. John E. Day, USCG. Four other cutters were assigned to the Squadron. They were the US Coast Guard Cutters Yakutat (WHEC-380), Gresham (WHEC-387), Barataria (WHEC-381) and the Bering Straits (WHEC-382).
Since writing two earlier articles on AVP's - "Whatever Became of the Coast Guard's Casco-class Cutters" in May 2002 and "Whatever Became of Those AVPs?" in February 2003 - I have received numerous communications from fellow AVP sailors. Most recently, I was honored to receive a copy of the USCGC Half Moon's (WHEC-378) 1967 cruise book documenting the ship's deployment to Vietnam during 1967. It came from one of the ship's former crew members, David Lockwood, via his brother John Lockwood, also an AVP sailor on the USCGC Rockaway. What a wonderful time capsule!
In reading it, I was so impressed with its contents that I was inspired to write this article and share some of the story. An interview with the former Lt. Bill Barry, USCG, engineering officer on the Half Moon during 1967, provided me with some additional first-person insights into the Half Moon experience. Bill also happened to be my classmate at the US Coast Guard Academy, and is affectionately referred to as "Bos'n Bill" by the class of 1961.
The story starts in early 1967, when decisions were made to form a Coast Guard squadron to carry out a coastal surveillance mission in waters off the coast of South Vietnam. Although the Coast Guard had already started a building program to modernize its High Endurance Cutter fleet, the current work-horses of the time were still the venerable AVP class of cutters. The 311's, affectionately known as the "White Elephants" by many of their CG crews, had already served two lives of active service: First as sea plane tenders (AVPs) for the Navy during WWII, and next as weather ships (WAVPs) for the USCG from the late 1940s through the late 60s. The High Endurance Cutters WHEC (designation changed in 1966) were called upon to assume a third role during the Vietnam conflict where they would carry out the assignment of coastal surveillance/interdiction, in-shore gunfire support, and logistical support for the numerous smaller craft that were actively engaged in the theater of war.Historically the USS Half Moon (AVP-26), a Barnegat-class sea plane tender, was built by the Lake Washington Shipyard in Houghton, Washington. Her keel was laid down on 15 August 1941. Launching followed on 7 December 1942, and she was finally placed in commission on 15 June 1943 where she was deployed on various assignments throughout the Pacific during the war.
She was deactivated on 1 December 1945 and was again reactivated on 14 August 1948, placed on loan to the US Coast Guard and commissioned as USCGC Half Moon (WAVP-378) where she served in the North Atlantic as an Ocean Station Weather Ship for the next 20-plus years. On 1 May 1966 she was designated as a AVHEC High Endurance Cutter. She was returned to the US Navy on 15 July 1969 for decommissioning and ultimately sold to Italy for scrap on 18 June 1970.
Because of their relatively shallow draft (approximatly 13-ft) and their high-endurance diesel propulsion plant (25,000-miles without refueling at 10-knots) they were ideal platforms for the assignment in spite of their age (some were built in the late 1930s and most in the early 1940s).
The first hint of a new assignment for the Half Moon's crew came when she was ordered to have an air conditioning system installed onboard. This was a rare luxury for the crew, who at once suspected that a "free lunch" courtesy of the CG's Commandant was certainly not being served up. Something big was in the air and scuttlebutt was rampant.
By early March, orders were at last received to make preparation for deployment to the South China Sea off the coast of South Vietnam and become part of the newly-formed CG Squadron Three under the command of Capt. John E. Day, USCG. Four other cutters were assigned to the Squadron. They were the US Coast Guard Cutters Yakutat (WHEC-380), Gresham (WHEC-387), Barataria (WHEC-381) and the Bering Straits (WHEC-382).
Trash or treasure: Argentines strike out on their own with new technology, from the stinky to the delicious
A noisy garbage truck reminds you to take out the trash. A foul smell is all the truck leaves behind. It's pretty much the same worldwide, although in Quilmes, Argentina, things do smell a little nicer.
