QUESTION ON AVIATION GAS COMPATIBILITY for Duke and all

[Clem Z.]

Re: QUESTION ON AVIATION GAS COMPATIBILITY for Duke and all

In South America gasoline is $4.5 and higher a gallon. 20 gallon fill-up costs pennies shy of $100. The same fill-up on natural gas (conversion kits are readily available) - about $10 dollars.

There are myths there as well (Clem & Duke - please be seated from here on)that the gas is dry and does not lubricate the bottom end and the rotating mass has a shorter life.

The only real logic I could put to these myths was that on newer cars, clandestine chop shop conversions ignore the powertrain control module logic and """"perhaps"""" that was causing less than idea ignition. Basically people are runing with a check engine light on all the time.

In fact, they have injection emmulation modules to trick the PCM that it is actually controlling fuel flow.
FWIW - the range is real low and you lose all your trunk space with tubes of gas.

the large engines used to drive the compressors at the natural gas storage facilities where they pump natural gas back into the ground for storage for winter use run on natural gas. GM is selling a natural gas powered truck but it is $12K more than the same truck with a gasoline engine. i guess they don't want too many out there

[Terry M.]

Re: QUESTION ON AVIATION GAS COMPATIBILITY for Duke and all

There was a time when we were doing a lot of natural gas conversions at school. Not so much any more since a government subsidy expired. Fleets used to have a requirement that a percentage of their vehicles had to be natural gas powered -- that too went away some years ago. There is not too much natural gas vehicle action any more even though the USA has more proven reserves of natural gas than any country in the world, and the price of natural gas is low relative to gasoline. All the action is in corn liquor and electric vehicles. That is where our money is going now.

[Duke W.]

Re: QUESTION ON AVIATION GAS COMPATIBILITY for Duke and all

Natural gas is an excellent SI engine fuel. It is about 110 RON, so it will support very high compression ratios, and it has low exhaust out HC emissions.

Many HD diesel engines have been modified to run on natural gas in oil field pumping operations where the fuel is essentially "free".

The problem with transporation applications is energy density since it has to be compressed to 3000 psi, which requires a heavy fuel system and has obvious hazards.

The other option is cryogenic, but that's not practical for mobile applications.

Duke

[Clem Z.]

Re: QUESTION ON AVIATION GAS COMPATIBILITY for Duke and all

Natural gas is an excellent SI engine fuel. It is about 110 RON, so it will support very high compression ratios, and it has low exhaust out HC emissions.

Many HD diesel engines have been modified to run on natural gas in oil field pumping operations where the fuel is essentially "free".

The problem with transporation applications is energy density since it has to be compressed to 3000 psi, which requires a heavy fuel system and has obvious hazards.

The other option is cryogenic, but that's not practical for mobile applications.

Duke

we own several gas well and since the wells are not where we have our home i can not use the hundereds of thousands cubic feet of free gas allowed under the contracts.