Carbon Capture and Storage

 The Need - Energy Independence
 Carbon Capture and Storage
 The Ramgen CO2 Compressor
 Ramgen CO2 Compressor Development & Commercialization Plan
 Specifying & Selecting a CO2 Compressor

Ramgen's Development and Commercialization Plan

The company has just completed a definitive aero test program where it demonstrated world-record level performance of a single-stage rotor, validating our advanced Computational Flow Dynamics (CFD) analysis and design tools on air, and proving a flow path directly traceable to the intended CO2 compressor. The “as-built” rotor was predicted to produce a pressure ratio of 8.1:1, and the test resulted in a measured value of 7.8:1, and the CFD correlated almost exactly to the test day conditions.

The DOE has reviewed these test results and has authorized Phase II work to begin on a CO2 specific design, suitable for pilot-scale field demonstration.

Of considerable importance is that the design tip speed of the 10:1 pressure ratio CO2 compressor rotor is sufficiently low so as to allow for a shrouded rotor design concept, which eliminates the tip clearance and associated tip leakage effects and greatly simplifies the mechanical design.

On November 10, 2008, Dresser-Rand Group Inc. (“Dresser-Rand”) (NYSE: DRC) announced that it had made an investment in Ramgen Power Systems, LLC, and further expects to support Ramgen’s ongoing development work. Dresser-Rand’s funding to help satisfy Ramgen’s requirement with the Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Lab to obtain private matching funds for development.

Dresser-Rand is recognized by many scientists and engineers as the leading compression technology company in the world and they are the ideal partner for Ramgen in completing the development of its supersonic shock wave compression. Dresser-Rand has the credibility and capability required for the scale of roll out that will be necessary to make a difference with CO2 emissions and climate change.

Dresser-Rand will bring its considerable resources to bear on “productizing” the Ramgen technology. Of particular interest is that Dresser-Rand does have large scale test capability that could support testing of a commercial scale unit. D-R is also a world leader in the supply of steam turbine drives which are of considerable interest as prime movers for the CCS compressor application.

Ramgen and D-R are currently blending development plans to leverage their individual skills and capabilities to accelerate its Phase II efforts.

The plan also includes specific efforts to characterize the CO2 and its behavior in the supercritical regime in a series of static test rigs that are the equivalent of wind tunnel testing. These tests will also validate the impact of impurities contained within the gas, depending on application. Several of the key industry users have offered to assist us in identifying the range and variability of these components in their applications.

At the same time, Ramgen will be working with CC&S System developers to maximize heat integration with their respective processes. To date the CC&S developers have been designing their processes without much insight on compressor cost and performance. Most are now beginning to realize that a cost effective CO2 compressor is key to their success and Ramgen is supporting their efforts to lower cost and improve efficiency.

The high-pressure ratio per stage capability of the Ramgen technology is the key enabling capability necessary to achieving this goal.

Ramgen is currently planning to develop an HP-16 size unit. The HP-16 is the high pressure stage of a matched set that would be suitable for 250MW coal-fired power plant. That program is schedule to be completed in 2012, but test results that would allow us to offer commercial terms should be available in late 2011. We anticipate that by yearend 2011, we will be making firm commitments for projects with commercial operating dates scheduled for the 2014/2015 time frame.

That HP-16 would scale to an HP-24 to cover 500-600MW depending on assumptions. The matched LP stages, should they be required, would range from 24 to 40 inches.

We have investigated single train units for 800MW plants and consider them both feasible and within our capabilities to scale and deliver on the same commercial terms and schedule.