Energy Resources Division

Natural Gas Vehicle Systems Program

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Transportation Technologies/ Heavy Vehicles (OHVT) is promoting the use of domestically produced, natural gas as an alternative fuel for the transportation sector. The goal of its Natural Gas Vehicle Systems Program is to eliminate the technical and cost barriers associated with displacing imported petroleum fuels. Under contract to DOE, Brookhaven National Laboratory manages this program which supports research and development of technologies that reduce manufacturing costs, reduce emissions, and improve vehicle performance and consumer acceptance of natural gas-fueled vehicles.

The types of projects that are currently funded include: (1) liquefied natural gas production from unconventional sources, (2) onboard, natural gas storage systems (adsorbent, compressed, and liquefied), (3) natural gas delivery systems for both onboard vehicle and refueling station, and (4) regional and enduse strategies. To meet its objective the program's strategy is to integrate the individual technologies being developed.

• Program Overview
• U.S. DOE Contracts
• Program Contacts

Program Overview

A major portion of the Natural Gas Vehicle Systems Program focuses on developing liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a fuel for heavy-duty vehicles. These heavy-duty vehicles include Class 7 & 8 trucks, and transit buses. LNG is a feasible choice for those vehicles with fuel use that exceed 10,000 gallons per year and with a driving range of more than 300 miles. Natural gas engines produce low emissions and its fuel costs are lower compared to other alternative fuels. By utilizing more of its own large natural gas reserves the U.S. can reduce its dependence on foreign energy supplies.

The key to making LNG more competitive in the market with petroleum-based fuels is by improving the energy efficiency and reducing the costs of LNG technologies. This can be done through systems integration. The table below lists the organizations that are under contract to DOE. Their technologies may be categorized in the areas of PRODUCTION, FUEL DELIVERY SYSTEMS, STORAGE, and END-USE.

U.S. DOE Contracts
 

Contact Information

• Program Manager: Dr. James Wegrzyn
  Phone: 631-344-7917, Fax: 631-344-7905, E-mail: jimtheweg@bnl.gov
• Project Engineer: Wai-Lin Litzke
  Phone: 631-344-7153, E-mail: litzke@bnl.gov
• Mailing Address:
  Brookhaven National Laboratory, Building 815, Upton, NY 11973-5000

Fuel Production

Cryogenic liquefiers are commercially available for liquefaction of natural gas, but with the current market these are profitable only for large-scale capacities. To date, the natural gas vehicle market has not generated enough demand to develop a low-cost liquefier. The developing market and technology for NGVs, however, provide a new opportunity for considering LNG fueling concepts requiring lower liquefaction facility costs. The recent growth in LNG demonstration programs and dedicated, LNG-fueled fleets have created a market demand for small liquefiers with a production capacity of about 3,000 gallons per day.

The Institute of Gas Technology (IGT) is developing a novel natural gas liquefaction system that will use mass-produced refrigeration compressor technology. The use of this "off-the-shelf", low-cost technology is further enhanced by the development of new refrigerant mixtures. The objective of this work is to demonstrate the technical feasibility of the proposed refrigerant with reduced installation, operation and maintenance costs. Under this project a prototype LNG liquefier with a production capacity of 300 gal/day will be built for testing. This capacity could be increased by a factor of 10.

Institute of Gas Technology's Advanced
Natural Gas Liquefier Test Facility

The use of large and relatively new landfills that serve major metropolitan areas as a source for natural gas can be an effective means of displacing some of the energy consumed by fleet vehicles currently using diesel. Landfill gas generated by decomposing refuse typically contains 50% methane, and 50% CO2 with trace contaminants (other than nitrogen and water, up to 1%, i.e., mostly containing chlorine and sulfur). Un-recovered methane is usually collected and flared to prevent subsurface migration, to convert methane to CO2 (less potent greenhouse gas), and to destroy (oxidize) contaminants. Methane vented from existing U.S. landfills is estimated to equal about 5% of domestic natural gas consumption, or 1% of domestic total energy needs. This raw gas is a largely wasted resource that could provide locally significant supplemental energy.

DOE/BNL is funding Acrion Technologies, Inc. to perform a feasibility study on the production of LNG and liquid carbon dioxide (CO2) from landfill gas. The scope of work involves designing a process that will use in-situ CO2 wash technology to produce about 19,000 gal/day of LNG and 70 tons/day of liquid CO2 from 4 million standard cubic feet per day of raw landfill gas (LFG). This patented process removes contaminants from LFG using in-situ liquid CO2 condensed from the LFG. A contaminant free stream containing 80% methane (with any nitrogen present) and 20% CO2 is produced along with a concentrated stream of contaminants in CO2. The stream enriched in methane is further processed to remove the remaining CO2 and then liquefied for vehicle fuel. Integration of these low temperature processes, CO2 wash and methane liquefaction, will be investigated to reduce overall costs. Future plans include analyses of local markets for LNG and liquid CO2 produced, sales, refuse truck conversion, refueling stations, and full-scale demonstration projects.

Fuel Delivery Systems & Infrastructure

High efficiency, low-emissions natural gas engines are being developed that require a high pressure feed of LNG at up to 3600 psi. For on-board vehicle systems, however, it is desirable to store LNG at low pressure. To raise the pressure of stored LNG to engine requirements, a cryogenic pump is needed. DOE/BNL is supporting Beck Engineering in the development and testing of a novel on-board cryogenic pump for heavy vehicles. This pump is designed for low heat leaks, low vapor formation, no LNG leakage, and less tendency for cavitation when compared to existing cryogenic pumps.

