New automotive gas tank holds promise for future

MU, MRI and Kansas City partner to develop improved natural gas technology

Researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia (MU) and Midwest Research Institute (MRI) are testing an innovative alternative fuel technology in a pickup truck owned and operated by the Kansas City Office of Environmental Quality. This technology may revolutionize the capacity of natural gas to power vehicles.

Current natural gas vehicles are equipped with bulky, high-pressure tanks that take up premium cargo space, such as the trunk of a car. This new technology, however, enables natural gas to be stored in a smaller, low-pressure tank that can be shaped into a rectangular form and mounted under the floor of a car. What makes this possible is a discovery that fractal pore spaces (spaces created by repetition of similar patterns at different levels of magnificent) are remarkably efficient at storing natural gas. Professor Peter Pfeifer, Physics and Astronomy, and colleagues found a way to "bake" corncobs into carbon briquettes that contain fractal pore spaces and then use the briquettes to store natural gas in a low-pressure tank. MU and MRI researchers are now testing a prototype of this tank in the Kansas City pickup. They hope this will lead to the design of low-pressure tanks that solve the cargo space problem posed by high-pressure tanks.

"This technology could make natural gas an attractive alternative fuel for smaller vehicles," said MU Chancellor Brady Deaton. "The research partnership here exemplifies how scientists from very different fields can work together to conduct truly fundamental research in new materials with the explicit goal of having the results of the research solve problems for people."

The test pickup has been on the road since mid-October. Researchers are monitoring the technology's performance by collecting data to evaluate the mileage range per fill-up; pressure and temperature of the tank during charging/discharging; charging/discharging rates under various fueling/driving conditions; and longevity of the carbon briquettes.

"Having a prototype of this technology operating in the day-to-day work environment is significant," said James L. Spigarelli, president and CEO of Midwest Research Institute. "It symbolizes the power of collaboration and the ability of MU and MRI researchers, working together, to make a scientific discovery; to transfer that discovery to a technology, in this case a fuel tank technology; and then move that technology closer to commercialization. Although the team's work is not yet complete, this technology development comes at a fortuitous time as many researchers strive to find multiple alternatives to address the nation's energy challenges."

Kansas City has been a leader in natural-gas-powered vehicles, ranging from utility trucks to shuttles at the Kansas City Airport. The city operates more than 200 natural-gas vehicles under the supervision of Central Fleet Manager Sam Swearngin, who has been instrumental in forging this venture between Kansas City and the MU-MRI team.

"The City of Kansas City is the undisputed champion of alternative fuel vehicles in this region, and we are pleased to have the opportunity to be on the ground floor of this developing new technology," said Kansas City Mayor Kay Barnes.

This project was funded by a $600,000 grant from the National Science Foundation's program Partnerships for Innovation, which has the goal of stimulating the transformation of knowledge created by universities into innovations that create new wealth, build strong local, regional and national economies and improve the national well-being. Additional funds totaling more than $400,000 came from MU, MRI, the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Education.

A secondary goal of the Partnership for Innovation is to meet the broad workforce needs of the national innovation enterprise. The collaborative effort between MU and MRI has afforded a number of university students the opportunity to receive hands-on training for a career in research and development. As a result of the exchange, MRI recently hired an MU graduate and a Lincoln University graduate associated with the project team.

The MU-MRI collaborative is part of a larger cooperative effort called the Alliance for Collaborative Research in Alternative Fuel Technology (ALL-CRAFT), which includes as partners Lincoln University; DBHORNE, LLC; Renewable Alternatives, LLC; the Missouri Biotechnology Association; the Clean Vehicle Education Foundation; the Missouri Department of Natural Resources; and the City of Columbia, Mo. ALL-CRAFT also worked in cooperation with the Kansas City Regional Clean Cities Coalition (KCRCCC).

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Peter Pfeifer
Department of Physics and Astronomy

Midwest Research Institute
Kansas City Office of Environmental Quality