'Next Generation' Microturbine Grants
Staff -- Consulting-Specifying Engineer, 3/1/2001
Six companies have won a total of $40 million in U.S. Department of Energy grants for research, development and testing of "next generation" microturbine systems:
- Capstone Turbine was awarded $10 million to "achieve efficiency, emissions and cost objectives" in using higher-temperature, advanced materials including structural ceramics.
- General Electric was granted $4.7 million for its advanced integrated microturbine system, which is said to leverage recent advancements in large-scale turbines.
- Honeywell Power Systems has received $10 million to lead a multi-disciplinary team "to provide development, integration and demonstration of critical components that will achieve the performance, low emissions and cost goals of the advanced microturbine program."
- Ingersoll-Rand was given $1.5 million for its work with ceramic suppliers to "apply state-of-the-art ceramics technology, yielding microturbine and air compressor products with increased efficiency."
- Solar Turbines received a $4.6 million grant to improve the durability and cost performance of its primary surface recuperator for microturbine systems.
- United Technologies was handed $8.6 million by the DOE to demonstrate technologies "that will substantially increase the performance and reduce the cost and emissions of microturbines for electric utility distributed-generation power systems."
From Pure Power, Spring 2001
