Westport Innovations Inc. has released its new Westport LNG Tank System – an on-board liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage platform that is designed to boost the performance and range of vehicles that use spark-ignited natural gas engines.
Anticipated for market launch in the middle of next year, the 120- and 150-gallon systems are designed to be single-tank solutions that allow large natural gas trucks to run approximately 350/450 miles, respectively, on cold (unsaturated) LNG. Dual-tank configurations are also possible – and yield a range of 700/900 miles.
‘Our early production systems tested with the Cummins Westport ISX12 G in a Peterbilt 384 truck have proven to have excellent performance characteristics and superior operating results on a single tank,’ says Steve Anderson, Westport HD's vice president of business development. ‘We believe this is the only on-board fuel system for LNG-fueled engines that can operate on a single tank using range-extending cold LNG.’
Current industry-standard systems require two LNG tanks to operate effectively with larger spark-ignited engines and require warm (saturated) LNG. The Westport LNG Tank System enables cold LNG to be carried, increasing fuel storage times and improving vehicles' range by up to 10%, the company says. The universal system design allows any OEM to integrate the platform.
Westport adds that customers receive a two-year/250,000-mile warranty, along with access to field service from Westport-trained personnel.
