The Electric Drives and Power Conversion Division of Ballard Power Systems Inc. (Vancouver, BC) introduced its high-speed, natural-gas-fueled generator set, the Ecostar genset, capable of producing 80kW for standby and backup power applications. The Ecostar ES080-42N-S genset is based on the 4.2L Ford V6 natural gas engine and operates at double the speed of conventional gensets to produce nearly twice the power.
Ballard and Ford collaborated to increase the speed and endurance of the Ford 4.2L V6 natural gas engine and Ballard integrated this engine with the generator, electronics and control systems. The brushless synchronous generator can be configured to deliver three-phase voltages up to 480V, or single-phase voltages up to 240V. Eight distinct configurations enable the genset to serve both 60Hz and 50Hz applications. The genset is available with a modem for full communications and diagnostics. The configuration is selected by the customer and set at the factory prior to final testing.
The list price of the ES080-42N-S is $15,700 with delivery in one to four weeks. Service and warranty are available from more than 500 authorized distributor service centers across the US. Targeted markets include agricultural, light-industrial and large residential standby applications.
