Continental Controls Corporation and the Gas Technology Institute (GTI) have been awarded a contract from the California Energy Commission (CEC) as subcontractors to the Southern California Gas Company to develop an ultra-low emissions control system for combined heat and power gas engine systems.
The project falls under the CEC’s public interest energy research (PIER) program. The project is scheduled to last almost two years with total funding from CEC of $1,484,179.
CCC’s primary roles in the project will include the selection and evaluation of a variety of new sensors and technologies that will not only allow for compliance with ultra low emissions levels, but will also assure continued compliance while providing on board diagnostics to report any potential emissions related problems.
In addition, CCC will use predictive models to develop protocols for OBD and higher resolution air-fuel ratio control. Selected sensors will be procured and integrated with required data processing and recording systems for operating a 75kW Waukesha F817GU stoichiometric engine in the test lab at GTI. The engine will be configured with a new, Continental Controls Corporation EGC 2 air-fuel ratio control and a three-way catalyst (to be supplied by a catalyst manufacturer), designed to reduce emissions below CARB 2007 emission limits for distributed generation.
The next step of the project will include integration and installation of the sensor technologies that have been chosen from the above research in the lab, along with an EGC 4 electronic gas carburetor to be integrated on a combined heat and power generation natural gas engine, equipped with a three-way catalyst in the field. This system will be continuously monitored for a period of more than one year.
At the completion of this testing period, a kit will be made commercially available, which will apply the technologies that have been chosen to meet this very demanding emissions requirement.
While other suppliers of air fuel ratio products have attempted to meet Carb 2007 emissions compliance, none have as yet proven the ability to maintain compliance over an extended period of time.
According to Rick Fisher, vice president of sales and marketing at Continental Controls: “CCC is excited to be involved in such an innovative project with The Gas Company and GTI, and to be able to provide some of the hardware and expertise to lead the way in a very demanding area of emissions control.”
He continued: “Our EGC 2 and EGC 4 electronic gas carburetors not only provide faster and more responsive air fuel ratio control but also improved air and fuel mixing. The improved control that is developed under this research grant will be useful not only in power generation but also for a variety of natural gas powered applications such as gas compression and agricultural pumps.”