Converting to CNG

[gride]

So I was reading a pop. Mechanics article about converting a vehicle to run on compressed natural gas. They say it's about an 8000$ job, including a home tank. Their figures say the equivalent to a gallon of gasoline would cost about 1.50 and runs cleaner and has a better octane than 87. I'm not going to do it, but do our boats still perform the same when converted?

[Chexi]

There is at least one nautique owner who has done this. I think he is in the UK

[mastercard]

Check out the link below, not necessarily an answer to your question but good info none the less. We have GM small block driven wellhead compressor packages where I work and they produce 125 HP@ 2100 RPM running off of relatively high BTU natural gas. I don't know the specifics of the engine but it is designed to run 24-7. They definitely don't produce the power that a gasoline fired engine does but I'm sure you could get more out of them than what ours produce.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasoline_gallon_equivalent

[east tx skier]

I know of some MC owners in Britain that have gone the propane route. Lost a little power, but it has worked well for them.

[Texan1554]

Good website for CNG info, this page features a CNG Chevy Camaro 0-60 in 3.9, you can get the power.

http://www.cngnow.com/vehicles/cng-c...et-camaro.aspx

I actually sat in this thing at an Oil and Gas convention a few weeks ago. Chesapeake had it out for show.

[gride]

Thr article stated that CNG is better "octane" wise than 87. I know dodge is doing thr 2500 in CNG.

[DanielC]

I am no expert, but running an engine on CNG is a reality. It is done in Europe, where gasoline prices are higher than in the states.

On the plus side, Natural gas does have a higher octane rating. To take advantage of that, the engine would need a higher compression ratio.

What limits power you can get out of an engine, is the amount of air you can get into an engine. Gasoline has an advantage in a modern multiport fuel injected engine that is can get into the cylinder, partially as a liquid, and vaporised after the intake valve has closed. Liquid gasoline takes less volume, and that leaves more room for air. More air, more power. CNG enters the engine cylinders as a vapor, and that displaces some air, so you cannot get as much air in the engine, and that limits the amount of power.

My opinion, I think CNG would be a better alternative fuel for internal combustion engines than ethanol. A lot of stuff used to make ethanol, and grow the plants to make it, compete with food sources for people and animals. Natural gas, on the other hand is not good for a food source.

[gride]

ethanol is basically a subsidy for farmers. its great and all, but its like pennies and nickels. not worth producing. the kit in popular mechanics has this setup that allows the engine to always be started on gas, then once its warm it switches over to the cng injectors and parallel fuel line. it's really quite intriguing to me; though the initial startup cost is high. the bay where i live has most of the countries natural gas too.

[AirTool]

.... It is done in Europe, where gasoline prices are higher than in the states.

Mainly gasoline "taxes" are higher in Europe that in the US. We'd really have to mine the data to figure out if gasoline itself is much different.

One reason gasoline is taxed less (although still not a low number) in the US, is that the government charges oil companies 1) a fee (highest bidder) to lease offshore blocks 2) to produce offshore hydrocarbons (should there be some in said block) 3) corporate income taxes on the profits made.

With the above....the Feds have quite an income from offshore oil production in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. Note that basically all of the oil produced in the gulf goes to make refined products. Also note that nominally none of it goes to produce electricity. The natural gas does, but the oil does not.

For European countries, most of their liquids are brought in and the main way to tax it is at the pump. The taxes on natural gas and "LPG" are very low....hence the incentive for the U.K. and Dutch PN members to convert to LPG.

[gride]

Nat. Gas is at a 10 yr low