Westport Innovations Inc. • Hydrogen Enriched Compressed Natural Gas

Applications: transit buses, refuse trucks, shuttle buses and city work vehicles.

Technology Description
Hydrogen-enriched Compressed Natural Gas (HCNG) is hydrogen blended with compressed natural gas. Adding hydrogen to natural gas improves combustion. Westport's HCNG technology allows engines to operate with higher air/fuel ratios, improves performance, and reduces emissions significantly.

HCNG technology is not new. In the past twenty years a number of light- and medium-duty vehicles have been tested with various HCNG blends (for example, with hydrogen being up to 50% by volume) in North America and Europe. We are making engineering developments needed for commercialisation. HCNG technology is generating strong interest from governments and customers.

HCNG offers a viable path, using readily available commercial vehicles, towards the eventual goal of pure hydrogen fuel, and this approach offers immediate and material environmental benefits over even the best commercial environmental solution today, which is natural gas.

Westport HCNG Programs
SunLine Transit Agency
In 2003, Westport and Cummins Westport began a 38,624 km (24,000 mile) road test, in partnership with SunLine Transit Agency of Palm Springs, California. Westport adapted two 5.9L, 230-HP Cummins Westport B Gas Plus engines to operate on HCNG in SunLine's regular revenue-generating service alongside two control buses with B Gas Plus engines operating on natural gas.

SunLine bus

Our Sunline Transit field trials confirmed the steady-state test cell tests results:

50% reduction in nitrogen oxides (NOx);
Engine performance (power and torque of natural gas engines) was unaltered;
38,624 km (24,000 mile) field trial in regular service was completed successfully by each of two HCNG buses;
No HCNG related troubles were experienced; and
Driver feedback was very positive.

The HCNG buses continue to operate in Sunline Transit's regular service and as of July 2005, both HCNG buses had logged over 105,000 kilometres combined.

HCNG buses in Vancouver
We are preparing for a demonstration of public transit buses fuelled with CNG and HCNG in Vancouver. This initiative could be a catalyst for the deployment of ultra-low emissions hydrogen vehicles in and around Vancouver and British Columbia leading up to the 2010 Vancouver-Whistler Olympic Games.
More information:
Minister Emerson Announces $12.2 Million for Hydrogen Technologies Project; Westport to Showcase Four Hydrogen-Blend Buses with TransLink.

HCNG buses in China
We are also working with China�s top-ranked Tsinghua University to co-research and demonstrate technologies using HCNG in public bus fleets in Beijing and other Chinese cities. Westport and Tsinghua plan to study the performance, fuel economy, emissions, and economic impact of HCNG-fueled engines in Beijing, where over 2,400 Cummins Westport natural gas engines are currently in transit bus service.