March 1, 2023
Safe, efficient, high-pressure gas storage is a critical component to the successful adoption of alternative fuels in vehicles. To address this, Noble Gas Systems (Noble Gas) is creating a safe, conformable, lightweight compressed gas storage and delivery system. To assist in their development, the company was recently awarded a U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant for $1 million. Noble Gas received a Phase I grant for more than $250,000 in 2021.
“Being awarded a Phase II grant from the National Science Foundation not only allows us to continue developing our solution that will help meet the demand for low- and zero-emission, but also validates the importance of what our technology provides,” said Chris Kondogiani, principal, Noble Gas Systems. “This additional grant money will help us move to the next stage in the commercialization of our technology.”
The Noble Gas high-pressure, lightweight storage and delivery system can accommodate the most common compressed gases, including natural gas, air, oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen. It features a tank comprised of a polymer liner, woven reinforcement and protective outer shell. A safer alternative to other options, the system currently meets the requirements for 350-bar working pressures and has a leak-before-burst failure mode to eliminate the opportunity for a catastrophic, instantaneous release of high-pressure gas. The company is also developing 500- and 700-bar tanks.
Designed with conformability in mind, the gas storage system can be fabricated in a variety of shapes and sizes to be easily integrated into unique and existing product configurations. The tanks are lightweight and can be made less than 80mm (3.1in) wide. In addition to the transportation industry, Noble’s solution has applications in defense, aviation, marine and industrial gas industries.
About the National Science Foundation’s Small Business Programs: America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF awards $200 million annually to startups and small businesses, transforming scientific discovery into products and services with commercial and societal impact. Startups working across almost all areas of science and technology can receive up to $2 million to support research and development (R&D), helping de-risk technology for commercial success. America’s Seed Fund is congressionally mandated through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The NSF is an independent federal agency with a budget of about $8.5 billion that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering.
