February 2002 

Greenhouse Gas Technology News 

NEWSLETTER Issue 7 

Published by the Greenhouse Gas Technology Center 

An Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) Organization 


Sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Research and Development 


NYSERDA & GHG Center 

Team-up to Verify Five New 

Energy Technologies 

The GHG Center and the New York State 

Energy Research Development Authority 

(NYSERDA) have agreed to collaborate 

and share the cost of verifying several new 

energy technologies installed across New York under NYSERDA-sponsored programs. Five technologies are initially slated 

for collaborative verification in 2002. The list is still developing, 

but could include the new Ingersoll Rand Powerworks microturbine combined heat and power (CHP) system, the new 

Capstone microturbine CHP, a PlugPower residential fuel cell, 

and two waste gas-to-energy systems; one using a microturbine and one using a fuel cell CHP. Both of these latter technologies will use renewable biogas fuel generated from the 

anaerobic digestion of animal and human waste. Energy efficiency, emissions, and emission reduction verifications are 

planned for each. 

"NYSERDA has assembled an impressive array of technology 

demonstrations in New York, and like the Center, they see the 

benefits of using credible verification data to show customers 

the environmental, energy, and economic benefits these technologies may possess" said Stephen Piccot, GHG Center 

Director. "The missions of NYSERDA and the GHG Center are 

well aligned, making collaboration on these technologies possible, and setting the stage for collaboration on other technologies in 2003 and beyond." David Kirchgessner, U.S. EPA's 

Project Officer for the GHG Center remarked "We're excited 

about this collaboration because we're always looking for ways 

to help States accomplish their environmental missions. In this 

case we can do that, and ironically, the State of New York is 

helping us accomplish our mission as well." 

Three New Technologies Verified 

Refrigerant Leak Detector 

The GHG Center recently completed performance verification 

of the SLE-1001 Sight Glass Monitor (SGM) manufactured by 

KMC Controls, Inc. of New Paris, Indiana. 

Hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) and hydrofluorocarbon 

(HFC) refrigerants used in refrigeration and air-conditioning 

equipment have high global warming potentials, so even small 

amounts of refrigerant emissions from leaky components can 

have a significant impact. 

Most commercial and industrial refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment includes a sight glass in the liquid line near the 

condenser outlet to visually monitor refrigerant conditions. A 

clear liquid in the sight glass during operation indicates that 

adequate refrigerant is 

present. Continuous 

bubbles in the sight 

glass indicate that the 

system is short of refrigerant, which can be 

caused by leakage. 

KMC developed the 

SLE-1001 Sight Glass 

Monitor (SGM) to 

measure and interpret 

refrigerant conditions at 

the sight glass. The SGM is mounted on an existing sight glass 

and continuously monitors for the presence of bubbles and/or 

moisture in the circulating refrigerant. When the SGM detects 

continuous bubbles and/or moisture, the monitor alarms, warning operators of a potential leak. This early warning provides an 

opportunity to repair the leak at an earlier stage than would normally occur, reducing emissions and financial losses from 

leaked refrigerant. 

SGM Co-Inventors, (from left) 

Laurel Chapman and J. Norman Nevitt 

of Future Controls, Inc. 

Display KMC’s Detector Module 

Richard Drake, NYSERDA Program Manager of Power 

Systems Research, will coordinate with the GHG Center on the The GHG Center verified the SGM installed cost, leak detection 

five projects outlined above. "NYSERDA is an active participant sensitivity, and potential refrigerant savings on a roof-top airconditioning unit (75 ton cooling capacity) in Governor Pataki’s Greenhouse Gas Task Force. Our (continued on page 2, see Verifications) (continued on page 4, see NYSERDA ) 

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Greenhouse Gas Technology News 

Verifications 

(continued from page 1) 

and water chiller (70 ton capacity) located at an actual commercial site in North Carolina. Interested readers may download the 

Test Plan, Verification Report, and Verification Statement from the GHG Center's Web site (www.sri-rtp.com). For additional information on the SGM, please visit KMC’s Web site (www.kmc-controls.com). 

