“As the North American grid evolves, customers need more options to meet their resiliency, cost and sustainability goals."
- Jaime Mineart, vice president of Caterpillar Retail Electric Power Solutions
Caterpillar has launched four new models of natural gas generator sets that deliver improved power density and emissions performance combined with Caterpillar’s renowned reliability and support.
Now available from Cat dealers in North America for small- to medium-sized standby and demand response applications, the generator sets feature four 60-Hz power nodes ranging from 350 kW to 500 kW. The units are factory certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for use in non-emergency applications.
Performance and Applications
Designed utilizing Caterpillar’s deep gas engine development expertise, the new generator sets deliver high power density and provide a solution for numerous energy projects. Available in both standalone and modular parallel configurations, these generator sets offer extended annual run times, making them exceptional for energy management applications such as demand response programs that compensate large energy users for producing extra power during periods of peak demand and exporting it to the grid. The technology also enables fast response for emergency standby applications.
Their compact footprint and performance across a wide range of pipeline natural-gas fuel pressures make them a versatile choice for small- and medium-sized construction and manufacturing applications, agriculture facilities, municipal infrastructure, commercial enterprises and office buildings.
The new gas generator sets are equipped to use the Cat Active Management Platform (AMP), a proven distributed energy resource management system (DERMS) platform that helps customers monitor, manage and monetize these natural gas generator sets and other Cat power solutions. It can be applied with other distributed energy resource (DER) system components including Cat PVC Photovoltaic Modules and Cat Energy Storage Solutions while also managing customer load reductions. The platform monitors patterns from the grid and client facilities, analyzes opportunities in energy markets and then dispatches DERs to maximize return and monetize results without disrupting normal business operations.
Engine Control Module
To optimize performance while protecting the engine, the new models of natural-gas generator sets use the field-proven Cat ADEM A4 engine control module (ECM) to seamlessly integrate all engine functions including ignition, governing and air-fuel ratio control.
The generator sets are designed to meet the NFPA power restoration requirement for Level 1 systems and accept 100 percent block load in one step. They meet ISO 8528-5 requirements for steady state and load acceptance and are UL 2200 listed.
“This new series of gas generator sets delivers unrivaled performance through reliable power during emergencies combined with considerable energy cost savings from demand response," said Mineart.
Hardware is pre-installed on each of the new generator sets to enable access to Cat Connect Remote Asset Monitoring, which provides data visualization, reporting and alerts through a web interface or mobile app. Available with a subscription, it enables operators and Cat dealers to track and manage generator set operation, identify potential problems, perform remote troubleshooting, manage operational expenses and leverage long-term archives of site performance history to identify opportunities for operational and system enhancements.
