PR-266-07206-R01 Field Test of a Turbocharger Booster System

The natural gas transmission industry has been subject to increasingly stringent emissions regulations over the years, with tougher regulations yet to come. One of the biggest challenges has been to reduce oxides of nitrogen (NOX) while maintaining existing engine reliability and power output. One method of lowering these emissions from reciprocating engines is to use technologies that increase air flow to the engine. Typically, the engine is turbocharged or, in the case where a turbocharger already exists on an engine, the turbocharger is �upgraded� to increase the air flow rate through the engine. However, the high engine air flow rates required for an engine upgrade project are constrained by the physics of the turbocharger. As air flow through an engine increases, the exhaust temperature decreases accordingly. While this lower exhaust gas temperature reduces NOX emissions, it also reduces the available energy needed to drive the turbocharger turbine. This report explores options to boost engine exhaust temperature to maintain adequate energy to the turbocharger to meet emission requirements.