MurielAlleyne639

Natural gas, or CNG (Compressed Natural Gas), is definitely an alternative fuel in the USA. But that is incorrect everywhere else. In Thailand, Argentina or Italy, it is a extremely popular fuel, near being mainstream, with thousands and thousands of drivers using it everyday. CNG is also on the rise in Germany, Switzerland and Malaysia.

If the United States follow these examples? Before giving a solution, we must weigh the pros and cons of gas like a fuel.

The first advantage is that natural gas is readily available all around the world, which reserves are plentiful. Everybody's talking about peak oil, but who has ever heard about peak gas? Gleam strategic issue here, as oil is often imported from unfriendly countries, whereas natural gas can be pumped in the heartland of America. It's a lesser reason for Europe, as the choice between oil in the Middle-East and natural gas from Russia is not a simple one.

Second, natural gas is cleaner burning than gasoline or diesel. There's a smaller amount toxic emissions, and that's why the EPA rates CNG cars so highly. If quality of air is a concern, CNG is the top choice, and nobody can argue against that. Natural gas is also better than regular fuels when it comes to greenhouse gases emissions. We are able to provide a few numbers here. A gross estimate is when a gasoline engine is transformed into gas, with this new fuel, oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions are down by around two-thirds, and CO2 emissions are reduced by close to a fifth. They are substantial improvements!

Third, about any gasoline car could be transformed into CNG. Everything is needed are new injectors, new fuel lines going to a new gas container, and new software for that engine electronics controls. Some professionals advertise that they can convert almost any car in one single day of work.

Fourth, there is a cost advantage as about nearly everywhere in the world, natural gas is less taxed than gasoline. Filling the tank cost less, and price per mile is down. However the downsides are never far, using the first one being you need to refill more regularly. This is a problematic issue: gas a really low energy density. This is exactly why it's compressed. CNG tanks holds gas in a 200 or 350-bar pressure (5000-psi), but even at 350-bar, a CNG container has to be 3-times as large as a gasoline tank to hold exactly the same energy.

Most often, it's not the case. So cars running on gas have a shorter range than their gasoline counterparts, and a much reduced trunk since the CNG container has to be somewhere. It adds weight too, as it must withstand the pressure, meaning it must built from heavy steel. In the future, it's likely that CNG tanks will be created using composite materials, that are very tough but light, however these are very expensive.

Handling of gas is also less friendly at the pump. Make sure the connection is leak proof, and also the flow is slower than gasoline. You refill in 5-minutes rather than 3. One other issue comes when you start the car. If you possess a bivalent vehicle, or dual-fuel with the ability to run either on gasoline or CNG, you will observe immediately that power is down with the gaseous fuel. The difference is often as high as 25%!

If your car is slow running on gasoline, do not ever think about having it converted to CNG. Last although not minimal problem, alternative fuel stations are few and far between. If you don't reside in a large city, there may 't be a station selling natural gas anywhere near to you. You may have gas at your home, but house outlets could be way too promising small to fill the container of a car. Unless you don't mind 12-hour long refills, that isn't an option.

All of this leads us towards the conclusion that CNG is probably not the great solution its partisans would like us to think. But there may a way to unite the benefits of gas with those of regular gasoline. It isn't brain surgery, it's something the oil industry understands how to do, we must convert gas into a liquid fuel. That's called GTL (Gas-To-Liquid).

Shell is already doing the work in their huge Pearl project in Qatar. No car needs to be modified, because the new fuel has the same qualities of standard gasoline, and the formerly gaseous fuel could be sold at any normal pump, in each and every gas station in the united states. All of the investment needed reaches the refinery. The great points of CNG are retained, it's a greener fuel than usual gasoline, so that as simple to handle as normal gasoline.

Now, we can see who are those who wants Americans to transform their cars to CNG. Those are the people who wants the fundamental drivers to create investments, but who don't need to make any investment themselves, in creating a fuel drivers could be ready to use immediately.