CNG

SEPEHR REDSTAR CANADA Ltd.

INTERNATIONAL IMPORT EXPORT

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is a substitute for gasoline (petrol) or diesel fuel. It is considered to be an environmentally "clean" alternative to those fuels. It is made by compressing methane (CH4) extracted from natural gas. It is stored and distributed in hard containers, usually cylinders.

Argentina and Brazil, in the Southern Cone of Latin America, are the two countries with the largest fleets of CNG vehicles. Conversion has been facilitated by a substantial price differential with liquid fuels, locally-produced conversion equipment and a growing CNG-delivery infrastructure. A 'Blue-network' of CNG stations is being developed on the major highways of the Southern Cone (including Chile and Bolivia) to allow for long-haul transportation fuelled by CNG.

In response to high fuel prices and environmental concerns, compressed natural gas is starting to be used in light-duty passenger vehicles and pickup trucks, medium-duty delivery trucks, and in transit and school buses.

Vehicle Types
Natural gas can be used to fuel almost any kind of vehicle - motorcycles and three wheelers, cars, vans & pickups, lift trucks, buses, trucks, trains, boats, even aircraft.

The availability of vehicles or conversion equipment varies greatly from country to country depending on local conditions.

Motorcycles and three wheelers

CNG has helped clear the air in many Asian cities, Though not used often for motorcycles,
compressed natural gas (CNG) is often used for three wheelers, or tuk-tuks as they are called in Thailand. Motorcycles are not the ideal application, due to the limited amount of fuel that can be carried on board.

Three wheelers, being more stable and having more space, are well suited for CNG and are used extensively in Thailand, India, Bangladesh and other mostly Asian countries. Most three wheelers fitted out for CNG are used as taxis or light delivery vehicles.

Cars - Sedans and station wagons

Though CNG can technically be used in any car engine, ideal applications are taxi cabs or any other vehicle that does higher than average mileage. Vehicles that only travel low mileage can be used, but it may take longer to recover the cost of conversion through fuel cost savings.

In the case of a converted vehicle, a CNG storage cylinder is usually installed in the trunk of the car. Apart from the loss of trunk space, the driver will notice little difference in the performance of the vehicle (though they will usually notice lower fuel costs).

An OEM (production line) vehicle often has the CNG storage cylinder installed under a seat or elsewhere within the chassis to minimize or eliminate the loss of luggage space.

CNG Opel Combo. Popular for commercial applications in Europe Vans and pickups are well suited for CNG, mainly because they usually have plenty of space for fuel storage and often cover high mileage. Courier vans or delivery vans that are on the road all day are especially suited.

Lift trucks

CNG Toyota Lift Truck. Available ex manufacturer in some countries CNG is ideal for lift trucks, due in part to the low emissions of CNG engines and ability to refuel on site.

Because lift trucks often work indoors, vehicle emissions are a critical factor. As CNG produces lower emissions than
gasoline, diesel or even LPG (propane), a CNG lift truck helps improve staff health. Another advantage over LPG is that
the lift truck can be refueled without having to swap over heavy cylinders.

Buses

Urban buses are one of the most popular uses for natural gas, usually utilizing CNG but occasionally using liquefied natural gas (LNG).A number of trials are currently under way testing HCNG, a blend of hydrogen and CNG.

Because the amount of mileage an urban bus travels doesn't vary much from day-to-day the fuel requirements can be catered for quite easily. Storage cylinders for CNG, LNG or HCNG are often installed on the roof of a bus, allowing the
weight to be distributed evenly over the chassis.

Trucks

LNG fueled waste haulage vehicles in San Francisco The best fuel choice for a truck depends on the duty cycle of the vehicle. Trucks that do lower mileages or that return to a base frequently will often be suited for CNG, while trucks that do higher mileages might be more suited for LNG. In the past, the weight of CNG cylinders has often limited its application on heavy vehicles. This is becoming less relevant as natural gas engines are becoming lighter compared with their diesel counterparts and CNG cylinders are available manufactured with lightweight composite materials.

In some applications a fleet operator may choose a dual-fuel natural gas engine over a dedicated natural gas engine, giving them the option of switching to diesel if natural gas supplies become restricted.

Biogas powered trains are now operating commercially in Sweden Trains are a relatively recent application for natural gas. While experimental or small scale trials have happened in the past, larger scale commercial applications have only begun in recent years. Peru, Sweden and India have the most developed programs, with the Swedish operation making use of bio-methane, natural gas made from waste or renewable sources.

Boats

Boats can make use of CNG or LNG and, while still small in number, are becoming a popular choice for ferries or vessels which operate fixed routes.

Aircraft
Light aircraft in Brazil have been using CNG on an experimental basis The use of natural gas to fuel aircraft has only been conducted to date on an experimental basis, but the range of experiments conducted shows the flexibility of the fuel. Fixed wing aircraft from a small single engine prop plane to the massive Anto nov AN-225 and even helicopters have been fuelled with natural gas.