OSU-Cascades has received a $700,000 award to create technology that would use the vehicle engine itself to refuel itself using natural gas.

Energy Engineering Management Professor Chris Hagen will head the research with support from Colorado State University.

Hagen explains what the project's goal is:  "Basically, it's a U.S. Department of Energy award to help promote the uses of natural gas for transportation in the United States, because, for green house gas and energy security, natural gas has a lot to offer. And so we're working on a self-fueling approach, where we have the vehicle set up to fuel itself."

Hagen says he will employ about 13 students on the project that will take about two years to complete.  the $700,000 grant is one of the largest research awards ever received by OSU-Cascades.