Volvo plans to field test heavy-duty diesel trucks using methane injection during 2010.  These tests will take place in both Sweden and the United Kingdom mixing up to 70% methane into diesel fuel.  The testing is to prove the viability of methane injection as a means of increasing fuel efficiency and lowering the amount of petroleum-based diesel required to run the trucks.

Mixtures up to 70:30 will be tested and Volvo has an eye towards gaining a 90% methane mixture possibility in the future.

The trials will include two different types of compressed methane gas: LNG/LBG and CNG/CBG or liquid-volume efficient gas and pressurized methane gas.

The idea is that when diesel fuel ignites in the compression chamber, the methane will ignite with it, displacing combustion normally requiring more diesel fuel to accomplish.  To the driver, no change will be noticed as the vehicle will behave as normal, but the result at the exhaust pipe will be much lower emissions from the stack and much higher fuel efficiency overall.

The tests will take place on diesel trucks fitted with the methane injection.  The trucks are Class 5 and 7 Volvo haulers and Volvo’s engineers expect to see up to 30% in fuel savings from the trucks.  Methane is the primary component of natural gas.  Volvo plans to use both fossil-fuel based methane as well as biogas from a refinery.

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