Customized Rental Solution!
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One of our customers in Beverly Hills was doing a major office renovation and they required temporary electric power for the duration of the work. This seemed like a simple enough request for our rental group to handle but there were some challenges that had to be addressed!

The Challenge

The challenges were generally centered around the constraints of the job site and included:

  1. The temporary generator could not be parked on the street due to city bylaws
  2. The only other available locations for a temporary generator came with their own challenges:
    • A very small underground parking stall with extremely tight access and inadequate ventilation to allow an engine to run for an extended period of time
    • The top of a parking structure which would require a crane to lift it into place
  3. Noise restrictions were in place due to the proximity to other businesses
  4. California  has some of the strictest emissions requirements and building code requirements in North America. This means that power generation equipment must be able to meet the strictest emission standards and must be designed to handle earthquakes which are also common to California

 

The Solution

Our rental team worked with the customer to determine the potential power demand that they would experience during their office renovation. Once our team understood this requirement, we began to look at our rental fleet and selected a few potential options. From these options we narrowed down the selection to a rental unit that was the correct size, met the noise restrictions, and met the emissions requirements.

We then worked with our customer to provide a temporary venting solution for the generator exhaust. This had to meet the local building code requirements as well as the exhaust venting specifications for the generator. Once this was done, our rental team coordinated the generator drop off and set-up (props to our delivery team for backing this unit into place!) ensuring that our customer had the electric power they needed for the duration of their office building renovation project!

 

For more information on a rental solution or any other power generation solution, contact us via email or at the number below:

1-888-682-6888 or info@collicutt.com

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Data Center Expansion
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One of our data center customers in southern California had recently been experiencing an increase in demand so they began expanding their center’s capacity. As the number of data servers increased, their requirement for emergency back up power was also increasing. Unreliable power is the biggest threat a data center can face! Power quality issues can cause equipment failure, downtime, data corruption or data loss, none of which are acceptable outcomes. So, this requirement to upgrade their emergency generators was critical!

Because Collicutt has been providing service work for them and their existing 2250kW generators for a number of years, we sat down with them to understand the challenge that they were facing.

The Design Challenge

Our customer had a few design constraints that needed to be solved. They obviously had a emergency power shortage but they also had the following issues that had to be addressed:

  • Size restrictions with their facility limited the footprint of the generators that they could use
  • California  has some of the strictest emissions requirements and building code requirements in North America. This means that power generation equipment must be able to meet the strictest emission standards and must be designed to handle earthquakes which are also common to California
  • Noise restrictions due to the proximity to other businesses
  • An existing generator that was no longer up to code and could not be made compliant
  • Switchgear upgrade project running concurrently with the generator upgrades
  • Programming to ensure paralleling of the units worked seamlessly with all the upgrades underway

The Solution

For the first unit they required, we designed and provided a custom 2250kw standby generator with a level 2 sound attenuated enclosure and a 3540 gallon subbase fuel tank. The fuel tank is UL142 double walled with secondary containment and rested just beneath the generator base. The enclosure had fixed intake louvers and a vertical discharge plenum to help hamper excessive noise to protect surrounding businesses. The enclosure was custom made with aluminum side and roof panels to ensure a non-corrosive housing designed for prolonged life. We also provided a critical grade silencer to quiet the large generators exhaust to meet city noise restrictions.

When the trucks showed up on site with the first generator and all its components, the customer’s crane company was a “no-show” due to equipment failure. As the old saying goes, “time is money” and a data center construction site is no exception. Collicutt was able to call on one of our crane contractors and get them out to site on short notice. They were able to successfully offload all of the equipment and maintain the schedule!

Our customer has now placed an order for a second 2250kW with the same basic specifications. Collicutt will be removing their non-compliant generator to make room for this second 2250kW. We will also assist them in selling the non-compliant unit using our  surplus equipment website and sales team.

In addition to this, we we able to provide paralleling programming and implementation so that when the new generators are installed and the switchgear upgrades are completed, they will be able to parallel these two new units with their existing generators.

This solution will provide them with high quality emergency power for years to come helping to guarantee their customers have secure data and data processing regardless of inevitable utility power outages.

