The gas riot
With the government increasing car fuel prices, compressed natural gas (CNG) has suddenly become the fuel of choice for people. Hundreds of motorists line up to convert their cars while others are parked at the fence, wondering what all the fuss is about. Why is CNG considered a cheap gas that is an alternative to diesel/gasoline? It is safe? What will it do to my engine? What are the emissions and how will they harm the atmosphere?
Well let me tell you that it is gaseous fuel and it is a mixture of hydrocarbons. For automotive use, it is compressed to a pressure of approximately 220 bar to increase the storage capacity on board the vehicle.
The properties of CNG make it a safe fuel. It is lighter than air, so in the event of a leak it rises and disperses into the atmosphere. In addition, a high autoignition temperature of 540 degrees Celsius compared to 360 degrees Celsius for gasoline makes it a safe fuel. Furthermore, in the event of a leak, if the CNG concentration in the air is less than 5 percent and greater than 15 percent, the gas will not burn even in the presence of a spark.
CNG is an environmentally friendly fuel. Natural gas is made up primarily of methane, and its exhaust emissions consist of water vapor and a small fraction of carbon monoxide. The absence of carbon and other particles results in a negligible amount of harmful elements in the exhaust gases.
Due to the distinctive characteristics of CNG, it does not contaminate or dilute the crankcase oil, giving the engine a new life. The absence of lead content in CNG helps prevent lead contamination of the spark plugs, which improves the useful life of the spark plugs. One of the important benefits of CNG is that by entering the engine in the form of a gas (and not as a spray or mist like other fuels), it does not disturb the presence of lubricating oil in the engine and reduces the possibilities of being used and thrown away.
Natural gas mixes easily with air even at low temperatures. It is free of pollution and totally respectful of the environment. It is not toxic, it is not corrosive, it is not carcinogenic. Its high compression ratio reduces fuel consumption and cannot be tampered with or stolen.
Virtually all types of vehicles can run on CNG, including school buses, public transport buses, delivery trucks, cars, autorickshaws, taxis, cargo vans, and many other stationary vehicles and engines, such as diesel generator sets.
The world leader in this field is the US, but the cost of US kits is prohibitive. The Aussies make decent quality kits too, but they refused to part with their technology. Nugas Technologies then turned to NGV Motori, a leading Italian manufacturer of CNG kits and related items.
Nugas has entered into a joint working agreement with NGV Motori to establish a common working platform to jointly explore the Indian and SAARC markets for business in the CNG conversion market.
Kit components have built-in safety measures. Cylinders and valves are designed and manufactured to specific codes approved by the Chief Explosives Controller.
http://www.indiaempire.com/v1/2005/december/column1.asp