Natural Gas Cars

Natural gas cars are special cars that run using natural gas instead of conventional liquid petroleum fuel like gasoline and diesel. These cars are fitted with special engine modifications or simple add-ons that make the use of natural gas possible. Some conventional cars with internal combustion engines could also be converted into Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) cars by using special conversions and fittings.

Natural Gas

Natural gas is a fossil fuel which is obtained from petroleum reservoirs usually in a form of a multi-component gas. The gas is normally composed of about 90 percent methane and 10 other gaseous hydrocarbons and minute amounts of other gases. This gas mixture is then refined and compressed in tanks or cylinders, known in the industry as "bottles", for market distribution.

Natural Gas Development

In the earlier years of the Petroleum Industry, particularly in the early 19th century, natural gas was burned or "flared" away as an unwanted byproduct of the oil drilling process. In some cases, it was produced, refined, compressed and sold locally (or near the source) because there was still no viable and available technology to transport large amounts of gas over long distances.

In the 1980s, however, the advent of reliable pipeline systems occurred. The technology eventually made natural gas transporting through pipelines economical and reliable enough to be used in the automobile industry.

How It Works

The engine of a Natural Gas Car (NGC) or a Natural Gas Vehicle (NGV) works in a way that is very similar to that of a standard internal combustion engine that runs on gasoline. It uses the cylinder "sparkplug" piston concept to generate motion from controlled fuel combustion. They differ mainly on the flammability, volume, and ignitability of the fuel used.

Natural gas fuel is stored on the car in a way that resembles conventional gasoline tanks. It is usually stored in the rear of the car but other configurations could be utilized depending on the fabricator or the car manufacturer. The NGC fuel tank houses gas cylinders which are usually filled with Natural Gas under around 3000-3600 pounds of pressure for the purposes of saving on storage space. Three cylinders are normally housed in the tank and they are protected from possible impacts with metal shielding or buffers.

Advantages of Natural Gas Cars

The main advantage of Natural Gas Vehicles over gasoline powered cars is natural gas' has a cheaper price. More or less, Natural Gas costs 30% less than gasoline.

Natural Gas Vehicles have the advantage of having much lower pollution emissions than gasoline cars. It has been determined that natural gas cars can reduce carbon monoxide emissions by 90%.

Natural Gas Cars are considered safer than gasoline-powered cars because they are equipped with reinforced fuel storage tanks, making it more resistant to leaks and puncture.

Disadvantages

However, natural gas cars usually have a smaller passenger/luggage space than conventional cars due to the bulky gas cylinders. These cars also provide less mileage per full tank.