 

 

 

For more information on this or any other power generation solution, contact us via email or at the number below:

1-888-682-6888 or info@collicutt.com

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Collicutt Energy Services Expands its Territory as Alberta’s Distributor for MTU/Rolls Royce Power Systems
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Collicutt Energy Services Expands its Territory as Alberta’s Distributor for MTU/Rolls Royce Power Systems

Collicutt Energy Services has signed an agreement with MTU/Rolls Royce Power Systems to expand its territory to distribute MTU systems and product lines in Alberta starting June 1, 2021.  This includes natural gas power generation and oil & gas engines.

A subsidiary of Rolls-Royce, MTU Onsite Energy Corp. is one of the top power system manufacturers globally and has been serving the oil and gas industry for over 70 years with the highest standards in durability, reliability and technological expertise. MTU series of diesel engines offer exceptional efficiency and durability to meet the rigorous demands of industry operations. In addition, MTU engines meet and exceed worldwide emission standards with optimum fuel economy, designed by leading-edge engineers pioneering emissions policies.

Along with the entire line of MTU Series of engines, Collicutt Energy Services adds the Detroit Diesel Series 60 engine line to its robust solution-based products and services. The MTU 1000, 1100, 1300, 1500, 1600, 2000 and 4000 engine series cover a power range of 75-3010 kW and 101-4036 bhp.

MTU’s complete range of products includes diesel engines and systems for:

  • Power units for mechanical and hydraulic drives for rotary tables, draw works, mud pumps and other well services
  • Generator sets for electric drilling rigs for rotary tables, draw works and mud pumps
  • Generator sets for continuous duty and prime power
  • Fracturing units
  • Nitrogen vaporizing/generating units
  • Cement pumps
  • Blenders
  • Coil tubing

The partnership with MTU allows Collicutt Energy Services to broaden services to a larger geographical area while aligning its sales and service team with the forefront of industry innovation and advancement.

As an MTU parts and service provider, Collicutt Energy Services’ trained technicians uphold exacting maintenance and warranty requirements to ensure productivity, safety and efficiency in the harshest of conditions. As a result, the company’s customer base will benefit from streamlined sales, service and warranty work on new and existing oil and gas equipment, reducing costly downtime and safety risk.

This cooperative distributorship with MTU/Rolls Royce Power Systems first began in California in 2015 and now allows the company to maintain elevated supply and serviceability in Alberta’s abundant oil and gas industry.

Collicutt MTU Announcement – June 2021

Check out our announcement on EnergyNow and the BOE Report. 

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Emergency Power for a High Rise
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A few years ago a customer approached us with a project that they were about to take on in Southern California. They were looking at building a 600 unit, residential high rise apartment complex complete with some major retail stores in the ground floor. They were required to provide an emergency power generation system for this building and this is where Collicutt got involved.

The Design Challenge

There are always challenges to sort through with any project and this one was no exception. Besides the usual design constraints associated with projects in California like strict emissions compliance and seismic ratings, this project had some unique aspects that had to be addressed.

  • First, the generator would have to be installed in the parking garage of the building prior to the construction of the upper floors of the building. This put us on the critical path for project construction. We had to deliver on time!
  • Second, because the overall building design was still in process, we needed to allow for late changes prior to placing the generator into production in the event that we would need to upsize or downsize the generator and its components
  • Third, because of the seismic requirements and the fact that the generator was to be installed inside the building, the fuel tank had to be equipped with ballistic rated retainer walls. Basically, this is a double walled fuel tank that is filled with cement between the inner and outer wall to provide a puncture proof solution for fire rated indoor applications
  • Fourth, because the unit was located indoors, it needed to be equipped with a special exhaust silencer to meet the city sound requirements for indoor applications.
  • Finally, the installation of the generator would need detailed planning, coordination, and safety oversight. Due to the construction site location, offloading and placing the generator would require local road closures with the added challenge of dealing with overhead power lines. This meant that we would have to coordinate a crane and the trucking company within a very tight timeline while ensuring we had the time for a safe lift!

The Solution

Our Collicutt team worked closely with our customer throughout the design phase of this project. As the design progressed the customer realized that their electrical load had increased. Because of this, we upsized the original 1000kW generator to a 1250kW unit designed to provide enough critical power to meet full load requirements with a reserve factor of 10%. The model we selected was a 16V2000 DS1250 with IBC rating, complete with a roof mounted DPF and a UL2085 rated fuel tank.

