Conformable Pressurized Fuel Storage for Increased Vehicle Range

Conformable tanks are being developed for alternate-fuel vehicles to address the issues of range and packaging of pressurized fuel storage systems Installation of an aluminum conformable tank on a propane-powered vehicle within the same volumetric envelope as the gasoline tank has demonstrated a range increase of over 40% compared to conventional cylindrical tanks Injection-molded plastic conformable tanks for propane and adsorbed natural gas are currently under development to increase vehicle range at reduced cost The potential for improvements in storage capacity at the higher pressures required for compressed natural gas storage has also been demonstrated through the use of advanced composite materials