To improve the power output of natural gas engines Advanced Technologies Management (ATM) is designing, building and testing a second-stage intercooler for LNG heavy vehicles. The concept uses the LNG to cool the intake air, thereby increasing its density and achieving better engine performance. This intercooler is designed to be modular, low cost, low weight, and easy to install for new and retrofit natural gas engines.

ATM's Test Facility for their
Onboard Second-Stage Heat Exchanger

DOE/BNL is also funding a project to add Liquefied/Compressed Natural Gas (LCNG) capability to an existing LNG refueling station. This work, which is being done by CVI Corp., specifically includes designing, modifying, and installing an existing high presure cryogenic pump along with other CNG related hardware. This LCNG fueling station incorporates technology that reduces intial capital, as well as operating costs, and is considered one of the most transparent to traditional gasoline and diesel stations.

LCNG Refueling Station at Washington, PA Facility (CVI)

Fuel Storage

The DOE/BNL program considers various technologies for natural gas storage: liquefied natural gas (LNG) primarily for medium and heavy vehicles, compressed natural gas (CNG) and adsorbent natural gas (ANG) for light vehicles. Currently, most natural gas vehicles run on CNG stored onboard in cylindrical tanks at pressures of 3000-3600 psi. CNG's performance limitation is in its storage capacity and consequent driving range.

CNG Systems:
In order to address the need for greater storage and driving range for CNG systems, Thiokol Corp. has been contracted to develop high pressure, conformable natural gas tanks. Through tank reshaping and liner materials development, Thiokol has achieved a system that offers 40% more on-board vehicle fuel storage compared with conventional gas cylinders.

Adsorbent Systems:
ANG systems, which store natural gas in microporous adsorbents, provide for a low pressure alternative to high pressure compressed gas storage. A project conducted by the Atlanta Gas Light Adsorbent Research Group (AGLARG) explores adsorption technology for onboard vehicle storage. Their ANG storage system operates at low (500 psi) to medium (1000 psi) pressures. Research efforts have focused both on developing low-cost microporous adsorbent materials, and fabrication of a conformable tank for the fuel and adsorbent. AGLARG has successfully demonstrated this advanced ANG system on two light duty vehicles provided by Chrysler Corp. On a volumetric basis ANG can store at 500 psi two-thirds the amount of gas as CNG 3600 psi. AGLARG and a major automotive company plan to evaluate the ANG and conformable tank system in a concept car in the year 2000.

Adsorbent Natural Gas Storage developed by
Atlanta Gas Light Adsorbent Research Group (AGLARG):

LNG Systems:
The benefits of LNG include low-pressure storage and greater energy density. As a result, LNG has the greatest potential application for medium to heavy vehicles where users require low-cost, low-weight fuel storage options and long driving range. The cost of cryogenic storage tanks alone can amount to over 50% of the incremental cost for a natural gas vehicle. To address the high cost of existing LNG tanks, DOE/BNL has contracted with Snyder Tank Corp. to develop advanced storage tanks with improved thermal performance and reduced costs.

Market Strategy & End-Use

DOE/BNL is participating in an international collaboration based in California, CALSTART, that is conducting a feasibility study of converting to LNG fuel the 18-wheeled trucks that transport products to and from California seaports. This project aims to introduce LNG to the market while also addressing local residents' concerns over particulate emissions from diesel-powered trucks. Seaports are major economic engines in the communities/regions in which they are located and that they serve. The potential impact of incorporating LNG as a transportation fuel in port-related trucking activities continues to grow as United States ports increase the amount of goods imported and exported.

Currently, the Port of Los Angeles generates more than one million truck trips annually, and it is predicted that there will be a doubling of cargo by 2020. From this study a report will be produced that will detail economic and environmental costs and benefits of LNG, siting of infrastructure installations, fuel pricing, non-direct economic benefits (such as public relations value), and barriers to LNG use. These elements are critical to the planning and decision-making process of the port authorities, regional planning groups, and transportation companies regarding the viability of LNG as a transportation fuel. Future work planned involving the ports include siting of the small-scale liquefier developed under this DOE/BNL program and possibly support demonstration projects at the ports.

DOE/BNL is partnering with Gas Research Institute to cost-share three projects. The aim of these projects is to address the market barriers that prevent widespread use of LNG as a transportation fuel and "end-use" needs. They are comprised mainly of user guides and marketing kits for the promotion of LNG in heavy-duty vehicle use. These projects will identify planning, zoning, code enforcement, permitting, and startup issues with the installation of new LNG/LCNG fueling stations. This information is needed by city agencies, regulators, administrators, fleet owners and operators who have a role in the location and use of the fueling stations.

Last Modified: February 1, 2008
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One of ten national laboratories overseen and primarily funded by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Brookhaven National Laboratory conducts research in the physical, biomedical, and environmental sciences, as well as in energy technologies and national security. Brookhaven Lab also builds and operates major scientific facilities available to university, industry and government researchers. Brookhaven is operated and managed for DOE’s Office of Science by Brookhaven Science Associates, a limited-liability company founded by Stony Brook University, the largest academic user of Laboratory facilities, and Battelle, a nonprofit, applied science and technology organization.

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