Oigi
Basic OIGI system for CNG or LNG. Click to enlarge.

US-based BAF Technologies, a provider of natural gas conversions for select light- and medium-duty vehicles, has entered into an exclusive distributorship agreement with UK-based T. Baden Hardstaff to retrofit existing heavy-duty on-road vehicles to dual-fuel operation. The agreement will provide BAF with exclusive territory rights for the United States.

BAF is currently converting 600 AT&T Ford E-Series vans to dedicated CNG technology in 2009. (Earlier post.) T. Baden Hardstaff is a service and technology provider for the road transport industry specializing in the development of low carbon vehicle technologies. Among its offerings is the OIGI dual-fuel system that can work with either compressed or liquefied natural gas.

BAF says it will be testing and certifying multiple heavy-duty engines, particularly those used for school buses, refuse haulers and other similar uses, according to a report from NGV Global. BAF will soon announce projects already in place with interest in dual-fuel building.

OIGI. The Hardstaff OIGI (Oil Ignition Gas Injection) is a dual-fuel system developed to substitute natural gas for diesel in light- and heavy-duty engines. Diesel is required as the ignition source in dual fuel engines. With the OIGI system the engine will use 100% diesel at idle; gas injection and diesel reduction commences when engine speed increases. Precise control of diesel reduction and gas injection quantities ensures efficient fuel use and performance equivalent to the original diesel engine.

The natural gas injection system is electronically controlled and can cater for multi-point, mono point and sequential port injection. A separate electronic control unit (ECU) is used for the natural gas fuel, providing a full closed loop feedback system that monitors existing variables alongside the diesel electronic control unit (ECU) and controls the gas injection based on the feedback from the various engine sensors.

The sensors include boost pressure, lambda sensor signal, pedal deflection, coolant temperature, gas temperature and pressure, and many more inputs. The ECU is fully programmable and can provide custom mapping for various vehicle applications. The system is also OBD (On Board Diagnostics) compliant.

(A hat-tip to John!)