Chart Industries has addressed some of the drawbacks of using liquefied natural gas for long-haul trucking with improvements to its LNG truck fuel system, including a larger-capacity single tank to extend range and cut costs, and integration for faster installation.

Chart increased the maximum single tank LNG storage capacity to more than 100 diesel gallon equivalent. This high-capacity tank extends driving range significantly without the added cost of an additional fuel tank. In fact, said company officials during a press briefing at the Mid-America Trucking Show, the 100-DGE tank costs about $5,000 less than two separate tanks.

The new tank is a standard 26-inch diameter and is 108 inches long, which is right at the limit for most daycabs.

The installation effort for LNG vehicle fuel systems has been reduced with the new Integrated Tank from Chart. By incorporating components that are normally installed as a separate module into the tank, the system’s space needs and complexity are reduced.

With the move toward factory installation of natural gas fuel systems, Chart’s new LNG fuel tank will help vehicle manufacturers incorporate this technology with fewer disruptions. Previously, the tank was shipped to installers along with a box of parts.

Chart says its LNG tanks have the longest hold times in the industry (the time a truck can sit idle before it starts losing some LNG to evaporation. This allows the company's new products to enjoy hold times of 10 days or more, compared to seven days previously.

The LNG tanks from Chart also have a heat management system that auto-refrigerates the tank when the truck is running.

Chart began pioneering LNG fueling solutions over 20 years ago, with the development of LNG on-board vehicle solutions, mobile fueling systems, and permanent fueling stations. Today, Chart offers LNG Liquefaction, LNG Storage and Distribution Equipment, along with a broad range of end use LNG solutions for transportation and industrial applications.

The company offers everything from very large public and private fueling stations to mobile fueling systems and self-contained LNG systems on wheels that can be easily transported to a customer's site. The 6,200-gallon DGE size is the most popular, and is often placed at a site temporarily while more permanent infrastructure is being built. There's increasing demand for the company's 16,000-DGE units, where a full tanker load of LNG can be delivered into it.