Transportes Unidos de Quilmes, the waste-collection company in the city located on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, has equipped its fleet with technology from Argentina's Ecologic Motor, a producer of environmental-friendly motors and buses, for decontaminating and deodorizing rubbish as collectors toss it in. It does so by treating the waste with ozone, a gaseous form of oxygen that kills bacteria and odors 3,000 times faster than chlorine, leaving behind the smell of a fresh spring rain.
Nice-smelling trash? That's the Argentine way. Argentine inventions range from the ballpoint pen to the disposable syringe, urban bus service and the first system for making animated movies.
In terms of the number of inventors-to-population, Argentina ranks 14th in the world--the highest in Latin America--with 3,000, according to the Argentine Association of Inventors (AAI), an industry group. Despite a drop in patents, the economic crisis of the past few years has spurred invention to meet demand for lower-priced technology. In the 1990s, a strong domestic currency--it was pegged one-for-one with the U.S. dollar--made it cheaper to import than produce locally. Now with the peso 70% weaker, foreign technology is out of reach. Hence, there is a market for homegrown products, sold cheaper in dollar terms than imports because of low labor costs. Take Matriceria Estmar, a 33-year-old company that manufactures molds for car-body and engine components. This year, it began selling a machine that semi-automates the production of empanadas, a meat pie made by hand since colonial times.
The Empamec M2000, its top machine, uses a conveyor-belt system. As it rotates, one worker lays dough on a mold, and another adds a savory filling. The mold clamps shut, sealing the meat pie. A third operator takes it off. The machine cranks out 2,000 beef, chicken and other varieties of empanada an hour, nearly seven times more than the three people could do manually.
The machine sells for US$12,500, a sixth of the cost of an imported machine, says Esteban Porco, a partner in the company.
What's more, foreign machines don't work well for empanadas, he says. They are designed for jelly and other fillings, not chunks of beef and chicken, hard-boiled eggs and olives. Estmar's machine, too, can brand and code empanadas, doing away with a system of shapes and notches in the crust to identify fillings.
Estmar is supplying a growing industry. Over the past five years, empanada chains have sprung up around the country and now are venturing abroad. A main reason is a low-budget eating habit, a result of the economic crisis. Three of them, a filling lunch, cost $1.
In its first months, Estmar sold nine machines, including one to also El Gaucho Food in Miami. Inquiries have also come from Colombia. The invention now generates half its revenue. At the same time, diversification helps. "The volatility of the automobile industry makes it hard to plan business. The food industry is more stable," says Porco.
Transportes Unidos de Quilmes, the waste-collection company in the city located on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, has equipped its fleet with technology from Argentina's Ecologic Motor, a producer of environmental-friendly motors and buses, for decontaminating and deodorizing rubbish as collectors toss it in. It does so by treating the waste with ozone, a gaseous form of oxygen that kills bacteria and odors 3,000 times faster than chlorine, leaving behind the smell of a fresh spring rain.
Nice-smelling trash? That's the Argentine way. Argentine inventions range from the ballpoint pen to the disposable syringe, urban bus service and the first system for making animated movies.
In terms of the number of inventors-to-population, Argentina ranks 14th in the world--the highest in Latin America--with 3,000, according to the Argentine Association of Inventors (AAI), an industry group. Despite a drop in patents, the economic crisis of the past few years has spurred invention to meet demand for lower-priced technology. In the 1990s, a strong domestic currency--it was pegged one-for-one with the U.S. dollar--made it cheaper to import than produce locally. Now with the peso 70% weaker, foreign technology is out of reach. Hence, there is a market for homegrown products, sold cheaper in dollar terms than imports because of low labor costs. Take Matriceria Estmar, a 33-year-old company that manufactures molds for car-body and engine components. This year, it began selling a machine that semi-automates the production of empanadas, a meat pie made by hand since colonial times.
