INL RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Science

LCNG Fueling Station,

a ‘Natural’ Choice

As the need for and

acceptance of natural

gas as a transportation fuel increases, the need

for cost effective public

access to natural gas refueling

stations becomes more and

more important.

The Department of Energy’s

Idaho National Laboratory

has developed key components contributing to a LowCost Liquid and Compressed

Natural Gas Fueling Station

(LCRS) that will assist the

nation’s effort to improve air

quality and reduce greenhouse

gas emissions.

Value of LCRS

Natural gas is readily available from a low pressure

pipeline system in many parts

of the nation. Compressing

natural gas to the pressures

needed for vehicle fueling

requires significant energy

and equipment. Creating an

equal amount of compressed

natural gas (CNG) from liquid

natural gas (LNG) at the

conversion point only requires

up to 1/20th of the energy of

traditional compression. LNG

is preferred to CNG in heavy

transportation applications

because LNG has a higher

energy density that allows the

vehicle to travel further on the

same volume of fuel.

A fueling station can be

designed to provide both

LNG and CNG to meet the

needs of users. LNG is easily

transported to areas not

served with natural gas

pipelines where it can be used

as a vehicle fuel or introduced

into small residential pipeline

grids. This INL technology

allows a fuel distributor to

offer natural gas, LNG and

CNG, at costs approaching

those for traditional gas

stations.

A new liquid and compressed

natural gas fueling station in

Fresno, California.

Continued on back
INL RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

05-GA50193-61

Prime Advantages

The advantages of using

natural gas as a transportation

fuel are well documented and

include, reduced tailpipe

emissions and longer engine

life. However, before widespread use can occur, natural

gas must be readily available

to consumers at a cost

comparable to that of gasoline.

The core of this technology is

the function of the pumping

skid. The pumping skid

integrates the essential

mechanical components onto

one platform with the exception of the fuel storage tank.

This method of construction

allows the design of a station

to be easily configured and

re-configured depending on

location and customer needs.

The skid is modular in nature

and allows various components to be omitted – depending on the station’s intended

use. The skid is manufactured

in a controlled environment,

and then shipped to the station

site where it is connected to a

power source and a storage

tank.

Prime Targets

The initial target for the

LCRS technology is key

For more information

Technical Contact:

Bruce Wilding

(208) 526-8160

Bruce.Wilding@inl.gov

Technology Transfer Contact:

David Anderson

(208) 526-0837

David.Anderson@inl.gov

Fresno, California

School District

LCRS fueling station

developed by INL

and the South West

Transportation Agency.

Continued from front

locations along transportation

corridors that lack access to

natural gas pipelines. These

gaps currently prevent the

effective use of natural gas

vehicles to travel as desired.

This technology could also be

applied for transportation

agencies – to augment the

regional use of natural gas.

The first implementation of

the LCRS has been demonstrated at the South West

Transportation Agency

(SWTA) in Fresno California.

The Southwest Transportation

Agency is a State agency

chartered to improve busing

for several school districts in

the Fresno region.

The LCRS equipment was

developed through a cooperative agreement between INL

and STWA. Hanover Compression Limited of Broken

Arrow, Oklahoma was

granted a license to develop

the LCRS technology in the

U.S. and Canada. It is also

available in other qualifying

jurisdictions.

Benefits

The benefits of this LCRS

technology are that it:

• Offers a cost-effective

alternative to conventional

CNG stations

INL is a U.S. Department of Energy

national laboratory operated by

Battelle Energy Alliance

• Provides both LNG and

CNG fueling capabilities

• Provides customer friendly

user interface

• Requires less maintenance

than conventional CNG

stations

• Provides a stepping stone

to the development of

hydrogen dispensing

capabilities

• Fabricates equipment

under controlled conditions and is easily configured at the factory for

individual customer needs

• Incorporates modular

design of components to

facilitate repair and

maintenance and reduce

problems associated with

equipment obsolescence

• Allows no-vent filling of

vehicles

• Provides fuel temperature

compensation of dispensed

LNG and CNG.

The INL is a multi-program

national laboratory dedicated

to supporting DOE’s missions

in energy and national

security, environmental

quality, and science.