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Topic: Nat. gas conversion (Read 537 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: Nat. gas conversion

Reply #1 –
A lot of bus companies are converting to NG. The Auto-Ignition temperature is too high on NG so diesel fuel always has to be injected but in much smaller amounts. This means much less particulates and other sources of pollution. Couple of disadvantages. The NG has no lubricating qualities so bore wear is much higher than all diesel. The big disadvantage now is the pollution from NG that escapes into the atmosphere at the drilling site. The clean air gain in the cities is more than offset by losses at the well head. Also, as you may have read, fracking poses a huge pollution problem of it's own with contamination of ground water. Fracking also uses an average of 11 million gallons of water for each well that comes in. What do you do with 11 million gallons of polluted water that is left over? Guess where most of it goes.

Methane is also a large component of Natural Gas. The big down side here is that it traps over 8x the heat that CO2 does. Does beat coal though. See good article at: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/14/us/study-finds-methane-leaks-negate-climate-benefits-of-natural-gas.html?_r=0

Pierce
Pierce and Gaylie Stewart
'93 U300/36 WTBI
Detroit 6V-92TA Jake
1140 watts on the roof
SBFD (ret)

Re: Nat. gas conversion

Reply #2 –
Been there done that years ago.  Had a Chevy Malibu as test car.  Ran on natural gas that could be switched to gasoline.  Slightly less power on natural gas.  Biggest problem is filling.  Need either a cascade system (fast fill) or a slow overnight (slow fill) system.  OK for captive fleets.  Here we have all our garbage trucks and many buses running on it.

Keith
Keith, Joyce & Smokey the Australian Cattle Dog
1995 U320 SE Extreme 40' WTBI Build # 4780, with a Honda CR-V hopefully still following behind.
Motorcade # 17030
FMCA # F422159

Re: Nat. gas conversion

Reply #3 –
Quote from: Caflashbob –
Costs?  Versus savings?
Maybe a cost advantage on vehicles that put on a lot of miles every year.  It takes a lot of miles of fuel cost savings to offset the initial investment.  Motorhomes are typically not those kind of vehicles - not even slightly. 
John Fitzgerald
1991 U300 (SAI) Side Aisle Island Bed 40'
Detroit 6V92 with Allison Retarder
Meridian (Boise), Idaho
 

Re: Nat. gas conversion

Reply #4 –
               Have not yet seen a vehicle that runs cross country on -NG- only city and town and local county type on road  vehicles . The day may come , but doubt it will be in my lifetime . Getting a fill up will remain a problem for some time away from a city or town area . I do like the idea .            Brad Metzger
Brad Metzger
2010 Phenix 45'