Capstone Turbine – winner of the Financial Times Global Energy Award for Most Innovative Commercial Technology Development -- is the leader in microturbine innovation and sales. Microturbine systems serve – today – as an immediately deliverable, clean, onsite energy resource to solve energy problems and cut costs at commercial, municipal, light industrial and public facilities. Scalable from a few kilowatts to a few megawatts, the advantages of this technology span a diverse range of markets: from natural gas fueled power cost reduction at businesses to converting polluting “flare” gases from landfills, sewage plants and oilfields into near-zero emission power and heat.

Since shipping its first three commercial production 30-kW microturbines in December of 1998, the company has sold and shipped more than 2,500 Capstone MicroTurbines worldwide. The company has communications access to more than half of those units, and has documented a total of 3.9 million hours (450 years) of accumulated operation.

Currently offering a range of 30- and 60-kW models, Capstone plans to add a 200-kW model in 2004. The company -- which has its headquarters, R&D and manufacturing facilities in the Los Angeles San Fernando Valley -- is UL-certified to the ISO 9001:2000 quality standards.

Features

• Load following 0-30 kW; 0-60 kW
• 360-528 VAC, 50/60 Hz (Stand-alone 360-480 VAC, 10-60 Hz) 3-phase, 3- or 4-wire wye (4-wire for stand-alone) 46 or 100 (C30 or C60) ARMS/phase max continuous
• Grid-connect and/or stand-alone self-start with automatic mode switching
• Maintenance-free air bearings
• No liquid lubricants
• No liquid coolants
• Fuels – C60 natural gas; C30 natural gas, propane, diesel, kerosene, sour oilfield flare gas (up to 700,000 ppm H2S), biogas (as low as 350 Btu/scf)
• Maintenance-free internal gas compressor w/foil bearings (C30 Only)
• Digital power controller
• Built-in display and user interface
• Built-in protective relays
• Built-in arraying of 2-20 units with no external hardware (or unlimited via grid connection communication)
• Open communications protocol for easy interface with building control systems
• UL-Listed (UL2200, UL1741, UL795 and UL1995), IEEE 519, NFPA, CE, CSA, NEMA 3R, CEC Rule 21, NYPSC DG, CARB 2003 DG, other certifications
  

Benefits

• Ultra-low emissions (CARB 2003 DG certified)
• Minimal annual maintenance
• Direct2Grid interconnection UL1741, CA Rule 21, NYPSC DG
• No fluid storage, leakage, changes, disposal
• Reduced compression maintenance
• As low as 0.2 psig inlet pressure
• Uncontaminated exhaust heat for sensitive direct-drying applications
• Phase-to-phase balance (0-100%) on stand-alone units
• Small footprint, lightweight
• Vibration-free, quiet operation
• Easy indoor/outdoor/rooftop sitting
• Zero hardware arraying (up to 1.2MW)
• Optional remote monitoring/dispatch
• Optional heat recovery module
• Optional 2-to-100-unit PowerServer networking
• Optional external gas compressor that serves multiple units
  

C30

C60

Specifications

Heat Recovery

Capstone now offers an integrated CHP system with >80% total efficiency based on its C60 model. A number of third-party heat recovery options are available for its C30 models. In Japan, three companies – Active Power, Meidensha-Sumitomo and Takuma – offer integrated CHP products built around the Capstone C30 microturbine engine and power electronics.

Electrical Interconnect

From a February 11, 2002 Press Release:

CEC Certifies Capstone MicroTurbines to Stringent California Grid Interconnnect Standards

In a substantial move to advance distributed generation in the state, the California Energy Commission has certified the 30- and 60-kilowatt Capstone MicroTurbine(TM) energy systems as the first and so far the only products that comply with the requirements of its ``Rule 21'' grid interconnection standard.

``The CEC and all of California's major utilities spent more than a year jointly developing the landmark Rule 21 distributed generation interconnection standard,'' said Dr. Ake Almgren, President and CEO of Capstone Turbine Corporation. ``We are pleased that our innovative microturbine systems have now officially been certified as being safe for interconnection to the grid. We think this is a significant step toward growing distributed generation market access in California, and for Capstone differentiating its products in the California market.''

The CEC action is significant in that it has the potential to greatly streamline the process for connecting distributed generation systems to the grid, avoiding both costly external equipment procurement requirements and extensive site-by-site and utility-by-utility analysis. CEC certification to the Rule 21 standard essentially reduces the interconnection review process from, at times, upward of one year to a targeted 2-to-3-week process with significant cost savings.

PDF Literature

The following information is available on THIS site in PDF format:

30 kW Unit, Model C30 Low Pressure Gas
30 kW Unit, Model C30 High Pressure Gas
60 kW Unit, high gas pressure (75-80 psi)
60 kW CHP Unit (integrated heat recovery system)
Capstone MicroTurbine networking device
Capstone Accessories

Capstone Protective Relays

Case Study - Metal Plating (Faith Plating, CA)
Case Study - Plastics (Harbec, NY)
Case Study - LNG Plant (Reliant Energy, MN)
Case Study - Telecom Building (Boeing)
Case Study - Pool (SAIT, Calgary)
Case Study - Hotel (Holiday Inn, ND)
Case Study - Car Wash (Japan)

 

For More Information

Capstone Turbine Corporation
21211 Nordhoff Street
Chatsworth, CA 91311
818-734-5300 or toll-free 866-4-CAPSTONE

Go to the Capstone web site www.microturbine.com

Source: Capstone literature and web site 7/2002; updated 5/2003; 6/2003