Posted April 24, 2018
A CNG container truck connected to the Pressure Reduction Unit (PRU).
Pressure Reduction?
InsightFuel can help
Come see and learn about our decant and pressure reduction units at the
ACT Show booth 647
Have an application requiring pipeline quality gas where there is no utility available? Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) virtual pipeline tube trailers, or portable CNG cylinder containers of various types, are a viable way to provide natural gas fuel for a multitude of applications such as residential utility (primary or backup), commercial utility, electric generation (powering natural gas generators), vehicle fueling and a host of other uses.
CNG allows a large amount of natural gas to be stored in a relatively modest footprint. These storage containers can be trailer-able for ease of swapping a full container for an empty container (think propane tank exchange cages you likely use when your grill shuts off in the middle of a cookout).
The key then is “decanting” the CNG from the container and reducing the pressure to that required for the specific application. And, to add a little more detail, it’s important to be able to continue the decanting, while holding the application-required pressure, until the storage container is as empty as possible. Nobody wants to swap put and return for refill a container that has a bunch of gas left in it. That’s a large part of where InsightFuel comes in. In addition to our involvement in CNG fueling facilities and NGV fuel line system components, we manufacture Decant and Pressure Reduction Units (PRU) designed and sized for various levels of application requirements.
Just as an aside, when you’re at the ACT show (or just call him), hunt down Jeff King and ask him to tell you the real story of the Hospital using virtual pipeline provided natural gas, and how far down the storage cylinder PSI was able to be decanted while the replacement cylinder trailer was overcoming a traffic delay to be swapped for the outgoing container. It’s also a good example of the “turns” that are achieved when a virtual pipeline system has been tuned well.
Want to take our case to a further, more clean energy conscious, big picture application?
Let’s talk Renewable Natural Gas. No, not Saturday morning after a Chipotle binge Friday night. I’m talking captured landfill or biodigester methane processed into clean natural gas, compressed and loaded onto virtual pipeline trailers or containers (see the figure below).
From that point, many things can happen and, the more of them that can be made to happen, the better the ROI and more economical the CNG becomes as a fuel. Landfill/Refuse companies can use the CNG to fuel their own vehicles. They can generate their own electricity using the natural gas processed from their renewable gas (and/or natural gas that may be available as a result of wells drilled on their property). Public CNG dispensers can be incorporated resulting in a revenue stream or possibly taking advantage of available subsidies. As described earlier, virtual pipeline containers can provide CNG to other applications and, should there be remaining, unallocated amounts of natural gas, sending it to the utility grid may be an option.
The virtual pipeline enables gas to be brought to locations that would otherwise not have access. This can be especially beneficial in short-term temporary solutions as well as remote locations.
Bottom line, InsightFuel can help
Whether with fueling station construction materials and services, mechanical construction & general contracting services, or products to decant and reduce pressure, wherever the gas molecules travel, InsightFuel can help.
