Capstone Turbine has obtained a US patent for a new fuel injector that meets United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tier 4 requirements for power generation. Preheated combustion air from the microturbine’s recuperator is utilized by the fuel injector to finely vaporize liquid fuel, and the multistage design optimizes the fuel/air mixture for a cleaner burn.
Over the years the EPA has adopted multiple tiers of emission standards. Most recently, they adopted a comprehensive national program to significantly reduce emissions from off-road diesel engines used in construction, industrial and power generation applications. Under this new program, exhaust emissions from these engines will be required to decrease by more than 90 percent.
Darren Jamison, Capstone’s president and chief executive officer, said: “Interest in liquid fuel versions of our product is increasing as more remote applications and markets that do not have the benefit of low-cost natural gas are looking to become more environmentally conscious without sacrificing reliability,” added Mr. Jamison.
The patent is currently available for Capstone’s C65 microturbine product but will soon be extended to other products in the company’s extensive line. Furthermore, the fuel injector system is reverse compatible with older units and can be easily integrated in the field with the addition of new updated software.
“The team’s focus is now on the application of butane, ethane, syngas and high H2S fuels,” said Tony Lorentz, Director of Product Development at Capstone.
