METHOD FOR IMPROVING NATURAL-GAS ENERGY DENSITY AT AMBIENT-TEMPERATURES

This paper describes a technology which provides a method for the stor age of natural gas, primarily for vehicular use, as a Liquid solution with other hydrocarbons at ambient temperatures which achieves an ener gy storage density (on a volumetric basis) up to about 80% of gasoline . The solution is stored at pressures of about 2000 psig and provides approximately 3 times the storage density of compressed natural gas. V arious operating scenarios may include differing hydrocarbon ''solvent s'', such as propane, LPG, or butanes, and different required storage temperatures, with lower temperatures allowing higher volume fractions of methane. With this technology, the low storage density of CNG and the very low storage temperatures of LNG are both overcome, thus drama tically improving the technical feasibility of large scale commerciali zation of natural gas powered vehicles.