Heavy Duty ISX12 G Natural Gas Engine Targets Regional Trucking, Vocational and Refuse Markets in North America
Westport and Cummins Agree on New Focus for CWI
Cummins Westport Inc. (CWI), a joint venture of Cummins Inc. and Westport Innovations Inc., has developed a 12 litre heavy-duty, factory built dedicated natural gas engine for regional haul truck / tractor, vocational and refuse applications. The new ISX12 G is currently in field trials with full production expected to commence in early 2013. Based on the Cummins ISX12 diesel engine platform, the newest member of Cummins heavy duty engine family, the ISX12 G will operate exclusively on natural gas (CNG or LNG) utilizing Cummins Westport’s proprietary spark-ignited, stoichiometric combustion with cooled exhaust gas recirculation (SEGR) technology, first introduced with the 8.9 litre ISL G.
Read More
PDF 
Sunny DeWakar, CEO of NGV Motori, USA and Dean Sloane, Founder and Managing Director of Clean Vehicle Solutions, LLC (CVS), are collaborating to meet the needs of the rapidly expanding demand for vehicles powered by compressed natural gas (CNG). Already they have successfully engineered, fabricated and installed the first EPA-certified, dedicated diesel to CNG conversion package for the medium duty Mercedes 906 6.4 liter engine. 
EcoDual, LLC, a provider of dual-fuel conversion systems for heavy duty diesel trucks, has achieved authorization from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to begin installing its systems on 2004 to 2009 Cummins ISX engines. The EcoDual conversion kit for the 15L Cummins ISX engine, one of the most widely used engines in heavy duty trucking with more than 1 million currently in service, will provide fleets with an opportunity to substitute low cost natural gas for expensive diesel fuel. 
ITM Power, a UK-based energy storage and clean fuel company, has achieved CE compliance for a standardised HFuel product, the Company’s transportable hydrogen refueling system. This enables commercial sales of such systems to commence in the EU. Following a competitive tender process, ITM Power won a contract to design and supply a refueling product to The University of Nottingham. This provided the opportunity to CE mark an HFuel generation, storage and dispensing product.
NGV Global is recommending RFID systems as a means of verifying CNG vehicles and cylinders at the point of refuelling. The recommendations follow more than 12 months of study on the subject and are outlined in a 66 page Position Paper released by the association this week. The paper arose as a result of discussions with NGV Global’s Technical Committee on means to reduce the incidence of illegal or accidental tampering of CNG cylinders and installations. Executive director, Brett Jarman, says the intent of the paper is to reduce preventable incidents and to stimulate discussion and action within the industry and regulators. ”Our observations of industry incidents causing harm or damage indicated that most were the result of human negligence or interference and could be prevented if sufficient controls were put in place at the point where high pressure CNG fuel is delivered to a vehicle,” said Mr Jarman. “This is the point where a non-compliant vehicle potentially becomes dangerous.”
At the ‘Techno Buzz’ session of the Mobilis 2011 conference held mid-November in Belfort, France, a new natural gas – electric concept car was presented. This vehicle, a partnership between GDF Suez (CRIGEN), FAM Automobiles and France Craft, is said to be the first natural gas / biomethane to electric traction vehicle. Its design can be adapted for use as a pick-up (see image) or to carry four people. 
