Controlling the Emissions of Rich-Burn Gas Engines

For emissions compliance, new Continental Controls system designed for natural gas engines to 4000 hp

Continental Controls Corp., San Diego, Calif., has introduced a system designed to control the emissions of rich-burn natural gas engines up to about 4000 hp, to comply with increasing lower emissions levels. Current emissions limits for natural gas engines in the Southern California coastal regions per hp/hr are 0.15 grams of NOx, 0.6 grams of CO and 0.6 grams of HC. Many of the larger cities around the U.S. have adopted or are planning to use these same low levels as their standards.

Continental’s Rick Fisher said these low levels of emissions can be met with rich-burn engine technology, a control system, an oxygen sensor and a threeway catalytic converter of sufficient size.

The components of the system include the Continental Controls ECV5 emissions control valve, a Zirconium Oxide O2 sensor, a three-way catalytic converter, two type K thermocouples, and a computerized monitoring and display unit (TCA).