Fluid Power System Design for Super-Gas^TM Fueling Stations

Abstract

The Composite Fuels Laboratory at the University of Oklahoma has designed and built two new fueling stations to produce and provide an alternative fuel, trademark Super-Gas^TM to be used for vehicle propulsion. Two fluid power systems have been designed and adapted to accomplish these requirements. Both the fluid power system and the automatic controller control the processes to produce Super-Gas^TM in a safety and reliable way. This paper will present the fluid power circuits and controller designs for the particular fueling stations. This design system has the capability to either produce the fuel on board the vehicle (BOB) or transfer it to the vehicle tank as a common fueling station. Super-Gas^TM is a liquid fuel mixture composed of a light hydrocarbon and compressed natural gas and it has somecharacteristics that make it behave as a hydraulic fluid.
Super-Gas^TM made using the bubbling on board type design (BOB) produces 10 Gallon of the mixture in approximately 8 minutes on board the vehicle. A diaphragm pump was used to transfer the light hydrocarbon (LPG). The fast fuel design (FFS) has shown to produce the same amount of fuel in a time range from 5 to 7 minutes, but at any vehicle tank pressure, without reduction in the volumetric efficiency as long the circuit controls the flashing issue. It uses a basic concept of a drive piston pump.
The paper will discuss technical hurdles that remain for improving the designs.