The Empamec M2000, its top machine, uses a conveyor-belt system. As it rotates, one worker lays dough on a mold, and another adds a savory filling. The mold clamps shut, sealing the meat pie. A third operator takes it off. The machine cranks out 2,000 beef, chicken and other varieties of empanada an hour, nearly seven times more than the three people could do manually.
The machine sells for US$12,500, a sixth of the cost of an imported machine, says Esteban Porco, a partner in the company.
What's more, foreign machines don't work well for empanadas, he says. They are designed for jelly and other fillings, not chunks of beef and chicken, hard-boiled eggs and olives. Estmar's machine, too, can brand and code empanadas, doing away with a system of shapes and notches in the crust to identify fillings.
Estmar is supplying a growing industry. Over the past five years, empanada chains have sprung up around the country and now are venturing abroad. A main reason is a low-budget eating habit, a result of the economic crisis. Three of them, a filling lunch, cost $1.
In its first months, Estmar sold nine machines, including one to also El Gaucho Food in Miami. Inquiries have also come from Colombia. The invention now generates half its revenue. At the same time, diversification helps. "The volatility of the automobile industry makes it hard to plan business. The food industry is more stable," says Porco.
GloBug lights it up for Multiquip
Multiquip Inc. is lighting up party, special event and construction sites with its new GloBug lighting systems, the newest addition to its 2005 product line. The new illumination balloons provide 360[degree] of glare-free illumination as a solo light unit or as part of a complete gen-set package, the company said.
In either configuration, the GloBug uses a single 1 kW metal halide lamp encased by a 45 in. balloon. According to the Carson, Calif. company, the lights can illuminate in excess of 150 ft. in a complete 360[degree] area, making it ideal for use during parties, road construction, parking lot lighting, maintenance, mining, disaster relief, landscaping, special events and ag applications.
The lights use 2.9 kW of 120 V power and can self-inflate their balloons in less than 20 seconds, Multiquip said. The balloon is made of a waterproof, glare-free material and is attached to a three-stage mast on the stand-alone unit which extends 13 ft. In the gen-set option, a four-stage mast is used. It extends 16.5 ft. using a manual winch. The solo unit uses gas shock absorbers for extension and a locking latch to lock in height.
When configured with the gen-set option, the GloBug light is attached to a rolling cart which supports the generator unit. Multiquip said the light can be fitted with most OEM generators that have an output of 2.9 kW or more. The light system is available with Multiquip's GA-6H gen-set, a portable gasoline unit powered by a 337 cc, single-cylinder Honda GX340 engine. The 11 hp engine drives a brushless Denyo generator end for 6 kW of peak power and 5 kW of continuous power. As a generator unit, the GloBug weighs in at 243 lb. including gen-set, rolling cart and pneumatic tires. The cart features an internal ballast and counterweights to lock the outriggers in place to prevent tipping. It also has a quick disconnect power cable, lifting hook, parking brake and safety winch.
The stand-alone GloBug weighs 139 lb. and is fitted with a caster wheel stand which is designed for easy transportability in areas with limited space. The stand has five outriggers to stabilize the unit and removable ballast box.
Multiquip offers both GloBug light systems with a series of balloon options induding a reflector balloon and a drum balloon with Velcro strips to adhere signage. Balloons can also be customized for special occasions and events.
In either configuration, the GloBug uses a single 1 kW metal halide lamp encased by a 45 in. balloon. According to the Carson, Calif. company, the lights can illuminate in excess of 150 ft. in a complete 360[degree] area, making it ideal for use during parties, road construction, parking lot lighting, maintenance, mining, disaster relief, landscaping, special events and ag applications.
The lights use 2.9 kW of 120 V power and can self-inflate their balloons in less than 20 seconds, Multiquip said. The balloon is made of a waterproof, glare-free material and is attached to a three-stage mast on the stand-alone unit which extends 13 ft. In the gen-set option, a four-stage mast is used. It extends 16.5 ft. using a manual winch. The solo unit uses gas shock absorbers for extension and a locking latch to lock in height.
