| |
Gasoline
|
Diesel
|
Natural Gas
|
| Power Output |
Low
< 300 hp
(< 225 kw)
|
High
< 12,000 hp
(< 9,000 kw)
|
Medium
< 3,000 hp
(< 2,250 kw)
|
| Weight |
Light
|
Medium
|
Heavy
|
| $ / horsepower of output |
Cheap
|
Medium
|
Expensive
|
| Lifespan |
Short
|
Medium
|
Long
|
| Typical Operating Speed |
1,000 - 10,000 rpm
|
150 - 1,800 rpm
|
300 - 1,800 rpm
|
| Fuel Efficiency |
Low
|
High
|
Medium
|
| Emissions |
High
|
High
|
Low
|
| Typical Application |
Motor Vehicle
|
Motor Vehicle & Standby Power
|
Baseload Power
(needs to be connected to a gas pipeline)
|
Pros
Reciprocating engines enjoy advantages over
other prime movers – low purchase costs and readily available
maintenance. Because they are used in motor vehicles, engines benefit
from massive economies of scale. This leads to very low prices for
diesel and gasoline engines. The maturity of the industry and the
penetration of the modern engine also means that spare parts and
service are available most everywhere in the world.
Cons
There are two disadvantages with reciprocating
engines—emissions and maintenance. The trade-off of having
simple and cheap engines is that they are not specifically designed
to operate with low emissions. And even though maintenance is easy
to find anywhere in the world, you’re going to need it –
and fairly often.
|
