Baytech Announces 6.0-Liter CNG Engine and Vehicle Certifications
22 January 2007
Baytech Corporation has received 2006 and 2007 EPA and CARB certifications for its compressed natural gas (CNG) fueled GM 6.0L heavy duty engines, and medium- and light-duty vehicles equipped with the GM 6.0L engine.
Heavy-duty engines are available in both dedicated CNG and bi-fuel (CNG or gasoline) configurations in all 50 states. Dedicated CNG medium and light duty vehicles are available in all 50 states and are certified SULEV; bi-fuel is available only in states that do not require CARB standards.
As part of the certification process, Baytech successfully achieved OBD-II compliance approval from CARB for the medium and light duty 6.0L CNG vehicles. OBD-II approval work was jointly funded by the South Coast AQMD, with additional support provided by Clean Energy.
The Baytech heavy duty CNG 6.0L engines are certified for use in the GM Topkick/Kodiak C Series and W4500, Isuzu NPR HD, GM Express/Savana Van Cutaway, and Workhorse heavy-duty vehicles with Gross Vehicle Weight Ratings ranging from 14,000 lb to 37,600 lb. Heavy duty engine emissions testing was funded in part by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Medium and light duty CNG vehicles certified by Baytech include the GM W3500, Isuzu NPR, Workhorse chassis, GM Silverado/Sierra 2500HD/3500 Classic pickup trucks and Chassis Cab, and GM Express/Savana Full-Size Van and Van Cutaway. All dedicated CNG medium and light duty vehicles are certified SULEV.
The CNG fueling systems incorporate Baytech’s sequential Multi-Port Fuel Injection technology for gaseous fuels. Baytech’s engine calibration software provides optimized closed-loop fuel control, spark advance and other engine parameters. Engine diagnostics functions are accessed through the vehicle’s diagnostic port with the same scanners used for gasoline diagnostics.
Since 1991, Baytech Corporation has developed and marketed high-performance EPA and CARB certified CNG fuel injection systems for GM, Isuzu and Workhorse vehicles that meet stringent emissions standards. In 2005, Baytech transferred its gaseous sequential MPFI technology to propane fuel.
"GM 6.0L heavy duty engines" vs. "light-duty vehicles equipped with the GM 6.0L engine"
Pray tell, why would anyone want to put a heavy-duty engine in a light-duty vehicle? Oh wait, this is an American company...
With CNG, it's even more important to pay attention to high efficiency than with gasoline. This is because even at 200-300 times atmospheric pressure, the volumetric energy density of CNG is poor compared to liquid hydrocarbons. In addition to bulk, the carbon composite tank is heavy and expensive. To date, no regulator is permitting the integration of such tanks into the load-bearing structure of the vehicle. That means the customer has to fully amortize the investment overhead of the on-board CNG fuel system over the lifespan of the vehicle, and then some.
Therefore, think downsized engine concept featuring lean-burn operation with NOx aftertreatment, (in)direct injection rather than PFI plus a turbocharger. Not all of these pieces are available anywhere in series production cars just yet, but it's the direction in which we should expect development is heading.
Monovalent operation and the increased compression ratio that permits is only feasible for fleet operators or, if a suitable network of public filling stations is already in place. For safety reasons, the compression is performed ad-hoc at the point of sale, typically using an internal combustion engine.
Such networks only make sense in places where natural gas or suitable substitute is available at low cost (i.e. via a pipeline) from domestic or trustworthy foreign sources. Examples include Argentina, Italy, the Netherlands, Iran, Pakistan and Egypt. You could argue that Germany is taking a big bet with its tax holiday for CNG, considering it gets much of its gas from Vladimir & friends.
To my knowledge, a network of natural gas pipelines does exist in North America, but it is not very extensive. Therefore, don't expect CNG vehicles to become mainstream in the US anytime soon.
Posted by: Rafael Seidl | 22 January 2007 at 02:23 PM
Rafael:
A network of NG pipelines does exist in NA, to say at least; the whole US self-supplying materielle industry (fertilizers, chemicals, plastics, co-generation, industrial steam, metal refining and electricity generation on substantial degree) depends on stable supply of inexpensive NG. Unfortunately, NA faces shortages of NG supply, and near future domestic increase in NG consumption is thought to be satisfied by LNG export, notably from Russia.
This is the reason why NG fueled vehicles are not seen as viable alternative to oil-fueled ones. For some niche applications, like buses, city delivery vehicles, or refuse trucks (US/Canada have way more refuse trucks than buses), incredibly clean stoichiometric NG engines with three-way cats are beneficial from the point of view of reduced harmful emissions in places where it matters most – city cores. Higher cost of high-pressure NG fuel components and higher cost of maintenance of such components in city vehicles fleets are compensated by lower cost of NG fuel vis diesel or gasoline.
So it is just natural that regular passenger vehicles fueled by NG will not be widespread in NA, but city fleets of buses and alike will.
I hope it will explain to you why Baytech and many others are targeting exclusively commercial engines to be NG fueled.
Posted by: Andrey | 23 January 2007 at 12:48 AM
Andrey -
agreed, using CNG for fleets of medium- and heavy-duty specialty vehicles makes a lot more sense in NA. I believe NYC buses run on CNG already.
Btw, LNG imports from Russia will be quite expensive because of the need for a long pipeline + LNG terminals + shipping via the treacherous Aleutians. I hope it will be at least supplemented by the production of biogas via fermentation and/or synthetic natural gas from waste/biomass.
Posted by: Rafael Seidl | 23 January 2007 at 02:12 AM
Rafael:
It is not only supply of LNG from Russia Far East to US West Coast. It is also massive LNG supply from huge Russian Barents Sea gas fields to US East Coast.
Posted by: Andrey | 23 January 2007 at 02:36 AM
Is there a way to figure how much a CNG Hybrid would do as compared to a Hydrogen Hybrid Vehicle in fuel efficiency?
I know that 20% of the Natural Gas is lost in the transformation to Hydrogen. Also, the batteries in the FCELL 40 MPL gives it an advantage over the say the CNG Honda 30 MPL. What would be the CO2 implications?
Posted by: Henry | 31 January 2007 at 07:15 PM
I want to known isuzu light truck cng engine and regulator design.please tell me.Thank you..........
Posted by: kyaw min san,u | 16 March 2007 at 09:10 PM
can you help me with a project on the use of cng as an automobile fuel?
Posted by: oyekan oyedeji | 07 September 2007 at 12:42 PM