Cleaner burn from a blended fuel

UK generating set manufacturer FG Wilson has produced a range of gensets configured to allow conventional diesel engines to operate on a mixture of natural gas and diesel fuel. The result, say the company, is a more cost effective product providing a cleaner, more environmentally friendly burn.

The new range is claimed by its makers to offer many of the advantages of spark ignition gas sets, such as cleaner emissions, lower maintenance costs and lower operating costs, together with the advantages of diesel engines including quick starting, diesel characteristics for load acceptance/rejection, lower weight and smaller space requirements.

This is achieved by using gas for up to 70% of the fuel required by the engine. FG Wilson has created this alternative range for users who require their sets to run for long periods of time throughout the year and where gas prices are low compared to diesel fuel prices.

The proximity mixing system introduces gas to the combustion airflow immediately upstream of the turbo where it is mixed with air and compressed in the conventional way. The gas controls are set to maximise the gas percentage at any stable load, above a minimum engine load of 30%.

All engine parameters such as exhaust temperature, lube oil and cooling water temperature are kept within normal ‘diesel’ limits for the engine in question. As gas is introduced the electronic governor reduces the diesel fuel input to the engine, maintains speed stability and deals with load steps.

Sets are supplied fitted with all necessary bi-fuel equipment including the gas venturi, gas control and monitoring panel, and a gas train meeting internationally accepted standards. All the company’s standard diesel control panels and options are available.