US wants Natural Gas as Alt Fuel

Other factors being equal, in enclosed areas any gas fuel is more dangerous than liquid fuel. This is because gas leaks more easily than liquid, and gas is usually stored at pressure.

This is why I was very clear about vented applications, such as cars, where there is nothing but sky above.

Tom

 

So why not make an HEV or PEV that runs on CNG. This only seems to make sense to me. If CNG were available, I would jump at the chance to buy a CNG HEV. Then I could say to big oil "You're fired".

 

Sometimes graphs make my eyes glaze over. For simple minds like mine - here's the comparative numbers of alternative fuels, compared to gasoline, in btu's:

Gasoline Gallon Equivalents - GGE - What is a Gallon Equivalent

FWIW, the charts/btu info are only 'part' of what real btu's represent. After all - it takes LOTS of btu's to deliver the product to your individual transportation. 10% of the total is lost? 20%?? ... 33% is lost in delivery? No one can say with real accuracy. That number represents, "return on investment (roi)" Do you want to count a percentage of the military's budget against our HUGE imports of oil from terrorist regions? training replacements for dead soldiers? ... maybe part of the ever growing trillion dollar trade deficit ? Spiraling health insurance costs/percentage for respiratory conditions due to smog? Do that, and natural gas and electricity begin to look like REAL bargains for your Civic or Prius.


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I pulled into the parking lot at In-N-Out Burger in Carlsbad, CA a few days ago, and this was parked in front of me.



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I read recently that several large truck users are rapidly converting their fleets to CNG or LPG usage. This is a no brainer frankly. They don't need a sophisticated retail distribution system. They only need compressors and/or a liquid supply at their local garages.

Cheap Natural Gas Flows To Broad Range Of Industries, Offsetting Higher Oil Costs - Investors.com

Money. That the driver for these switches. Also the stability of supply is critical in the event of geo-political crises in the Mid East. If TM comes out with a CNG-hybrid Prius or Camry, I'm a customer.

 

money is always the best driver... as I said before, it wouldnt take much for US Govt to increase LPG/CNG use exponentially in the USA.... Why are they not doing it, because it is not renewable source of energy? It is only mitigating same problem for future generations?

 

I saw this over the weekend at the Honda dealer:

 

if we could only make kerosene more energy dense so it could be used for stage one rocket launch. all our energy problems could be solved with the stroke of a pen and some key presses.

 

Fo any fuel - solid, liquid, or gas - it's the vapors given off by the substance (in the case of solid fuel, once sufficiently heated), when in the proper fuel/air ratio, that will burn. True, flammable gases under pressure pose a greater risk, but never discount the hazards with any fuel type.

 

Be careful...this IS Priuschat. Kerosene, Diesel and Jet fuel are essentially the same.

 

thanks for the warning fordoz
gotta love essentials and the definition of "the same"

 

Convert car to CNG
Mexico -$800 (using the same parts from the same companies as here)
US -$15000 (if legal and not gray market)

ThIs is the primary reason CNG or even propane isn’t used .

Set standards to align with the UK and prices would drop but you would still have the tank cost, considering modern technology can actively monitor how many fills and tank integrity the artificial worst case limits could be lifted.

 

@ Rmay635703
I worked for a small government agency that ran a fleet of propane converted trucks, back in the previous century.
It got me wondering if the one mechanic that kept them all rolling is still there.

 

Honda already tried at home refueling natural gas. The high pressure make quick work of the compressors. IE - maintenance costs way to high & hard on the compressors. Same with hydrogen. You'd do better using a low pressure liquid / gas like LPG. I pulled off a DIY on a 1973 econoline van in 1993. Ran like a top. Driving out of state? You better know when the refuel stations are.

EDIT:
ooops ... zombie thread. I'd forgotten the post i'd done hear nearly a decade ago

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