ITT Regulator Drives Greener Vehicle Emissions.

The number of vehicles fueled by compressed natural gas is expanding, and ITT fuel regulators are a key contributor to this eco-trend.

Today, there are an estimated 8 million vehicles in the world running on compressed natural gas (CNG). That represents a 400 percent increase since 2000 and speaks to vehicle owners' desire for a fuel that gets them from here to there while being cleaner, safer and cheaper than gasoline or petrol.

Vehicles that consume compressed natural gas emit fewer types of pollutants and cut greenhouse gas emissions by about 20 percent compared to gasoline. CNG can also cut pump prices by 30 percent, and if there is a spill, it evaporates quickly because it is lighter than air.

There are still some hurdles — such as lack of filling stations, extra storage space to accommodate gas rather than liquid — but the environmental and economic benefits are quickly winning over converts, especially owners of large fleets of vehicles. Cities, governments and businesses looking to stay in regulation and stay "in the black" are fitting their fleets of trucks, buses and autos with CNG systems.

One of the key components of this system is the CNG regulator, and ITT's offering — sold under the Conoflow brand name — is finding its way under more hoods each day.

To use CNG as a fuel for vehicle engines, engine management systems incorporate a regulator to reduce the supply of the compressed natural gas stored in the tanks to a constant and stable output pressure. The ITT regulator outperforms competitors when it comes to cooling and decompressing the gas without creating potentially damaging moisture and icing issues.

As the clamor for clean air solutions increases, more requests for Conoflow regulators are coming in from vehicle manufacturers, conversion shops and suppliers that build the CNG systems. Trucks and buses are an especially big market for ITT right now.

"ITT has earned a reputation as a best-in-class provider of CNG regulators for heavy-duty engine applications that are 5.0 liters or larger in size," says Steve Piluk, Product Manager for Alternative Fuels for ITT's Conoflow line.

One system supplier, Advanced Fuels Technology Pty., Ltd. in Melbourne, Australia, incorporates ITT Conoflow regulators into the CNG systems it builds for fleets of Iveco garbage trucks and Mack concrete trucks.

Another satisfied customer is FAB Industries, North America's largest supplier of alternative fuel systems for transit buses, medium-duty trucks and refuse trucks. Virtually all of FAB's bus fleet customers use ITT CNG regulators.

"Our bus fleet customers are satisfied with the benefits they've seen from switching their vehicles to a dedicated CNG system — benefits that would not have been possible without ITT's contributions," says Ron Eickelman, President of FAB Industries.