National Grid Ventures on 21 August announced that it is to install the first commercially deployed, 100 % hydrogen-fuelled linear generator in the world at its Northport power plant. The project is supported by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA). The remaining funding is provided directly by NGV, while Stony Brook University and Mainspring Energy are also significant project partners. The linear generator selected is made by Mainspring, which has many trial projects already in operation throughout the country.
The generator will be used during periods of peak demand. For the 12-month testing period, it will run on 100 % green hydrogen, while undergoing rigorous testing. It is expected to be operational by September 2026.
The linear generator produces power through a low-temperature, flameless chemical reaction of hydrogen and air. The combustion chamber is at the centre of a cylinder. Each side is a piston consisting of a permanent magnet on air bearings that can oscillate in and out of a field winding. This action produces the electrical output. At each end is a compressed air ‘spring’ that sends the piston back to its starting point in the centre, where it compresses the fuel until it ignites at a low temperature, producing a flameless expansion that starts the cycle again by driving the piston outwards. This kind of ‘combustion’ produces no waste gases and zero Nox.
Once operations begin in 2026, the generator it will undergo an independent evaluation at the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Centre (AERTC) at Stony Brook University. The team will design the framework and methodologies required to ensure the linear generator’s performance, emissions, efficiency, and noise levels to ensure ‘they are suitable for the needs of the local power grid both today and into the future.’
“This hydrogen-fuelled, commercial linear generator is the world’s first and an important step in developing the energy resources of tomorrow,” commented Will Hazelip, president of National Grid Ventures, US. “This innovative technology … has the ability to change fuels as market conditions change to avoid burdening customers with unnecessary costs. Keeping the grid reliable and resilient requires a broad range of energy sources, and this linear generator pilot at the Northport plant will add yet another flexible tool to protect against loss of generation capacity at critical times.”
The Mainspring linear generator is said to be fully dispatchable and scalable from 250 kW to 100+MW. Fuel sources include hydrogen, biogas, natural gas, or any blends of these. Further, the reaction that drives it does not require high purity hydrogen. The company began commercial shipments of linear generators in 2020 and to date has hundreds of megawatts in field operations and advanced development.
The New York Independent System Operator anticipates that at least 20 GW of dispatchable emission-free resources will be needed by 2040 to support New York’s clean energy mandates, according to its 2023-2042 System & Resource Outlook.