Air to Fuel Ratio Controller For Gas-Fired Engines 

The GHG Center recently evaluated the performance of the GECO 3001TM Air/Fuel Ratio Controller which is offered 

by MIRATECH Corporation of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and was developed by Woodward Governor Company, of Fort Collins, 

Colorado. The GECO Controller is an air/fuel ratio controller designed to improve performance of natural-gas-fired, 

four-cycle, lean-burn reciprocating engines by optimizing and stabilizing the air/fuel ratio over a range of engine operating conditions. The technology uses a closed-loop feedback system that automatically and continuously optimizes 

the air/fuel mixture introduced to the engine, providing the potential to improve engine fuel economy and reduce engine 

emissions, particularly when changes in engine load, fuel quality, or ambient conditions occur. Using exhaust gas O2, 

intake air manifold pressure, intake air manifold temperature, and engine speed as primary indicators of engine operation, the GECO Controller continuously adjusts air/fuel ratios by adjusting and controlling fuel flow to the carburetor. 

Verification testing was conducted on a lean-burn internal combustion engine (Caterpillar Model 3516-LE), with a rated 

power output of 1,085 BHp. The verification quantified changes in engine fuel consumption rates, criteria pollutant and 

greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and oil degradation rates that occur with the use of the GECO Controller. Results 

can be obtained from the GHG Center Web site identified above. 

Diesel Fuel Cleaning System 

The GHG Center has recently evaluated the performance of the Enviro 4 

Automated Fuel Cleaning and Maintenance System which is offered by JCH Fuel 

Solutions of N. Las Vegas, Nevada. JCH's Enviro System treats and cleans contaminated fuel prior to use and maintains the treated fuel while in storage. 

Facilities using diesel-fired engines often draw their fuel supply from central storage tanks, which can remain in storage for long periods (e.g., hospitals or hotels 

with emergency electric generators often hold fuel for extended periods before 

using it). Fuel can become contaminated during long storage periods, and according to the vendor, these contaminants alter diesel fuel properties and potentially 

harm engine mechanisms, increase wear, clog filters, and impact combustion quality and fuel use efficiency. The primary goal of this verification was to determine if a positive impact on emissions and 

fuel consumption occurs with the use of JCH's Enviro System. The verification determined emissions and fuel consumption rates for an Onan Model 200DGFC 200 kW genset using contaminated fuel. These tests were then repeated after JCH treated the same lot of fuel using the Enviro System. Results can be obtained from the GHG Center Web 

site identified above. 

Policy Corner Policy Corner

Enviro System Being Moved Into 

Position by JCH Staff During Testing 

U.S. Senate Considers CO2 Trading Program 

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is considering a plan for capping carbon 

dioxide emissions from motor vehicles that would allow emissions trading to occur between the 

transportation and electric utility industries. The plan, drafted at the request of the committee 

Chairman Jim Jeffords (I, VT), would impose a cap on automakers, and would target passenger 

vehicles first, followed by light-duty trucks, commercial fleets, and others. The plan is being received coolly by 

auto industry representatives, many which view the proposal as a back door to imposing stringent 

new CAFÉ standards that could significantly increase the cost of automobiles. The transportation 

sector represents about one-third of the national CO2 emissions, and emission traders and some 

electrical utility groups have responded with interest, applauding efforts to include the transportation 

industry in any national effort to reduce GHG emissions. 

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Greenhouse Gas Technology News 

EPA’s Natural Gas STAR Program and GHG Center Team-up 

Effort Begins With Oil Processing Sector Technologies 

There are an estimated 252,000 natural gas production wells and 575,000 crude oil wells in 

the United States. Most of these operations produce large volumes of relatively low-pressure waste gas, a large fraction of which is methane. This gas can be either disposed of 

(e.g., vented or flared) or recovered and used. Disposal options are relatively easy to implement and can reduce hazards and toxic air pollutants. However, disposal options do not 

make use of the high-energy content associated with the gas, produce large volumes of 

GHG and other emissions, and when flaring is used, can lower the aesthetic quality of communities and generate nuisance complaints. 

