Boxing clever

The first four of GE's ‘Power in a Box’ packages are headed for Brazil to help meet that country’s immediate need for additional power. Power in a Box is a 1 MW, 480 V, 1800 rpm gas engine genset.

One package is being shipped to General Electric do Brasil in Rio de Janeiro, and three units to GE Varig at the Rio de Janeiro international airport. Both companies expect to reduce their grid dependency by up to 20 per cent, in response to a Brazilian government request for companies to lower their power demand. These units can be on site and running within 40 days of the date of order.

A fully integrated, self-contained and compact package, PIAB can operate independently or in parallel with the grid. With its natural gas engine, the unit meets stringent emissions requirements. It fits in a standard ISO container with no externally mounted auxiliary components. The total package measures 40 feet long, 8.5 feet high and 8 feet long and weighs approximately 50 000 pounds.

Key components of the package include a four-stroke, aftercooled engine with an electronically controlled air/gas mixture system, the most advanced lean-burn combustion system, a three-phase generator, engine generator control panel, a twin-circuit cooling system, and a container ventilation system. The package also includes an exhaust gas silencer, designed for a residual sound pressure level of 74 dB(A) at a distance of 23 ft, and a noise-treated vertical discharge exhaust.

Several units have been shipped to southern California and the Pacific Northwest, to help meet immediate demand for additional capacity.