---- Original Message ---- From: ltd@interlink.com.au To: robert@tellurian.com Subject: Re: Now:Power/Generators (Was: Re[2]: telehouse - 25
broadway) Date: Sun, 16 Sep 2001 16:02:14 -0700
[ staying from nanog to power-generation again... :-) ]
many Diesel gensets can be "converted" to operate on LPG/Natural Gas instead. they typically end up with a higher operating temperature (but not significantly so), and may need some upgrades to some of the auxiliary equipment (fuel pump, cooling system / heat-exchangers / radiators), as well as some relatively minor mods to the engine itself. you also need a Governor that knows that its using LPG/NG rather than Diesel - the characteristics of how the engine behaves/responds are quite different.
Also, LPG/NG converted diesel engines are de-rated 400kW diesel may become 280kW LPG/NG.
on the topic of Oil Filters, one of the things that can be done to help "clean" the oil in a Diesel genset is to add a Centrifugal Pump to seperate the solids from the oil. this makes it possible to extend the maintenance periods (at least for Oil Filter changes) of Diesel gensets as well as improve the lifetime of the oil itself. (Diesel gensets are fairly oil-hungry. that is normal).
I also install an additional bypass oil filter which filters much smaller particles than the standard full-flow filter. This can also extend the maintenance interval and engine life. Using a filter extension plate and a remote filter mounting kit allows for faster and cleaner oil filter changes. Ensuring adequate genset cooling through a properly sized radiator, pump, and plumbing will prevent the oil from coking and will help keep its lubricating properties much longer. In our application, we are using diesel as a primary backup to the grid and the Capstone LPG/NG turbine as supplemental/backup/long runtime AC power. We have very reliable gas service, but diesel fuel does go bad and I don't want to store more than 24-48 hours of fuel in the building. -Robert