Oregon State University-Cascades Campus will take part in research efforts to fuel passenger vehicles with natural gas, according to a news release.
The research seeks to create technology that would allow vehicles’ engines to compress natural gas.
Led by Chris Hagen, the Energy Engineering Management assistant professor, the project is one of 13 in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Methane Opportunities for Vehicular Energy program. The program aims to develop affordable natural-gas tanks and compressors that can help fuel passenger vehicles.
Existing systems for powering vehicles with natural gas require tanks that can withstand high pressures, according to the news release. They are often cumbersome, and too large or too expensive for smaller passenger vehicles.
Funding for the $700,000 research project comes from the Department of Energy. It’s one of the largest research awards OSU-Cascades has received, according to the release.
