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Natural Gas engines: invention, development and application.
It is generally accepted to not count, the inventor
of internal combustion engine as the outstanding Dutch mathematician, mechanical
engineer, physicist and astronomer Christiaan Huygens (1629-95) who in
1678 designed an internal combustion engine that would use gunpowder as
fuel. However Huygens’ gunpowder fueled engine was never built.
In 1860 Belgian engineer Etienne Lenoir (1822-1900)
built the first industrial internal combustion engine burning coal gas.
In 1866 the German engineers Eugen Langen (1833-1895) and Nikolaus Otto
(1832-1891) created a more effective gas engine burning gas four times
less than Lenoir engine. It was the first effective four-stroke internal-combustion
engine (ICE)
Otto cycle is the most widespread engine now.
Various gases were used in Otto engines: coal, generating, digester, natural,
landfill, and petrol. High-speed engine, built by German engineer Gottlieb
Daimler (1834-1900) in 1885, patented in 1887 revolutionized world automobile
industry. It is accepted to consider Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz (1844-1929)
as inventors of the carburetor which has allowed the adoption of the original
gas-powered Otto cycle engines to burn liquid fuel. The outstanding German
engineer Rudolph Diesel(1858-1913) constructed compression-ignition engine
in 1891.
The century of ICE development in together with
the achievement of last decades in the field of new materials, electronics
and computer facilities has allowed creating highly effective Otto cycle
gas engines. Technology of application of gas engines rebirths in Russia
Now. It is connected to their application in systems of local power generation.
Russia possesses enormous reserves of natural
gas, and also has the need to supple electric power to remote areas. Russia
thus has a perfect opportunity to solve the electric power supply problem
with the reciprocating natural gas generator sets.
Why reciprocating gensets? The reciprocating
machines have great advantages and benefits.
Natural gas generator sets power stations have
the long service life and low cost of operating expenses.
The advantages of power stations with reciprocating
gas engines are:
The advantages of the local power generation
systems become obvious especially in comparison of the projects of electric
power supply for remote and new installations using the central vs. local
electric power supply. Local power generation removes the necessity of
transmission lines, power transformers and an extended cable network. Local
power generation systems have also important scientific and technological
significance. The scientists around the world are unanimous in the opinion
that the future of the power generation is hydrogen-nuclear technologies.
A step to these technologies is the application of the liquefied natural
gas (LNG). The local power generation systems create an infrastructure
of consumption of liquid hydrogen, including cryogenic systems of a storage
and transportation. Many modern gas engines can use hydrogen as fuel.
The power generation systems in Russia are generally
"small" in quantitative aspect, so the average capacity of the Russian
power station is about 340 kW. The total capacity of small power stations
reaches 17 billion kW or 8 % of common electrical capacity of the Russian
power stations. In USA the capacity of annually switched on small stations
reaches 30 % of the common new capacity.
Our company offers 200kW natural gas gensets with Russian engine 1D12VG-300. This engine allows to make a great money
savings in elecricity expenditures for
our domestic and foreign customers .
The disadvantage of reciprocating engines is the
only limited capacity up to 5 MW for one engine. The average industrial
consumer in Russia has the established capacity not more than 1-2 MW. Some
synchronously working units can be established if necessary. There are
examples of installation up to 40 units in one site. To produce electric
energy using local power plants becomes rather profitable business in Russia.
At the average existing tariff of 45-50 kopecks for 1 kWh of the electric
energy in Russia the cost of the electric power received from local power
plant does not exceed 10 kopecks. At the retail tariff for gas of 30 kopecks
for 1 cubic meter, that is on 50 % cheaper than cost of the electric energy
on the wholesale market FOREM. At cost of 1 kW of the established capacity
in 6-7 thousand rubles 100 % return on investment is about 2 years. Natural
gas power units represent the force that "will extend" the economy of Russia
from the present situation.
Send mail to zubov@mobil.spb.su with questions or comments about this web site.