| abstract |
The invention relates to fuel supply and storage systems for storing pressurized liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel at a pressure of approximately 1035 kPa to approximately 7590 kPa and at a temperature of approximately -123 ° C to approximately -62 ° C and supplying fuel LNG vaporized, on demand, for combustion in an engine. These systems have fuel storage tanks that are constructed of low-alloy, ultra-high-strength steel that contains less than 9%, by weight, of nickel and that has a tensile strength greater than 830 Mpa and a DBTT less than about -73 ° C. The present invention is especially useful for automobiles, buses, trucks, and other vehicles with engines designed to operate by combustion of natural gas, although it is not limited to the foregoing. |