Enhancing Safety, Resiliency and Reliability

UTD Impacts > Enhancing Safety, Resiliency and Reliability

Enhancing
Equipment
Safety

Safe Venting of Combustion Products

UTD’s research helped coordinate industry best practices for safe venting of gas-fired equipment through DOE’s Building America program, and helped develop VENT-II software for proper venting of gas-fired equipment. UTD laboratory testing in 2019 assessed the safety and guidelines for venting low NOx products in high altitude locations.

Building America Combustion Safety Summary

VENT-II Software

Stationary Equipment Combustion Safety

UTD has provided and is providing technical support to a number of technology and product developers, to help them ensure safe and optimum combustion performance with minimal instability, flashback, overheating, etc. This includes supporting end users and equipment suppliers in making a safe transition to the potential increased use of hydrogen as a fuel or when blended with natural gas.

UTD: Contact UTD for more information

Natural Gas Vehicle Safety

UTD’s research has helped inform refinements in industry-consensus standards to safely store CNG on board NGVs and safely use fueling stations, dispensers and on-vehicle fuel delivery systems, as well as other aspects related to NGV safety. As one example, consensus development of CSA NGV 4.3 2018 included participation from a UTD project representative.

CGA NGV 4.3-2018

Advancing Resilient, Reliable, Economical Stand-Alone Equipment

Self-Powered Space Conditioning or Water Heating

UTD is advancing the availability of economical new products for residential and light commercial end users that are powered entirely by gas and leverage the resiliency and reliability of underground gas distribution. UTD is helping optimize performance, identify best installation practices, support pilot installations, or provide other technical or market-connection support to companies such as those listed below.

BRASH

EnviroPower

iGen Technologies

Gas Quality Composition Sensor

A new gas quality sensor introduced in 2019 by CMR Group and supported by UTD research provides commercial, industrial, transportation and other end users a new economical product to quickly and easily monitor gas composition, and help ensure product and equipment performance reliability.

CMR Group

Advancing Resilient Reliable, Economical Distributed Energy Systems

Micro Combined Heat and Power Systems Less than 50kW

Micro Combined Heat and Power Systems <50kW

UTD is advancing the availability of affordable new microCHP systems for residential and light commercial applications, which leverage the resiliency, reliability and economy of gas distribution with high-up-time, high-efficiency operation but at new smaller-capacity scales. UTD is validating or helping optimize performance, identifying best installation practices, supporting pilot introductions, or providing technical or market-connection support to companies such as those listed below.

Lochinvar

GRIDIRON

Qnergy

Combined Heat and Power Systems Greater than 50kW

Combined Heat and Power Systems >50kW

UTD is helping more end users achieve high-efficiency combined heat and power operation while leveraging the resiliency, reliability and economy of gas distribution. UTD is developing and field-demonstrating next-generation integrated technologies such as FlexCHP, and working with leading companies such as Capstone Green Energy.

Capstone Green Energy

FlexCHP

Back-Up Generation

UTD is helping end users build more resilient energy systems by using dependable underground gaseous fuel to provide long-duration back-up generation during extreme weather events, as well as in some cases providing on-peak distributed generation to integrate and supplement the electric grid. UTD is partnering with leading companies such as Generac.

Generac Power Systems, Inc.

Integrated Energy System Innovations

UTD is advancing the application of economical and resilient integrated energy systems for end users, such combination water heating and space conditioning systems that are coupled with on-site PV, optional CHP, and optional electric-driven equipment such as heat pumps. UTD is validating and optimize performance, identifying best installation practices, and supporting pilot integrated systems which include low-capacity equipment or other innovative key components from companies such as those listed below.

Dettson

iflow

UTD Resources

UTD Market Impact

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