Innovation Spotlight: Refueling Natural-Gas Cars from your Garage for $1500

September 28, 2012 03:44 PM EST By: Regina Ramazzini

TechConnect Innovation Tracking: Luon Energy LLC, a TechConnect Accelerator participant-Santa Clara, CA, June 18-21, 2012

Luon Energy’s ready-to-market technology uses residential natural gas (NG) to drive a car, and saves four to five times more than gasoline. A car needs a natural gas refueling compressor and a tank to do this. Luon Energy’s compressor and tanks convert your car enabling it to use natural gas.

The key to Luon Energy’s affordable NGV solution is an adsorbed natural gas (ANG) tank, and the associated compressor. There is a sponge-like material in Luon’s ANG tank that triples or even quadruples NG storage versus standard CNG at low pressure. In other words, ANG can be refueled at around 50 bar (one bar is one atmosphere pressure) or even 35 bar compared to 200-250 bar for CNG. This greatly reduces the compressor cost and makes commercialization of NG vehicle now feasible.

Luon Energy LLC is a first time participant in TechConnect World’s Utility Technology Challenge (UTC). Since the UTC in June, Luon Energy has kept busy working on a few things: a higher-performing adsorbent that should improve range from 36 miles to 48 miles on the compact ANG tank, with the lab test finished, and road test to begin immediately. They began collaborations with 2 major car manufacturers and have started field tests of ANG for large-scale natural gas distribution networks.  A major investment negotiation between Luon Energy and investors is also under way.

Nie Luo, CEO, Luon Energy told TechConnect News “The biggest benefit to attending the TCW Conference was networking with peers and colleagues and the opportunity to interact with venture funds and industrial leaders.” Dr. Luo also told us his participation generated great interest from car companies, oil & gas industry and utilities. 

For more information about Luon Energy, you can watch their YouTube video at http://youtu.be/uNeNa0Hvec8 or visit their website at: www.luonenergy.com/

 

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