Hexagon Composites wholly owned subsidiary Hexagon Lincoln has recently formed an agreement with OMB Saleri, supplier of valves and hardware supporting the industrial and automotive OEM industry, to bring the OMB ‘Miami’ solenoid valve to market specifically to suit the unique requirements of the heavy duty truck compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicle market.
The newly launched ‘Miami’ valve is the result of a cooperative effort together with Hexagon Lincoln to offer the first solenoid valve solution which addresses the specific needs of the CNG powered heavy duty truck application in North America. Previously, electric actuated valves were not considered viable for this market due to cylinder volume and filling speeds. With this new product offering, filling speeds are not negatively impacted by the added safety of an electric solenoid valve.
“The Class 8 CNG truck application has unique requirements. Large capacity cylinders and fast filling capability are critical in this environment and these are specifically the areas where the OMB ‘Miami’ valve shines. Traditionally, CNG has experienced slower fill speeds than liquid fuels. This new valve helps to improve performance in CNG filling while offering a safety advantage over manually operated valves.” says Chet Dawes, Vice President – CNG Automotive Products, Hexagon Lincoln.
The U.S. Heavy Duty NGV (Natural Gas Vehicle) market is experiencing strong and sustained growth which is expected to continue with the recent expanded line-up of larger, higher horsepower dedicated natural gas engines.
With the light weight of composite tanks and industry leading capacity, Hexagon Lincoln’s line of TUFFSHELL(TM) fuel tanks allow fleet owners the flexibility of increased range with less compromise of payload capacity and wheelbase. The company’s 26″ tank family, officially launched in January this year, are the largest Type 4 NGV fuel tanks in the marketplace. These lightweight, all-composite cylinders will serve as fuel tanks for Class 8 trucks running on compressed natural gas. When combined with the OMB Miami electric valve, the solution fits both the safety and performance goals of the Class 8 truck industry.
The new solenoid valve technology will be shown for the first time by Hexagon Lincoln at the Natural Gas Conference & Expo in Atlanta this week.
The Hexagon Lincoln division of Hexagon Composites is based in Lincoln, Nebraska and has been filament winding composites for 50 years.
(Source: Hexagon Composites)
