Works on searching for ways to change motor oil fuel to alternative fuel continue over decades. Natural gas is the leader among alternative fuels today. Until recently the main emphasis in conversion of automotive transport to natural gas was placed on using compressed gas (CNG). Integration of CNG as a motor fuel can be considered as positive but just an intermediate step. Transport conversion to liquefied natural gas (LNG) will be the next step. LNG is produced by cooling methane to minus 160 °C resulting in decrease of its volume in 600! times but pressure is not changed thus facilitating its storage and transportation.

A Block Refuelling Truck (BRT) has been developed by our specialists for vehicle refuelling.

BRT is a multi-purpose refuelling truck. It can supply product both in the form of CNG and in the form of LNG while using liquefied natural gas as raw product.

Block Refuelling Truck (BRT).

M. Y. Kutsak, Director; I. G. Manilkin, Technical Director, Cryogenic Gas Technologies LLC.

Works on searching for ways to change motor oil fuel to alternative fuel continue over decades. Natural gas is the leader among alternative fuels today. Until recently the main emphasis in conversion of automotive transport to natural gas was placed on using compressed gas (CNG). Integration of CNG as a motor fuel can be considered as positive but just an intermediate step. Transport conversion to liquefied natural gas (LNG) will be the next step. LNG is produced by cooling methane to minus 160 °C resulting in decrease of its volume in 600 times but pressure is not changed thus facilitating its storage and transportation.

Growing interest to LNG is connected with the fact that CNG used as a motor fuel has several material weaknesses including increase of fuel system weight due to the need to use high-pressure cylinders, short fuel distance at one refuelling, the need to inspect high-pressure cylinders periodically, the need for large area for placing cylinders etc.

In addition LNG has several advantages over CNG:

considerable decrease of fuel tank volume due to its higher density (0.14 kg/l and 0.42 kg/l respectively) that allows increasing vehicle fuel distance proportionally at the same fuel tank volume i.e. thrice;

considerably less weight and dimensions of LNG storage tank (the tank weight is less up to 6 times for storing the same gas volume in corrected values) and that increases commercial lifting capacity and efficiency respectively;

storage safety is increased; in addition probability of leakages connected with pressure decrease from 20 MPa (200 kgf/cm2) to 0.3–0.5 MPa (3–5 kgf/cm2) is decreased;

gas reduction process is simplified; shut-off and safety temperature at relatively low pressure is used.

Absence of LNG refuelling stations in our country is currently a constraining factor at spreading such efficient and more pollution-free fuel as liquefied natural gas. However the progress is moving forward and currently Cryogenic Gas Technologies LLC has developed Block Refuelling Trucks (BRT) that meet the cutting-edge requirements for safety and reliability at operation; they are energy efficient, easy to maintain, compact and mobile. In addition BRT is a multi-purpose refuelling truck. It can supply product both in the form of CNG and in the form of LNG while using liquefied natural gas as raw product.

All equipment including horizontal cryogenic tank of rated volume 10–16 m3 with LNG, electric pump unit (high pressure cryogenic pump), high pressure atmospheric vaporizer, CNG accumulator unit are located in blocks in container frames which are transported and delivered to a gas consumption area in a standard truck semitrailer that significantly reduces cost of delivery, installation and assembly of equipment. At arrival to a point of destination the block containers are installed at a specialized site and connected to electric network. The principle of BRT operation technologically is as follows: liquefied natural gas from storage tank is supplied either to LNG fuel-filling column or fed to high-pressure atmospheric vaporizer using electric cryogenic pump where LNG regasification i.e. gas conversion from liquid state to gaseous state at high pressure takes place by means of heat supply from atmospheric air. Vehicle refuelling is performed by means of refuelling stations: CNG via standard gas-filling column; LNG via LNG column.

BRT is a solution to a problem connected with distance barriers and not always convenient location of stationary gas stations as it can be installed and operate almost in any place including at the existing gasoline fuel stations thus expanding its functionality. LNG for filling BRT tank is supplied by special trucks with cryogenic tanks installed on them that can be transported for thousands of kilometers. However it will not be required in the near future as a network of small natural gas liquefaction plants (mini-factories) have been actively developed in our country.

Cryogenic Gas Technologies LLC designs, completes and supplies BRT systems according to up-to-date Russian and international standards taking into account the requirements of the applicable regulatory documents of the Federal Agency for Technical Regulation and Metrology and the Federal Service of Environmental, Technological and Nuclear Supervision of the Russian Federation.