Revolutionary   -   High Energy Efficiency
 Decentralised Energy
 nGen Systems Distributed Power Generation     Automotive Applications

 The global and economic crisis is impacting on us all, IndraNet Technologies have decide to develop the nGen System.  The units use compressed air as the energy carrier and energy storage medium.

Sustainable Energy Systems - Revolutionary power generation system and more.....

How do nGen Systems work?

The principles are simple. This compressed air system includes a compressor to compress air that is then passed through a heater/burner that heats it to slightly above 1000^oC so that its volume increases considerably but still at the same pressure as it came in.

That greatly increased flow of compressed heated air is then allowed to expand through the last component of the system that we call an expander and thereby drives the crankshaft. The crankshaft at one end drives the compressor and at the other end drives an electricity generator (or the gear box of a vehicle). The expander embodies a key part of IndraNet's IP.

The waste heat in the exhaust gases and in the expanded air is recycled through heat exchangers. The high temperature of the compressed air and the fact that it is heated externally (the combustion gases do not go through the expander) is what enables us to achieve approximately 50% greater fuel efficiency (compared with internal combustion engines) and over 50% electrical efficiency (and over 80% overall efficiency) in stationary applications. This also allows for a choice of fuels, including renewable biofuels and other heat sources (such as recycling waste heat from a wide range of industrial processes or using direct heat from the sun).

In the case of transport applications, this allows the use of much less-refined and low cost biofuels that are not suitable for internal combustion engines and, combined with the much higher efficiencies of this system, results in drastic reductions in costs.

In the first commercial installations that are currently being designing the fuel is natural gas (resulting in over 60% reductions in greenhouse gases emission compared with brown coal in Victoria, Australia). In a number of subsequent installations the heat source will be direct solar heat collected from a solar dish and therefore it can go 100% solar and sustainable at very competitive prices. This is in areas of adequate sunshine hours.

In the example given in the diagram below, the front-end compressor requires 40kW of power. The expansion device develops 130 kW. This leaves up to 90 kW available to power the electricity generator.

Market Space?

• IT-Sun's point-of-use market space covers an estimated ~90% of all energy stationary and transport energy use

• Electrical efficiencies est. from around 45% to above 70%

• Overall efficiencies above 45% for transport & above 80% for stationary applications

• Multi-fuel systems compatible with a wide range of solid, liquid and gaseous fossil or bio fuels & thermal solar

• Opens the way to 100% Solar & Sustainable World

The New Business Model has power being generated at point of use initially using compressed air and a small amount of natural gas, bio fuels or other alternative fuels, but eventually (3-5yrs) being fully solar augmented.

With the clever use of the IndraNet Minder this can allow the generator to communicate with power grid in both times of high demand and excess generation. This is a  more cost effective way of getting cheaper power than is currently available.

Integrated with technology enabling re-use of waste heat, this translates into overall energy efficiencies of over 90% from primary source to end-use (instead of less than 20% and often less than 10% efficiency in current legacy systems).