by Shane Henson — August 23, 2013—New York City never sleeps, and neither does its historic Grand Central Terminal, the 100-year old commuter rail terminal station that is reportedly still the busiest train station in the country and the largest in the world by number of platforms. Operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the renovated tourist destination currently boasts 68 specialty shops and 35 dining options in addition to rail service.
To ensure the celebrated facility remains operational in the event of a power outage, Caterpillar Inc. was recently contracted to provide equipment for emergency standby power generation. As part of the contract, the facility was outfitted with two 2,000 kilowatt Cat 3516 diesel generator sets and paralleling switchgear to add significantly more backup generating capacity. Installation was handled by Cat Dealer H.O. Penn, which is located in downstate New York and Connecticut.
The New York Power Authority (NYPA) managed the design, procurement and installation of the two generators and switchgear for the MTA. The project was intended to provide an additional level of security to Grand Central Terminal in case of problems on the electric power grid that could affect the transportation hub’s electricity service, says Caterpillar.
The new backup generators accept ultra-low-sulfur fuel, in correlation with MTA’s air-permitting restrictions. Another NYPA provision was that the generators, switchgear and load bank were required to be completely factory tested to ensure all emergency power, load sharing and paralleling capabilities were fully functioning together prior to shipment, to avoid complications that could arise in an underground rail tunnel. All components were carefully transported to Grand Central Terminal on rail cars and then reassembled on site.
“The combination of the Cat generators and switchgear coupled to a customized maintenance package will provide the highest level of backup security in the industry,” said John Callahan, power systems vice president at H.O. Penn. “We are proud to provide an additional level of safety for the public at such an iconic landmark in New York.”
