Wild-Bill,
I've pondered that particular post and I too was thinking out of the box. Like I mentioned...due the air bearing "shelf life" issue the point may be moot anyway. DJ also threw a new wrinkle into the matrix yesterday when he mentioned packaging desiccant packs in way of the air bearings to alleviate moisture damage to the bearings while being shipped and prior to commissioning. This was something that wasn't initially considered as posing a problem I would think. Apparently it is a moisture sensitive area which would again negate the potential for the Caps being used in dedicated standby mode, i.e. sitting idle and only starting up upon a grid power failure. That being said there are solutions to that issue, e.g. continuous dry air or nitrogen purging.
I would think that Capstone engineers have went down the path of using the units for emergency stand-by power, but due the nature of the beast they really aren't suitable, or cost effective, for the masses in that configuration.
Your comment about using the generator as a motor demonstrates that your "semi-engineering mind" harbors bit more depth there than you admit to. As to the thermal expansion issue I really don't know what the affect of that would be but it is a good point.
This afternoon I was driving behind a Publix Supermarket and noticed the big CAT DG set sitting there. It was elevated about 4 to 5 feet off the ground which is wise because it is on a barrier island. All of the Publix Markets were fitted with standby generators after the hurricanes of 2004. Since that time not one has been necessary due hurricane related power outages. It made me wonder about the condition of the fuel and filters and what if any PM is being done on them.
Thanks for the follow-up which provides something else to to ponder other than what the future holds for Capstone.
AI
