Kansai Electric Power Develops Highly Efficient 400 kW Gas Engine

Kansai Electric Power Co. and Niigata Power Systems Co. announced on May 30, 2005 that they have jointly developed a 400-kilowatt natural gas engine with a generation efficiency of 42.1 percent, among the highest in the world.

This engine employs a micro-pilot ignition system that has the highest ignition energy, ensuring quick and consistent combustion. Compared to conventional spark-ignition systems, this system can increase heat efficiency and power output by 10 percent and 30 percent, respectively. Moreover, the high ignition energy allows the engine to use gases that have very low calorific value, such as pyrolysis gas and sewage sludge gas. Nitrogen oxides in the exhaust gases are no higher than from conventional gas engines.

In addition, it employs an early-closing Miller cycle that can better exploit the fuel's explosive energy, while using the same amount of fuel as conventional engines. Because the new engine is also highly efficient at electrical generation, the system can produce a good balance of electricity and heat, reducing the running costs of potential users, such as large hospitals, city hotels and factories.

Kanden Gas and Cogeneration Co, a Kansai Electric Power group company, will add this gas engine to its line of services offered, and launch sales in the second half of fiscal 2005.

http://www.kepco.co.jp/english/index.html

Posted: 2005/10/29 03:20:45 PM
Japanese version