On the other hand, vapor recovery units, or VRUs, can capture these Btu-rich vapors for use 

as an on-site fuel, pipeline-quality gas, or natural gas liquid. While reducing GHG emissions 

when compared to disposal options, VRUs can also provide financial benefits to site operators due to the recovery of previously wasted resources. However, operation of VRUs can 

be a costly and high maintenance option for some operators, making disposal options more 

attractive in many cases, particularly, when electrical power access is limited. 

The Greenhouse Gas Technology Center (GHG Center), in partnership with EPA's Natural 

Gas STAR Program, plans to conduct an independent performance verification of a new 

vapor recovery system; the EVRUTM Vapor Recovery System, offered by COMM 

Engineering, USA. COMM Engineering voluntarily submitted the technology for verification 

in late 2001, and field verification of the system will now take place at a crude oil processing and storage facility operated in the 

U.S. by Total Fina Elf E&P USA, Inc. Planning for the verification is underway, and testing should begin by the summer of 2002. 

Performance parameters will be verified using measurements and other techniques, and will include determination of the average 

daily gas recovery rate, the total installed cost, and the annual natural gas savings and methane reduction. 

The verification testing effort is being co-sponsored by EPA's Natural Gas STAR Program, which on behalf of the STAR Program 

Partners, is providing financial and other support. Carrie Henderson, EPA's STAR Program manager said "Partnering with the 

GHG Center is a good way to support our STAR Partners with credible data on new environmental technologies. The EVRU has 

the potential to benefit both site operators and the environment, and we look forward to working with the GHG Center to see how 

well it performs for Total Fina Elf. We also hope to support the GHG Center's efforts to verify other methane mitigation technologies in the future." 

According to COMM Engineering, the EVRU is applicable to thousands of crude oil and condensate storage tanks in the United 

States. Considering typical oil and gas production facilities may produce between 50 and 300 MCF/day of hydrocarbon vapors 

from these tanks, substantial energy recovery and emissions reductions are possible. The EVRU is different from standard VRUs 

in that it uses a non-mechanical eductor device to recover and increase the pressure of low-pressure vent gas for use or sale. 

High-pressure motive gas is used to entrain the low-pressure vapors and discharge them at a higher pressure. The resulting gas 

stream can be used on-site as an engine fuel, or repressurized with a booster compressor and introduced into a natural gas transmission line for sale. 

High-pressure motive gas must be available for the 

unit to work, but most oil and gas production and processing facilities are equipped with high-pressure natural gas pipelines, providing a readily available motive 

gas source. The eductor has no moving parts, so 

maintenance costs may be low, and other than the 

motive gas, requires no outside sources of energy. 

Carrie Henderson, Manager, 

Natural Gas STAR Program 

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Greenhouse Gas Technology News 

Indian Parliament Building in New Delhi 

GHG Center Conducts Verification Training in India 

During the week of September 10, 2001, the Indian Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), the U.S. Agency 

for International Development (AID), the U.S.-Asia Environmental 

Partnership (U.S. AEP), the U.S. EPA, and the Federation of Indian 

Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) sponsored 

Environmental Technology Week in New Delhi, India. The event 

included a two-day technology conference attended by high-level 

U.S. and Indian government officials and diplomats, a wide range of 

technologists, and others from across India. The event concluded 

with a two-day environmental technology verification training workshop attended by 65 representatives from industry, government, 

financial institutions, research institutions, technology suppliers, and 

the Indian media. 

The training workshop, held at the request of the Indian organizations listed above, was developed and presented 

jointly by EPA's Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) Program and EPA's Office of International Activities. 

