Research and development organization the Gas Technology Institute (GTI) and the University of Texas at Austin's Center for Electromechanics will be using a $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to create advanced solutions for home-based natural gas vehicle (NGV) refueling.
In concert with Argonne National Laboratory, GTI and the university researchers will work toward achieving an aggressive DOE goal: reducing the cost of home refueling systems from today's $4,000 to less than $2,000. The DOE first announced the grants back in July.
The researchers will focus on developing a compressor that will use fewer moving parts, which will help reduce system weight and cost while improving reliability. The key enabling technology is a new surface-coating material for the inside of the compressor cylinder that will allow a single cylinder/piston configuration powered by a linear motor.
