Miscellaneous Cleaning Equipment
GE Energy Develops Patented Jenbacher Landfill Gas Cleaning System
New GE System Lowers Plant Operating Costs at Larger Landfills
NEW ORLEANS, LA.-December 11, 2007-Solving a key technical hurdle to using landfill gas for generating power for on-site purposes or the local grid, GE Energy has developed a patented, self-regenerating activated carbon adsorption system to remove contaminants from landfill gas before such elements can damage gas engine components.
Due to the high amount of contaminants in landfill gas, called volatile organic silica compounds (VOSCs), the traditional use of simple activated carbon adsorption systems requires short replacement intervals, resulting in high operating costs.
To improve the financial viability of large-scale landfill projects, GE developed a patented automatic self-regenerating system - the Jenbacher Temperature Swing Adsorber (TSA). The technology utilizes two beds of regenerative, activated carbon to capture (adsorb) the VOSCs before the gas enters the engine. By using an electronic control system, the two adsorbers regenerate themselves alternately by heating up without affecting their adsorption capacity significantly.
By protecting gas engines from VOSC damage, GE's new Jenbacher TSA system is able to offer better cost predictability. Additionally, using the TSA system has a positive impact on reducing the gas engines' emissions, since deposits accumulating in the combustion chamber can affect piston operation and as a result, potentially increase NOx and CO values, depending on the amount of VOSCs in the gas.
"Building on more than 50 years of experience in gas engine technology, our engineers are continually looking for new ways to optimize our Jenbacher engine products' performance," said Prady Iyyanki, CEO of GE Energy's Jenbacher gas engine business, based in Jenbach, Austria. "The Jenbacher TSA system helps make landfill gas-to-energy projects more economically and environmentally attractive for our customers by addressing a key industry hurdle with landfill gas VOSCs."
GE's new system was successfully demonstrated at the sewage treatment plant in the city of Kiel in Germany, as well as in two landfills in Austria. GE also successfully installed TSA systems at two U.S. landfills in Texas and South Carolina.
GE Energy's Jenbacher gas engine business is a leading manufacturer of gas-fueled reciprocating engines, packaged generator sets and cogeneration systems for power generation. GE's Jenbacher gas engines run on natural gas or a variety of specialty waste gases, including landfill gas.
About GE Energy
GE Energy (www.ge.com/energy) is one of the world's leading suppliers of power generation and energy delivery technologies, with 2006 revenue of $19 billion. Based in Atlanta, Ga., GE Energy works in all areas of the energy industry including coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy; renewable resources such as water, wind, solar and biogas; and other alternative fuels. Numerous GE Energy products are certified under ecomagination, GE's corporate-wide initiative to aggressively bring to market new technologies that will help customers meet pressing environmental challenges.
GE's Jenbacher biogas, landfill gas and coal mine methane engines have received GE's ecomagination certification, underscoring the environmental and economic benefits offered from the utilization of generating energy from high methane content waste streams.
GE's Jenbacher engines operating on waste gases reduce the release of power generation related greenhouse gas emissions while providing customers with a technology that can generate carbon credits in certain regions. GE's carbon monetization team provides assistance to customers in assessing whether monetization opportunities are available to further reduce the operating cost of power generation.
For more information, contact:
Martina Streiter
GE Energy
Jenbacher gas engines
+43 5244 600 2470
martina.streiter@ge.com
