Wednesday, October 19, 2016
The World LPG Association (WLGPA) announced two winners of its Innovation Awards from the 2015 Global Technology Conference held in Singapore last year, and they are both from the U.S.: one for an LPG-powered micro combined cooling heating and power systems and the other for LPG direct injection engine research. 
The 2016 Global Technology Conference presentations will take place Nov. 15 as part of the World LPG Forum in Florence, Italy, and WLPGA managing director James Rockall will present the awards the following day.
Randy Erwin of M-TriGen won with his submission, “LPG-Powered Micro Combined Heating and Power Systems (MCCHP). Erwin wrote that the LPG industry “faces the continued challenge of growing its demand base in a way that is not tied to the seasonal requirement for heating.” M-TriGen developed a micro tri-generation system that will allow the propane industry to meet all of the power/mechanical requirements including electricity, cooling and heating of its subscriber base at competitive prices to the electrical and natural gas industries. Erwin wrote that the tri-generation unit “is the first of its kind to provide power, heating and cooling without dependence upon the electrical grid.” Utilizing primary fuels, such as propane, M-TriGen’s PowerAire system delivers energy with 85% efficiency, twice that of the centralized power plant, which allows the production of electrical energy at prices at or below most electrical providers.
Greg Kerr of the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) won for his submission, “LPG Direct Injection Research.” Kerr wrote that with grants from PERC, Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) performed testing to determine the feasibility of using LPG in a modern downsized/boosted, direct-injected engine without changing hardware or engine calibrations. Kerr noted that results were favorable, so SwRI performed additional testing to demonstrate any performance or emissions distinctions “between an optimized LPG calibration and petrol in the stock calibration.”
The 2016 Global Technology Conference presentations will take place Nov. 15 as part of the World LPG Forum in Florence, Italy, and WLPGA managing director James Rockall will present the awards the following day.
Randy Erwin of M-TriGen won with his submission, “LPG-Powered Micro Combined Heating and Power Systems (MCCHP). Erwin wrote that the LPG industry “faces the continued challenge of growing its demand base in a way that is not tied to the seasonal requirement for heating.” M-TriGen developed a micro tri-generation system that will allow the propane industry to meet all of the power/mechanical requirements including electricity, cooling and heating of its subscriber base at competitive prices to the electrical and natural gas industries. Erwin wrote that the tri-generation unit “is the first of its kind to provide power, heating and cooling without dependence upon the electrical grid.” Utilizing primary fuels, such as propane, M-TriGen’s PowerAire system delivers energy with 85% efficiency, twice that of the centralized power plant, which allows the production of electrical energy at prices at or below most electrical providers.
Greg Kerr of the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) won for his submission, “LPG Direct Injection Research.” Kerr wrote that with grants from PERC, Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) performed testing to determine the feasibility of using LPG in a modern downsized/boosted, direct-injected engine without changing hardware or engine calibrations. Kerr noted that results were favorable, so SwRI performed additional testing to demonstrate any performance or emissions distinctions “between an optimized LPG calibration and petrol in the stock calibration.”
