Natural gas or Diesel generation vs from grid.......

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K8MHZ said:
All the ones I have seen were turbines. I have never seen a continuous use or base line generator using a piston engine as a prime mover. If there is such a thing I would like to see a picture of it.
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Humboldt Bay CA power plant, replaced 2 steam generators, 2 mobile turbine generators, and, an earlier nuclear plant. Ten V18 engines, burning natural gas w/ diesel backup. 163 MW total output. (This is all according to their website.)

Engines.jpg
 
iwire said:
So all these units are continuous use as K8MHZ was asking about?

Seems odd as all of them seem to have closed stacks.
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They’re also very clean, it’s a pre-commissioning photograph from the manufactures. According to the write up they are supplying the base load to an oil pumping station in Namibia.

Gibraltar uses the same sets for its base load. All the original sets had to be replaced after fire gutted the station.
 
Oh, fuel cell and micro turbine should be considered as well. Longer run time before overhaul. And yes it is possible to have a reciprocating engine for long term use applications.
 
JFletcher said:
Lotsa old Fairbanks Morse genset videos on youtube; apparently some were used as backup power to the grid in small cities many a year ago.
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They are still selling them and people in a few areas are running them close to 24/7 to make power. Basically a marine diesel engine.
 
Barbqranch said:
Humboldt Bay CA power plant, replaced 2 steam generators, 2 mobile turbine generators, and, an earlier nuclear plant. Ten V18 engines, burning natural gas w/ diesel backup. 163 MW total output. (This is all according to their website.)

Engines.jpg
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From the same website about those engines:

The Wärtsilä reciprocating engine technology is ideal for providing a reliable backup to intermittent renewable resources, such as wind power resources, which are currently being developed in the region.
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K8MHZ said:
From the same website about those engines:

The Wärtsilä reciprocating engine technology is ideal for providing a reliable backup to intermittent renewable resources, such as wind power resources, which are currently being developed in the region.
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But in this area, there is much less than 1 MW of wind power, and very little solar contributing to the grid. When I toured the plant, it sounded like more than half the units were running.

I suspect one big advantage of these units is ability to start or stop fairly quickly. Also, they ship mostly intact via barges and regular roads.
 
Barbqranch said:
But in this area, there is much less than 1 MW of wind power, and very little solar contributing to the grid. When I toured the plant, it sounded like more than half the units were running.

I suspect one big advantage of these units is ability to start or stop fairly quickly. Also, they ship mostly intact via barges and regular roads.
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You got to tour the plant? Awesome!

However, I think the OP is talking about using a single unit, not a row of 10 or 20 that can be taken on and off line for maintenance.
 
If you could get through the red tape of the EPA, you would then be fined for running more than the allowed 100 hours of "non emergency" use per year.

To the comment about generators being made to a different standard for use as standby or continuous...generally they are the same generator, but de-rated to extend engine life.
 
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