Ultra-Low Emissions Gas Turbine Project Initiated by ALZETA and Solar Turbines

SANTA CLARA, CA (March 15, 2002) – ALZETA Corporation and Solar Turbines, Incorporated announced today that they have been authorized to initiate project activities under a $2.4 million contract from the California Energy Commission (CEC). The project will help fund the development and demonstration of a cost effective ultra-low emission combustion technology for use in gas turbine engines.  In a competition under the Public Interest Energy Research Program of the CEC, the proposal submitted by  ALZETA with major support from Solar Turbines was ranked first among 47 submittals. Of the nine "winners" announced in September, this was the first contract to be funded and initiated. The project will focus on advanced manufacturing techniques, cost reduction, hardware and control system integration and application testing of ALZETA’s nanoSTAR™ combustion system for Solar Turbines’ 13 megawatt Titan™ gas turbine engine.

"With gas turbines acknowledged as a prime source of new electric generation throughout the nation, we are pleased that the CEC clearly recognizes the need for lower cost technologies to minimize emissions resulting from power generation," stated ALZETA’s Chairman Dr. Robert M. Kendall.  Current post combustion technologies involve major capital costs and require the production of such gases as ammonia or hydrogen to treat the combustion products. The compact nanoSTAR™ technology utilizes surface-stabilized combustion to minimize the formation of NOx and other combustion pollutants, thereby eliminating the need for post combustion treatment. The technology has demonstrated ultra-low emissions of nitrogen oxides at less than 3 ppm (corrected to 15% O2) with correspondingly low emissions of carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbons. The compact nature of the nanoSTAR™ injectors is anticipated to be fully compatible with the current configuration of Solar Turbines’ Titan™ engine.