When configured with the gen-set option, the GloBug light is attached to a rolling cart which supports the generator unit. Multiquip said the light can be fitted with most OEM generators that have an output of 2.9 kW or more. The light system is available with Multiquip's GA-6H gen-set, a portable gasoline unit powered by a 337 cc, single-cylinder Honda GX340 engine. The 11 hp engine drives a brushless Denyo generator end for 6 kW of peak power and 5 kW of continuous power. As a generator unit, the GloBug weighs in at 243 lb. including gen-set, rolling cart and pneumatic tires. The cart features an internal ballast and counterweights to lock the outriggers in place to prevent tipping. It also has a quick disconnect power cable, lifting hook, parking brake and safety winch.
The stand-alone GloBug weighs 139 lb. and is fitted with a caster wheel stand which is designed for easy transportability in areas with limited space. The stand has five outriggers to stabilize the unit and removable ballast box.
Multiquip offers both GloBug light systems with a series of balloon options induding a reflector balloon and a drum balloon with Velcro strips to adhere signage. Balloons can also be customized for special occasions and events.
New MTU power unit developed
A NEW environmentally-friendly power unit for power cars has been developed by MTU, Germany. The MTU Sports Stage 3A-PowerPack is a low-emission compact drive unit incorporating a 6H-1800 engine which has been upgraded to perform at up to 360kW.
The new unit, based on the original PowerPack unit developed two years ago with a 350kW 6H-1800 engine, will meet new European Union Stage 3A regulations on emissions which are due to be introduced in 2006. MTU hopes to begin trials of the unit in a Turbostar dmu next year.
Like its predecessor, the new modular unit offers a complete system for subfloor drive in power cars. It comprises the engine, transmission/generator, hydraulics, cooling system, oil and air filter system, exhaust system, and compressors, plus peripheral components for the drive and power supply.
The latest model is lighter in weight as well as more powerful. It has a six-cylinder horizontal motor with a 12.8-1itre cubic capacity. The engine is designed using four-valve technology and has a high-power injection system in which the pumps are equipped with solenoid valves. A two-cylinder brake air compressor and an enlarged oil pan with a capacity of more than 40 litres supplement the fittings.
MTU says the modular construction of the Stage 3A-PowerPack means that it can be customised to adapt to most standard vehicle types. A varied range of components and auxiliary units can be integrated into the robust common frame, including components for onboard power supply, climate control, and the oil and air filter system. All mechanical and electrical interfaces within the overall system are retained. The PowerPack can be supplied with a diesel-mechanical, diesel-hydraulic, or diesel-electric power system.
The new unit, based on the original PowerPack unit developed two years ago with a 350kW 6H-1800 engine, will meet new European Union Stage 3A regulations on emissions which are due to be introduced in 2006. MTU hopes to begin trials of the unit in a Turbostar dmu next year.
Like its predecessor, the new modular unit offers a complete system for subfloor drive in power cars. It comprises the engine, transmission/generator, hydraulics, cooling system, oil and air filter system, exhaust system, and compressors, plus peripheral components for the drive and power supply.
The latest model is lighter in weight as well as more powerful. It has a six-cylinder horizontal motor with a 12.8-1itre cubic capacity. The engine is designed using four-valve technology and has a high-power injection system in which the pumps are equipped with solenoid valves. A two-cylinder brake air compressor and an enlarged oil pan with a capacity of more than 40 litres supplement the fittings.
MTU says the modular construction of the Stage 3A-PowerPack means that it can be customised to adapt to most standard vehicle types. A varied range of components and auxiliary units can be integrated into the robust common frame, including components for onboard power supply, climate control, and the oil and air filter system. All mechanical and electrical interfaces within the overall system are retained. The PowerPack can be supplied with a diesel-mechanical, diesel-hydraulic, or diesel-electric power system.
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