In addition to this, there were various automatic transfer switch changes and breaker adjustments that the customer requested and we were able to accommodate within the time constraints. We were also able to coordinate the appropriate air quality permit for the customer so that their generator has all the permits required for operation.

The end result was that our customer received the generator at site on schedule. Our trucking and crane contractors were able to safely unload the generator, lower it two stories into the parking garage, and remove their equipment within the allotted road closure permit constraints.

It was a great team effort and now the building program can go on!

 

For more information on this or any other power generation solution, contact us via email or at the number below:

1-888-682-6888 or info@collicutt.com

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Emergency Power Solution for a Television Network Expansion!
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A television network in Southern California was recently renovating and expanding their facility. As part of this expansion, they required an emergency power generation system.

As most people know, California has a very unstable power grid so most businesses need to have their own back up power system. This requirement is even more important for a television network as they simply cannot lose power during a power grid outage . . . this is when their viewers need them the most!

Complications

To complicate things, California has some of the strictest emissions and building code requirements in North America.

California emissions are controlled and regulated by 35 separate air quality management districts. Many of these districts have unique emission control requirements so it is critical to understand them and apply the correct solution. The wrong application can result in costly fines and mitigation requirements. In addition to this, the generator for this application needed to be IBC rated . . . basically constructed in a way to ensure that it can withstand and operate after a seismic event.

Design Process

Understanding these constraints, when the TV network started their design process, they reached out to Collicutt. Our professional sales and design teams worked with them and their engineering contractors to define the building electrical loads, design constraints, and their construction schedule.

The Solution

The outcome from this process was the generator shown in the photo above: a 1250kW, fully enclosed, IBC rated, MTU 16V2000 DS1250 solution complete with a Rypos filter to handle the strict emissions requirements. We were able to deliver this unit within the designated construction schedule.

When we heard that their construction schedule was delayed due to COVID, we were able to store the generator at our secured location for a number of months. During this time we provided them a temporary rental generator to make sure they had backup power until their facility was completed.

When we got the call that they were ready for their generator, we arranged for the crane and transport shown in the photo above. We delivered the unit and came back to site for commissioning and start up. Once the start up was complete, we provided training for the customer, removed the rental genset, and “gave them the keys” to their new power generation system!

For more information on this or any other power generation solution, contact us via email or at the number below:

1-888-682-6888 or info@collicutt.com

 

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Monitor Your Power Generation Equipment in the “Cloud”!
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One of the big takeaways from the unprecedented events of this last year is the requirement to work remotely, often with limited access to our facilities. This can pose major challenges when our power generation equipment is onsite and our operations and maintenance teams are working from home!

It has become more important than ever to have a cost effective solution that provides peace of mind that our power generation needs can be met without being onsite.

To meet this need, Collicutt is pleased to announce the release of our secure, internet based, Remote Monitoring Solution. With this solution you can monitor your power generation equipment from anywhere in the world through a secure internet connection. The solution provides up to date status conditions for critical points as well as alarm indications for conditions that may compromise your units ability to provide power during a power outage.

We offer three levels of service as shown in the graphic below and would be happy to discuss this solution with you in detail!

Call or email us for details on how we can get you set up!

Collicutt Energy Services – Powering tomorrow through unrivaled solutions today!

1-888-682-6888 or info@collicutt.com

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What is a D-UPS and Why Should You Care?
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D-UPS stands for Dynamic Uninterruptible Power Supply. It can also be referred to as a dynamic rotary uninterruptible power supply (DRUPS) or as a flywheel energy storage power system.

So what is it and what does it do?

Many data centers, hospitals, and other industries that depend on stable electric power have back up emergency generators for when the power grid fails as they simply cannot tolerate a power failure. To complicate things further, many of these industries cannot tolerate a power source that falls outside a narrow performance tolerance.

The default solution to this situation has been to power these critical applications through an Uninterruptible Power System or UPS that is battery based. Basically, utility power runs a battery charging system which charges a large battery bank. The battery bank then powers the critical loads by converting its DC power to highly stable AC power using a DC to AC inverter.

