Car conversion?

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Permalink Reply by james gunnels on July 11, 2008 at 8:13am

in order for cars to run on natural gas there must be a lot of info on how to convert, source of parts. network of conversion stations. i have natural gas at home and like millions of others would like to fill up at home. i know about conversion to propand. it has been around a long time. i once had a tractor that used propand. it worked just like and gas operated tractor. need much more info on natural gas car conversion. a lot of people can convert at home if they have enough info. thanks jim

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Permalink Reply by Don Holley on July 11, 2008 at 8:31am

Go to gotpropane.com They sell propane and I believe Nat. Gaas conversion . But these are only for pickups or off road vehicles due to safety concerns. SUVs and cars would carry the fuel in the passenger area. I think to do Nat gas requires a pump to compress the fuel. Propane can be filled off a bulk tank with what is called a "wet line". Both are less polluting and your vehicle can go about 25,000 miles between oil changes due to less crap in them than gas.

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Permalink Reply by Lee K. Shuster on August 3, 2008 at 6:45pm

Please stop confusing Propane (LPG) with (CNG) Compressed NATURAL gas!

There seems to be plenty of opinions being thrown around on this thread. Keep in mind these facts pertain primarily to the USA fuel scene. Your mileage and preferences will vary (depending on regional worlwide conditions).

Gasoline (Petrol):
Widely available, Escalating costs. Harmful emissions. Heavily dependent upon imported oil.

Diesel:
Widely available, Escalating costs. More toxic(more complex carbon chain) than gasoline. Heavily dependent upon imported oil.

Biodiesel:
Domestically produced fuel manufactured from vegetable oils, animal fats or recycled restaurant greases. Can be used in diesel engines. Increases NOx emissions. Displaces some petroleum, still heavily dependent upon imported oil.

Natural Gas (Compressed Natural Gas and Liquidfied Natural Gas) —(Note: this is NOT LPG (propane) - see below)

CNG/LNG are two of cleanest (low carbon - CH4 - methane) burning alternative fuels available. Virtually non-toxic, contain almost no smog-forming hydrocarbons. Can be used as feedstock to extract hydrogen. 1,600 natural gas fueling stations in US, vs. 190,000 gasoline stations. Can be range-limited. Good safety record world-wide, lighter than air. Has 130 Octane rating. At present, natural gas vehicles (NGVs) cost more than comparable gasoline or diesel vehicles. Very suitable in medium and heavy-duty vehicles.

Propane (Liquefied Petroleum Gas or LPG):
Produced from natural gas processing and crude oil refining. Production limited due to refining capacity. Inefficient use of feedstock. Heavier than air, dangerous to use. Costs prone to seasonal price fluctuation. Niche market in rural areas.

Electricity:
No tailpipe emissions. Likely upstream emissions at power generation from coal. Lower maintenance costs than gasoline- powered vehicles. Very expensive. Development stalled as battery storage technology is inadequate. Niche off-road market or range-limited.

Hybrid gas/electric:
Effective near-term solution for light-duty vehicles. Gasoline engine combined with batteries/electric motor increase MPG. Not widely available for heavy-duty vehicles. Escalating costs for gasoline used. Harmful emissions. Heavily dependent upon imported oil.

Ethanol: Alcohol-based liquid fuel derived primarily from (US) corn:
Reduces dependence on foreign oil. Requires massive use of cropland to supply meaningful power. Huge government subsidies, otherwise more expensive than gasoline.

Methanol: (CH3OH) Extracted from natural gas as feedstock. Produces formaldehyde, poisonous. Takes two gallons of natural gas to make one gallon of methanol.

Hydrogen (H2):
Potentially, may be produced in virtually unlimited quantities. Currently most commonly produced from Natural Gas feedstock supplies. Could address concerns about energy security, global climate change and air quality. Hydrogen-fueled vehicle development and fuel processing technology just getting underway. May not become commercially meaningful until 2015-2020 or later.
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IMHO:
The bottom line is America is sitting over a 120-year supply of RECOVERABLE Natural Gas. It will be the low-carbon keystone of our future economy and future energy independence. Fact is you will use Natural Gas as the upstream CLEAN energy source to power your PLUG-IN electric-hybrid, as the renewable sources or Nuclear sources will take years to develop. Natural Gas will be the transition bridge to an H2 economy, as well.

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Permalink Reply by Jim Buck on August 4, 2008 at 1:55pm

Lee,

Great analysis.

So do you convert your car or buy a Honda GX?

I have a Chevey Avalnache I could convert.

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Permalink Reply by SJC on August 30, 2008 at 2:38pm

If you want to try and get a CNG kit made for your car, go to this location and type in the year, make and model of the car that you want to convert. If we can get enough people with the same or similar cars, I will send that information for the kit makers.
http://push.pickensplan.com/forum/topic/show?id=2187034%3ATopic%3A5...

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Permalink Reply by Lee K. Shuster on August 3, 2008 at 6:40pm

Try doing research on this topic at: www.cngchat.com

Also support:

Rep. Rahm Emanuel and Rep. Dan Boren will introduce legislation today to increase the use of natural gas vehicles in America over the next ten years by providing incentives to consumers to purchase natural gas vehicles, automakers to manufacture natural gas vehicles in America, and service stations to install the infrastructure necessary to fuel natural gas vehicles. By providing an array of incentives, the New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans Solutions (NAT GAS) Act establishes a framework to achieve the goal of increasing the percentage of natural gas vehicles on the road to 10% of all vehicles by 2018.

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