Green Energy News | December 27, 1998

December 27, 1998 – Vol.3 No.39

ENERGIES... week of December 27,1998

FROM SITE TO MARKET. A source of renewable energy may be far removed from the consumers that need it. Wind in a mountain pass, a free-flowing river, or a sunny locale that could be tapped for green power generation may be hundreds of miles away from communities and industry. Bringing power long distances to market is an expensive proposition that can determine the financial feasibility of a project - especially for small installations.

The ABB Group has recently won an order to build a 41 mile (65 kilometer) link connecting the power grids of Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. ABB will use its newly developed HVDC Light (High Voltage Direct Current Light) electric power transmission technology for the connection. According to the company, HVDC Light was developed, in part, to connect small-scale power generation to a larger grid over long distances. The technology features a modular design to decrease installation costs and shorten delivery time. HVDC Light is buried underground to minimize environmental impact and increase reliability. Power flowing through the system can also be controlled, measured and scheduled to meet contractual agreements in power trading under deregulation.

ABB has also been involved in upgrading older hydroelectric facilities with state-of-the-art equipment to increase generating capacity. Visit ABB at http://www.abb.com .

FLEET HYBRIDS FOR DEVELOPMENT. Internal combustion engines in vehicles are largely compromise designs. To meet the wide range of horsepower and torque needed for acceleration and cruise, engines most operate within a wide power band. Revolutions-per-minute can range from a few hundred to thousands. (Multi-geared transmissions, of course, help.) Excess power, too, must be engineered in to make performance appealing to customers, yet vehicles need only a fraction of the available power at cruising speeds. These compromises lead to inefficient engines and vehicles. Hybrid vehicle designs may overcome these tradeoffs.

On the coattails of General Motors’ announcement that it will develop a diesel-electric hybrid bus for possible use on the streets of New York City, Lockheed-Martin and Navistar International will develop a diesel-electric hybrid delivery vehicle for testing by United Parcel Service, known worldwide as UPS.

In both designs a smaller-than-could-be-expected diesel engine is used to drive a generator to charge a bank of batteries which, in turn, power the electric drive motor - a series hybrid configuration. Energy stored in the battery pack makes up for the reserve, on-demand power normally available with a large internal combustion engine typically installed. General Motors states that the diesel generator will run at a constant speed for better efficiency and lower emissions. Lockheed Martin says it will install regenerative braking in the delivery truck. Both vehicles will begin testing in early 1999. Visit GM at http://www.gm.com/ , Lockheed Martin Control Systems at http://www.lmco.com/, Navistar at http://www.navistar.com and UPS at http://www.ups.com/ .