Archive for the 'Upfitting' Category

A Look Back at the Beginnings of Natural Gas…

1885

Robert Bunsen invented what is now known as the Bunsen burner. He managed to create a device that mixed natural gas with air in the right proportions, creating a flame that could be safely used for cooking and heating. The invention of the Bunsen burner opened up new opportunities for the use of natural gas in America, and throughout the world. The invention of temperature-regulating thermostatic devices allowed for better use of the heating potential of natural gas, allowing the temperature of the flame to be adjusted and monitored.

1891

One of the first lengthy pipelines was constructed in. This pipeline was 120 miles long, and carried natural gas from wells in central Indiana to the city of Chicago. However, this early pipeline was very rudimentary, and was not very efficient at transporting natural gas. It wasn’t until the 1920s that any significant effort was put into building a pipeline infrastructure. After World War II, welding techniques, pipe rolling, and metallurgical advances allowed for the construction of reliable pipelines. This post-war pipeline construction boom lasted well into the ‘60s, and allowed for the construction of thousands of miles of pipeline in America.

Once the transportation of natural gas was possible, new uses for natural gas were discovered. These included using natural gas to heat homes and operate appliances such as water heaters and oven ranges. Industry began to use natural gas in manufacturing and processing plants. Also, natural gas was used to heat boilers used to generate electricity. The transportation infrastructure had made natural gas easy to obtain, and it was becoming an increasingly popular form of energy. For information on modern methods of natural gas exploration, extraction, and transportation,

1938

The U.S. government first regulated the natural gas industry. At the time, members of the government believed the natural gas industry to be a ‘natural monopoly’. Because of the fear of possible abuses, such as charging unreasonably high prices, and given the rising importance of natural gas to all consumers, the Natural Gas Act was passed. This Act imposed regulations and restrictions on the price of natural gas to protect consumers.

1980s and early 1990s

The industry gradually moved toward less regulation, allowing for healthy competition and market-based prices. These moves led to a strengthening of the natural gas market, lowering prices for consumers and allowing for a great deal more natural gas to be discovered.

Beginning of the 21st Century

It has brought with it significant regulation concerning gas quality, standards of conduct for interstate pipelines, and price reporting. Today, the natural gas industry is regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).  While FERC does not deal exclusively with natural gas issues, it is the primary rule making body with respect to the regulation of the natural gas industry.

Today

The natural gas industry has existed in this country for over 100 years, and it continues to grow. Restructuring and the move toward cleaner-burning fuels have created an enormous market for natural gas across the country. New technologies are continually developed that allow Americans to use natural gas in new and exciting ways. With all of the advantages of natural gas, it is no wonder that it has become the fuel of choice in this country, and throughout the world.

 

Adapted from: http://www.naturalgas.org/overview/history.asp

This Week’s Round Up of CNG News

This week there was a lot of major milestones in the world of CNG.  Here’s our highlights:

More U.S. Towns Are Requiring Natural Gas Garbage Fleets, in Boon to Truck Makers

Local ordinances mandating the conversion of diesel garbage trucks to cleaner fuels are providing new business for the country’s truck builders.

Five years ago, when the Long Island town of Smithtown passed a law requiring its garbage and recycling collectors to ditch their diesel haulers for trucks run on compressed natural gas (CNG), it was seen as a surprising step.

Love’s Travel Stops to Open 10 New CNG Fueling Stations with Chesapeake Energy across Oklahoma

Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores, an Oklahoma City-based and family-owned operator of 280 travel stops and convenience stores, announced plans to add 10 publicly accessible compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling stations at existing locations across Oklahoma. The stations will be built and operated in cooperation with Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake Energy Corporation, the nation’s second-largest producer of domestic natural gas.

The addition of 10 new CNG stations at Love’s locations in Oklahoma will bring the company’s CNG station count to 11 and give Oklahoma more than 50 public CNG stations.
Fuel Systems Solutions (FSYS) Named Supplier For General Motors (GM) CNG Pickup Truck

Today Fuel Systems Solutions (FSYS) was selected by General Motors (GM) as a Tier-One supplier for a new compressed natural gas (CNG) bi-fuel commercial pickup truck. The company is already integrating its bi-fuel systems into the Chevy Express and GMC Savana cargo vans at its facility in Indiana and will add this new CNG pickup from GM into the mix.  The vehicle is expected to launch in about a year.

