Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Celebrates Commissioning of Commercial-Scale Prototype Dry-Solids Pump to Provide High-Efficiency, Low-Emission Gasification

CANOGA PARK, Calif., April 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne celebrated the commissioning of a commercial-scale dry-solids pump – a revolutionary feed system integrated with PWR's compact gasifier to efficiently gasify coal, petcoke and other solid fuels.  The dry-solids pump, located at the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) at the University of North Dakota, is the latest step toward global commercialization of innovative technology designed to lower energy costs, provide a clean alternative fuel source and strengthen U.S. energy security.  Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne is a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) company.

"Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne is honored to partner with the EERC," said Neeta Patel, director of Energy Systems, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne.  "Their expertise in coal and coal handling, coupled with our experience in coal gasification and this revolutionary high-pressure feed system, makes this an ideal partnership to prove the commercial readiness of our advanced technology."

The 400-ton per day prototype dry-solids feed pump system, developed by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, will be used to test petcoke, bituminous and sub-bituminous coals over the next 12 months.  The commissioning is a collaborative effort between the EERC; Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne; the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE); National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL); ExxonMobil; and the Alberta Energy Research Institute.

The dry-solids pump is part of Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne's compact gasification technology, which is 90 percent smaller than competing systems, and provides as much as a 25 percent reduction in cost with enhanced reliability.  The capital cost to build a commercial-scale compact gasification plant using Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne's technology is estimated to be 10 to 20 percent less than conventional gasification plants, and is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 10 percent compared to standard gasification technologies.  

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, a part of Pratt & Whitney, is a preferred provider of high-value propulsion, power, energy and innovative system solutions used in a wide variety of government and commercial applications, including engines for launch vehicles, missile defense systems and advanced hypersonic engines.  Behind its successful designs, manufacturing processes, and hardware are Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne's research and development engineers, who solve tough problems in extreme environments.  For more information, go to www.PrattWhitneyRocketdyne.com. Follow us at www.twitter.com/pwrocketdyne and www.facebook.com/pwrocketdyne.

Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, space propulsion systems and industrial gas turbines. United Technologies, based in Hartford, Conn., is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the global aerospace and commercial building industries.

SOURCE Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne