Operation of a Class 8 Truck on Natural Gas/Diesel

This paper presents the results of a one-year demonstration project in which a Class 8 tractor based in Vancouver, British Columbia was converted to dual fuel natural gas/diesel operation. The objective of this project was to demonstrate the viability of fuelling and operating Class 8 trucks on natural gas/diesel under commercial operating conditions. In assessing the viability of the natural gas/diesel system, data were collected and analyzed concerning comparative fuel efficiency, natural gas/diesel proportions of fuel use, operating range, refuelling times, and relative fuel costs, along with assessments of its performance by drivers and fleet management. The truck has now been in commercial service for more than two years and has logged in excess of 100,000 km.