What are Natural Gas, CNG, and LNG? Where can you find LNG? What are the properties ?….of natural gas?
What is Natural Gas?
Natural Gas (NG-Natural Gas), a combustible combination of various hydrocarbons (mainly methane) that is formed from small plant and marine creatures that lived 200million years ago, is a mixture of many hydrocarbons.
Natural gas is mainly composed of 90-96% CH4(methane). Rest of the natural gas contains 2.411% C2H6 ethane, 0.736% C3H6 ethane, 0.371% C4H10 benzene and 0.776% C2H6 nitrogen.
The biggest factor in increasing the efficiency of natural gas combustion is methane (CH4), which is the simplest hydrocarbon structure known.
There are two ways natural gas (NG) can be used.
Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG):
When natural gas is cooled down to -162°C at atmospheric pressure, it condenses into liquid phase and is called “Liquid Natural Gas” (LNG-Liquified Natural Gas).
LNG is a liquid phase fuel that is non-toxic and colorless. It is transported and stored as liquid phase. It is available for consumption in the gas phase.
LNG allows for large quantities of natural gas to be stored in liquid form. It can be reduced by approximately 600 times its volume under low pressures. This allows LNG to be transported by ships, trucks, or tankers to locations where pipeline transport isn’t practical or economically feasible.
If all the requirements are met, LNG can be used in any enterprise that uses different fuels to provide energy.
LNG is used primarily in all industrial facilities, including the ceramics and glass industry, commercial establishments, and touristic facilities.
- • Obtaining hot water and superheated water,
- • Obtaining steam,
- • Obtaining hot air,
- • Obtaining hot oil,
- • Baking and drying ovens,
- • Metalworking (casting, melting, heat treatment etc.),
- • It is used for electricity generation.
Compressed Natural Gas, (CNG),
CNG (compressed petroleum gas) can be obtained by compressing natural gases from the national distribution system or urban transmission network. CNG is a non-toxic, colorless, and odorless gaseous fuel.
It is transported in the gas phase and stored under high pressure. It can be reduced in pressure to make it available for consumption in the gaz phase.
Natural Gas Properties
Otto engines will benefit from natural gas’s high octane rating. This is the main advantage of natural gas. Natural gas also has a higher calorific value than gasoline or alcohol. Natural gas can ignite at higher air excess coefficient values than gasoline. This allows the engine to be operated with a lighter mixture, which can result in increased fuel economy and lower exhaust gas emissions.
Due to the high volumetric content of the fuel in stoichiometric mix (1.65% gasoline, 9.47% methane), the heating values of the stoichiometric combination in the engine unit volume are 10% lower than that of gasoline. Performance is also affected by the lower laminar flame speed than the gasoline-air mixture. This can be avoided by increasing the compression ratio by making use of high octane numbers.
Dual fuel engines can benefit from natural gas’s double diffusion coefficient, which means it mixes with air much more quickly and easily than gasoline. Natural gas can be ignited in diesel engines using pilot injection. This feature allows it to be used in gasoline, natural gas and diesel engines without any modifications.
A correct compression ratio is essential for the construction of a natural-gas engine that emits low emissions and high performance. This ratio will vary from one engine to the next. The compression ratio will decrease if the engine knocks. High octane natural gas allows for a higher compression ratio. High octane numbers mean: This will eliminate knocking, increase spark plug life and make it easier to operate in cold conditions. Natural gas engines must have a high compression ratio. A higher compression ratio will increase thermal efficiency. A decrease in fuel consumption is associated with a higher thermal efficiency. If natural gas is used to power gasoline engines, it will cause a 7% decrease in power.
You can reduce the power loss that results from burning natural gas rather than gasoline by increasing the compression ratio. Natural gas has a lighter molecular arrangement and makes up 10% of the air entering the engine. Reduced air volume can cause a loss in power. However, increasing compression ratios can help to decrease this. Additionally, because the maximum temperature and pressure that can be generated by the combustion of natural gases is lower than the one of a gasoline engine, the pressures and temperatures that rise due to increasing the compression ratio won’t reach dangerous levels but will equal those of the gasoline engines.
Many believe that natural gas can be used in diesel engines easily if modifications are made to diesel engines. Diesel engines have high compression ratios, and can keep the compression ratio high because of the high octane numbers of natural gas.
Natural gas has no corrosive properties. Sometimes, however, natural gas may contain moisture from different regions of the world. This can have a corrosive impact on the engine. Natural gas is used in internal combustion engines to reduce the combustion temperature. The NOx emissions will be reduced by a decrease in the combustion end temperature. Natural gas can also be used to reduce the sound level of motor vehicles.
Natural gas, when pure, is colorless and odorless. For safety reasons, it is scented. CNG can be purchased with special transport vehicles and high-pressure cylinders that conform to international standards.
