Oxidizer About and Features

About the Ener-Core Gradual Oxidizer

The Ener-Core Gradual Oxidizer extends a historical trend in engine technology seeking to improve emissions and expand the fuel operating range.  We believe that our approach provides unique value proposition, allows for the extraction of energy from previously unusable fuels, significantly reduces harmful pollutants, and creates useful energy products such as heat and electricity.

We believe that the Gradual Oxidizer is well positioned to achieve the Lowest Achievable Emission Rate (“LAER”) for several major air pollutants in non-attainment areas, and to become Best Available Control Technology (“BACT”) for these pollutants in attainment areas, as determined under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) New Source Review program.

Our Gradual Oxidation technology has completed a number of development and deployment milestones in the last five years.  In 2012, our technology underwent testing and verification completed by an independent third party as part of U.S. Department of Defense (“DoD”) demonstration program.

The Gradual Oxidizer works by replacing a combustion reaction with a chemically similar, but slower chemical oxidation reaction which occurs at lower temperatures than combustion. Depending on individual customer needs, we can configure the system to provide a solution to utilize ultra-low Btu fuels, a solution to produce ultra-low emissions, or both.

Solution for Ultra-low Btu Fuels.  This solution is designed for customers intending to generate energy from low-Btu fuels, including previously unusable gases typically vented or flared.

Solution for Ultra-low emissions.  This solution is designed for customers intending to meet emissions regulations in areas with significant air quality problems.  Generally, installation of new power generating equipment in such areas requires complicated air permitting and compliance with very strict air quality regulations and controls.

The Ener-Core Gradual Oxidizer Has Been Designed to Provide the Following Features and Benefits:

Economic

    • Turns waste fuel into a resource:   Generate power from generally unusable gas sources
    • Designed to operate on a much wider range of fuels. When configured for low-quality fuels, our systems are designed to operate on gas with concentration as low as 50 Btu/scf (1700 kJ/m3). By comparison, most turbine, engine, and fuel cell systems require fuel quality of significantly higher concentration.
    • Flexible, configurable design; High pressure fuel injection for  extremely low emissions, and Low pressure aspiration for use of lowest quality gas

Environmental

    • Substantially lower air emissions. Particularly when configured for ultra-low emissions, our Gradual Oxidizer technology may produce substantially lower emissions of NOx, CO, and VOCs than competitive systems.
    • Designed to achieve Lowest Achievable Emission Rate (LAER) for several major air pollutants (NOx , CO, VOC, PM2.5) in non-attainment areas

Operational

    • No chemicals or catalysts used (no urea or ammonia) for emissions control. Unlike other emissions control systems such as selective catalytic reduction, our Gradual Oxidizer does not use chemicals or catalysts and thus cannot be rendered inactive from catalyst poisoning.
    • Mechanically simple: No actuating parts
    • Less fuel conditioning may be required. When configured for low-quality fuels, our systems are designed to require minimal fuel pre-treatment or conditioning.  When configured for ultra-low emissions, we may require some additional fuel conditioning.  However, regardless of configuration, our systems are designed to require substantially less fuel pre-treatment than competitive systems.