Presenters included Blair Martin from EPA's Office of Research and Development, Dennis Cunningham from EPA's 

Office of International Activities, Stephen Piccot from Southern Research Institute's Greenhouse Gas Technology 

Center, Gordon Bellen from NSF International's Drinking Water Systems Center, and Adam Abbgy from Battelle's 

Advanced Monitoring Systems Center. Training activities illustrated the major components of EPA's ETV Program, 

and included sessions on verification planning and protocol development, stakeholder process execution, verification testing and reporting, and quality assurance methods. Stephen Piccot provided performance results for a collection of technologies recently verified by the GHG Center, emphasizing technologies of particular interest to Indian 

constituencies (distributed generation, municipal solid waste utilization, advanced energy technologies). 

Following the workshop, the participant group reconvened for a fifth day of private discussions focused on the development of a technology verification system for India, MoEF, FICCI, and many of the organizations represented during the Environmental Technology Week will likely play key roles in running this verification program. Consideration 

is now being given to continuing the training by conducting a practical hands-on verification, in cooperation with an 

Indian verification organization, of an advanced energy technology installed at an Indian industrial or commercial 

facility. 

NYSERDA 

(continued from page 1) 

mission is to develop and validate the benefits of 

environmentally preferred options for electric power 

generation and energy use. We expect this collaborative program with the GHG Center to become an 

important element of fulfilling that mission" said 

Drake. Technology performance parameters planned 

for verification are listed in the adjacent table, along 

with a general description of the commercial and 

other sites that will host each verification. "Potential 

purchasers of these energy technologies would much 

rather have verification occur under real world conditions and at real commercial sites" said Piccot. "It's 

more difficult and costly to do research grade testing 

in the real world, and it is certainly more challenging for the technology vendors. But we want the customers of our 

verifications to place high value on GHG Center data, and hopefully use it to make more informed purchase decisions." Verification planning activities should begin in February, with verification testing, analysis and reporting activities continuing through 2002 and into 2003. At least two verifications should be completed by September 2002. 

Verification Site and Technology Verification Parameters 

70 kW microturbine CHP firing natural 

gas and supplying hot water to a 

community center's hot water system. 

1. Power output and quality, heat output 

2. CO2, CO, HC, and NOX emissions 

3. GHG and NOX reduction estimates 

4. Electrical, heat, and total efficiency 

30 kW microturbine using anaerobic 

digester gas from a dairy farm animal 

waste management system. 

1. Power output and quality 

2. SO2, CO2, CO, PM, HC, and NOX emissions 

3. GHG and NOx reduction estimates 

4. Electrical efficiency 

Two 200 kW fuel cell CHPs using 

anaerobic digester gas from a municipal 

waste water treatment plant. Waste heat 

used in digesters. 

1. Power output and quality, heat to digester 

2. CO2, CO, HC, PM, SO2, NOX emissions 

3. GHG and NOx reduction estimates 

4. Electrical, heat, and total efficiency 

Two 7 kW residential-scale PEM fuel 

cells using natural gas. One may switch 

to CHP in 2002. 

1. Power output and quality 

2. CO2, CO, HC, NOX emissions 

3. GHG and NOX reduction estimates 

4. Electrical efficiency 

60 kW microturbine with heat recovery 

for desiccant drying and space heat. 

Grid interconnect is anticipated. 

1. Power output and quality, heat output 

2. CO2, CO, HC, and NOX emissions 

3. GHG and NOX reduction estimates 

4. Electrical, heat, and total efficiency 

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Greenhouse Gas Technology News 

ANNOUNCEMENT!


Planning To Demonstrate New Technologies 

For Use In........? 

· Central Electrical Power 

· Distributed Electrical Power 

· Combined Heat and Power 

· Oil & Gas Production, Transmission, Distribution 

· Municipal & Other Waste Management (solid, liquid, animal) 

· Large Spark Ignition & Diesel Engine Improvements 

Team-up With the GHG Center 

We May be Able to Help Plan, Manage, and Execute Your 

Performance Assessment Program, and Pay 1⁄2 the Cost! 

Want to Learn More? 