Arkansas CNG Rebate Program now available to individual vehicle owners

The Arkansas Energy Office (AEO), a division of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC), today announced the Compressed Natural Gas Conversion Rebate Program is now open to Arkansas’s individual vehicle owners. The rebate program, announced in August 2011, was originally only available to vehicle fleets but a growing demand for individual conversion rebates brought a change to the program. All Arkansas licensed vehicles are eligible for conversion. Fleets are still eligible for the rebate.

 

Georgia Looks To CNG For Municipal Vehicles

DeKalb County, Georgia has joined the ever growing number of communities looking for relief from higher gas prices by converting municipal vehicles to compressed natural gas.

DeKalb takes great pride in describing itself as the “Greenest County in America” so the move to the use of cleaner burning CNG vehicles is in keeping with this identity. The county has ordered two dozen CNG Freightliner Business Class trucks which will be used primarily for sanitation and maintenance duties. The trucks are perfectly suited for the three-man sanitation routes that DeKalb uses for collection.

In another example of DeKalb’s commitment to “keeping it green” the fuel for their new trucks will be derived from the county’s own methane-to-energy process which was launched earlier this year. The project converts landfill waste into natural gas. This conversion process produces enough “free” electricity to power more than 2,500 local homes. The process also creates enough natural gas to fuel more than 600 CNG vehicles, more than DeKalb currently has in its fleet, but enough so they can eventually convert even more of their vehicles to CNG without worrying about finding a fuel source.

Freightliner Trucks is a division of Daimler Trucks North America. Daimler AG, a global manufacturer of commercial trucks, is the the parent company of Daimler Trucks North America. In 2007 Daimler launched its worldwide Shaping Future Transportation initiative which focused the company’s priorities on producing vehicles with reduced emissions such as carbon dioxide and offer lower fuel consumption. The one-two punch of reduced emissions and increased fuel economy is the answer many communities around the world are looking for and Daimler wants to corner the market.

The new trucks have a Cummins Westport ISL G 8.9-liter natural gas engine which has no need for a diesel particulate filter or regeneration The engine is also considered mostly maintenance-free and produces almost no emissions. They also offer increased fuel economy, no small feature in today’s economy, with fuel costs rising every year. This coupled with the new DeKalb fuel processing facility means the Atlanta area community will dramatically reduce their fuel expenses, something which will not go unnoticed by tax payers in the district.

The new trucks will refuel at the new DeKalb-based re-fueling station which is the process of being built right now. The new CNG fueling stations will be available to both commercial vehicles and passenger cars. This means that not only will DeKalb have anew fleet of CNG vehicles, but it will also have the means of supplying its own fuel, making trips out of county for fuel obsolete.

The cost of the new trucks is being fully offset by the investment in lower cost fuel production facilities and making fuel use of energy resources within the county. As the core of the five county area which comprises the Atlanta metropolitan area, DeKalb is setting an example for other communities to follow.

DeKalb is just one example of how new ways of thinking are changing the way communities serve their citizens by cutting costs, reducing pollutants and making best use of all available resources.

Interested in converting your fleet to CNG?  Give us a call and we’re happy to discuss your options.

 

$2 a gallon on gas?

As many of us head by car to the annual pilgrimage called summer vacation, holding our collective breath that gas prices don’t rise yet again, one man is happy to fill up his car’s tank.

Why, you ask?

He has a natural gas vehicle! And, his utility company set up a fueling system for him at his home, so he doesn’t even have to go elsewhere to fill up.

Click here to read more.

Talk About Back to the Future!!! Our Video Spotlight of the week is…

This is a great video of a classic GTO converted to natural gas….what we really love about it (besides the obvious natural gas upfitting) was that it really exemplified modern technology in a classic world.

Enjoy!