Although these systems have many advantages and have a proven track record in some industries, they do have many shortcomings, including the need for massive battery banks capable of storing enough power to last during an extended power grid failure.

The Solution

The D-UPS eliminates the need for costly and finicky battery banks while still providing a highly dependable and stable power supply for critical loads. Basically, a D-UPS is a combination of an electric motor (which also doubles as a generator), a flywheel, a diesel engine, and a reactor (or choke coil).

A D-UPS system depicted in the diagram below.

Essentially, utility power is fed into the D-UPS system. It powers an electric motor which spins a large electro-mechanical flywheel. This flywheel stores  kinetic energy. The electric motor, in conjunction with a choke coil, works as an active filter and removes power quality problems from the utility power (e.g., harmonics, RFI, frequency variations, etc.).

When the utility power fails, the stored kinetic energy in the flywheel is released and powers the electric motor which now becomes a generator. This generator now provides uninterrupted power to the critical load. At the same time, the diesel engine fires up and, within 2 to 10 seconds, takes over from the flywheel to drive the generator providing sustained, uninterrupted, stable power for the critical systems downstream.

Take Action!

If you are involved in the construction of a new facility that requires high quality, uninterruptible power or if you looking at upgrading your existing back up power systems it is worth considering a D-UPS system.

Collicutt is able to work with you in doing the evaluation and we are able to provide the Kinolt D-UPS system through our association with MTU. If the evaluation determines that a static UPS is required, we can work with you to provide the backup generators for this system.

We currently maintain over 360MW of power generation equipment for data centers in California and many of these are D-UPS systems from various manufacturers.

If you have questions about your existing power generation system or would like to inquire about a new system, give us a call. We are always glad to help!

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Collicutt Energy Announces New Gold Power Generation Solution Provider Agreement with INNIO Waukesha Gas Engines!
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As most people in the business know, Collicutt Energy has always been a top tier Waukesha service provider and a leader in the Waukesha rebuild market providing top quality products globally in the power generation and oil and gas industries.

We are pleased to announce that a new Gold Power Generation Solution Provider agreement has been signed with INNIO Waukesha Gas Engines. Through this agreement, Collicutt has factory-direct access to new, genuine Waukesha engines and support capabilities, including startup, commissioning and warranty services in the US and Canada.

This program allows Collicutt to offer Waukesha’s rich burn, low emission engines, including the newly launched 1MW VGF P48SE, VHP Series Five, and 275GL+ with ESM2. Waukesha’s fuel flexibility and ability to provide fast-start, reliable power generation for commercial and industrial, oilfield, standby and prime power applications.

This is an exciting opportunity for Collicutt as we work together with Waukesha to grow their market position in North America!

Refer to the links provided below for more information on Waukesha projects that Collicutt recently completed:

 

We are an essential business and open to meet all of your power generation, engine, and fabrication needs! Service, parts, sales, and rentals . . . call us or email us for details!

Collicutt Energy Services – Powering tomorrow through unrivaled solutions!

1-888-682-6888 or info@collicutt.com

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How to Implement a Fuel Blending System
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Air quality management districts, AQMDs, are continually updating their standards for reciprocating engines and the resulting emissions. Although the changes are made with the best intentions (e.g., reducing airborne pollutants), these changing standards often impose large technical challenges and require equipment upgrades or replacements which adds unexpected costs for business and industries.

Wastewater Dilemma

This is the situation one of our wastewater treatment customers found themselves in when a change in their local AQMD regulations instigated a large change in what was allowed for natural gas combustion.

This wastewater facility had three large CHP systems that used off-gas from the wastewater (produced through a digester process) as the main fuel source and natural gas as a backup fuel source. The CHP system provides electrical power for the plant, electrical power for the utility grid, and heat for the digester. The system had a combined electrical/mechanical efficiency of around 90% while removing GHG emissions from the environment so it was critical that it continue to run!

The challenge that the new AQMD ruling created was that the allowable natural gas consumption in their engines was changing from 100% to only 49%. However, the engines were originally designed with a dual fuel system that could run on either 100% natural gas or 100% digester gas but not a blend of the two fuels.

This change in allowable fuel ratios caused a big issue with the plant operations! (more…)

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