In brief: GE researchers have teamed with Chart Industries and the University of Missouri to create a chilled, at-home natural gas refueling station for vehicles.
Using a $1.8 million grant from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy (ARPA-E), the researchers are developing an at-home refueling station that would meet a target cost of $500 per station and reduce refueling times to less than an hour (from current 5-8 hour times). This is part of ARPA-E's MOVE program (Methane Opportunities for Vehicular Energy).
The station design that the group is working on is different from current re-fueling operations. Current systems rely on traditional compressor technologies to compress and deliver natural gas to the vehicle's storage tanks. This new system chills the gas to make it more dense and then transfers it to the vehicle to make the refueling more efficient and quicker. It has fewer moving parts than traditional stations, making it quieter and more reliable.
The total cost of the 28-month design and test program will be $2.3 million with the $500,000 not part of the grant coming from GE. Chart Industries brings refrigeration specialization to the project while the U of Missouri brings scientific expertise.
The ultimate goal of ARPA-E's program is to reduce the cost of an at-home refueling station from its current $5,000 average to $500.
Photo credits: GE
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