The GHG Center's mission is to perform independent third-party performance verification testing on 

technologies that reduce GHG emissions, then make that information available to technology purchasers, other stakeholders, and the public. The GHG Center is seeking vendors that believe EPA 

sponsored-verification testing would help increase the awareness and sales of their innovative and 

high-performance technology. We are also seeking partners with a mission similar to the GHG 

Center's, that want to partner on field verification testing. Interested parties can view and download 

all published GHG Center documents, and learn more about the GHG Center at our Web site 

(www.sri-rtp.com). The GHG Center Director, Stephen Piccot, can be reached at 919/ 806-3456. 

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Greenhouse Gas Technology News


Climate Change Mitigation at the Grass Roots 

Many people believe that the summers are getting hotter, the winters are milder, or the weather is becoming more erratic. Average 

temperatures in parts of Hawaii and Colorado, for example, have risen more than 4 oF in the last century. Citizens, non-governmental 

organizations (NGOs), and communities are becoming 

concerned and are taking action at the state and local levels to mitigate GHG emissions. The perception is growing 

that appropriate environmental measures can create jobs, 

save money, and enhance the quality of life, all while 

addressing the public's concern with climate change. 

Stakeholders also realize that programs must originate at 

the local level because federal mandates are unlikely to 

occur in the near future. 

Local actions are key components of the overall U.S. 

response to potential climate change challenges. Local 

efforts are gaining credibility, effectiveness, and acceptance 

through leveraging of resources between federal, state, 

GHG Inventories and community agencies and organizations. The sheer 

in progress (1) number of initiatives can be daunting, so this article sumcompleted (35) marizes a few efforts, and explores their underlying connone (14) cepts. 

Which States Have Initiated Action Plans? With assistance from the U.S. EPA State and Local Climate 

Change Program, two-thirds of the states have developed 

greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories, and about half have developed State Climate Change Action Plans. Regional plans are also 

emerging, such as the recently implemented climate action plan between New England states and eastern Canadian provinces. The 

content of these action plans ranges from generalized guidelines to specific regulatory, purchasing, and tax initiatives. The adjacent 

table summarizes some of the most popular types of programs. They are ranked in rough order of the number of states implementing the concept. 

Responding to local pressure from a public that senses the State and Local Climate Change Program 

State Action Plan Concepts 

climate is changing and an international response has • Industry energy use; demand-side management programs; begun, many local politicians are interested in taking some state/local energy and physical plant purchasing programs action. In February, the National Governors Association will • Domestic/commercial building improvements; rehabilitation 

host a workshop: Taking the Lead:Workshop on State • Alternative fuel vehicle fleet purchase 

Innovations to Reduce Greenhouse Gases, at the Hall of • Vehicle true cost allocation; changes in tax, registration, and 

the States in Washington, DC. The GHG Center has been inspection structures 

invited to participate in this event, which will emphasize mit- • Renewable energy portfolio mandates; net metering 

• Afforestation/sequestration igation strategies that reduce GHG while achieving other • Recycling/waste reduction 

economic and air quality goals. Many states have passed • Biogas; landfill methane utilization 

the planning stage, like New York, Connecticut, California, • Agriculture efficiency improvements (e.g., tillage, fertilizer use) 

and others that have technology demonstration and pro- • Enforceable/voluntary emissions inventories and trading programs 

• Public education/outreach motion programs well underway. For example, New York • Coalbed methane utilization; pipeline fugitive leak controls has committed about $21 million to demonstrate 50 high- • Appliance efficiency standards; Energy Star participation 

efficiency combined heat and power technologies in the • Transportation mode shifts (e.g., HOV, light rail, intermodal freight) 

industrial, institutional, commercial, and residential sectors • "Smart growth" initiatives (e.g., community development best 

of New York. Although GHG reductions are not the main practices) 

purpose, it is a key goal, along with reducing air pollution • Telecommuting 

and alleviating electricity shortages. 

Contact the Greenhouse Gas Technology Center by calling Stephen Piccot at Southern Research Institute 

(919/806-3456), or David Kirchgessner at the U.S. EPA (919/541-4021). Additional information can be viewed on 

the GHG Center Web site at www.sri-rtp.com or the U.S. EPA ETV Web site at www.epa.gov/etv. 

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