Fuel Tank To Think Tank
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by: RandyLieber
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Word Count: 818
The planet's current reservoirs of known natural gas are enough to supply the earth's energy needs for the next 250 years. Canada itself has enough to supply the planets energy needs for the next 50 years according to a Vice President with Nevada gas. The world's largest discovery of NG was made in early 2008 at Rawlins Wyoming. The North Atlantic Ocean, Israel, Australia and Russia also have vast supplies of untapped natural gas making it a secure energy source. The US Energy Information Administration projects up to 240 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of natural gas could be produced a year from 4 of the 19 major shale formations is the USA. In 2007, the total U.S.natural gas consumption was 23,057,969 (Mcf). (see 9 &10)
If natural gas is available where you live, you can also install a natural gas pump to your home or business allowing you to refuel your vehicle in your garage. Many people already do this. No delivery needed; natural gas is already being delivered to our homes by underground pipelines. Equipment is $3500 - $4500 and installation is about $500. There is also a $1,500 state tax credit available to offset the cost of installation. The South Coast Air Quality Management District in the Los Angeles basin offers a $2,000 rebate on the purchase of a home CNG refueling device. Utah should to do likewise. So depending on how many miles you drive, this could be a great addition. (Google - "Fuel Maker")
CNG is a LOW COST FUEL or it should be. In Utah, as of 07/14/08, CNG is $.85 a gallon statewide; yes, that's .85 cents! In many other states CNG is as high as $3.75 a gallon. Utah, Oklahoma and a couple of other states regulate their natural gas. If Utah were not regulated, we also would be paying about $.50 a gallon less than gasoline, which has been where the petroleum companies and profiteers have pegged CNG's price in many other states. In the past 20 years a few petroleum companies, like Clean Energy, have gone around the country and bought up many of the natural gas suppliers and distributors, in effect, destroying any competition.
It explains the tendency to select the first option that satisfys some of the priority needs, or select the option that addresses most of the needs, rather than wait for the "optimal" solution that does everything.
Production, transportation, taxes and profit make up the main elements of petroleum's price to the consumer. Unlike petroleum, CNG requires relatively little development, production, refinement or transportation. In fact, natural gas is often discovered with petroleum and burned off (flared) as a nuisance. It's estimated that the world's NG that is flared off in one year is equivalent to the energy used in the USA in 4 months. Now, consider your ECON 101 class. Remember supply and demand effects? If we have a product with an over abundance (high), with a demand that at this point is almost nil (low), what would you expect the price to be?
CLEAN AIR: Natural gas vehicles show an average reduction in ozone-forming emissions of 80% compared to gasoline or diesel vehicles. The use of CNG vehicles results in less petroleum consumption, and less air pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions. Natural gas is not made from petroleum, as gasoline and diesel are. It has a simple, one carbon, molecular structure (CH4) that makes possible its nearly complete combustion. In general, carbon dioxide is exhaled by animals and utilized by plants during photosynthesis.
Physical Properties: Natural gas is flammable; otherwise it could not be used as a fuel for internal combustion and other types of energy. When released into the air or mixed with air in an engine, compressed natural gas becomes flammable only when the mixture is between 5 and 15 percent natural gas. When the mixture is less than 5 percent natural gas (too thin) it doesn't burn. When the mixture is more than 15 percent natural gas (too rich) there is not enough oxygen to allow it to burn. It also has an ignition temperature of approximately 1100 degrees F compared to gasoline and diesel fuel which both have lower concentrations of flammability and much lower temperatures of ignition.
Natural gas is made up of 5 gases; mainly methane, with small quantities of propane, butane, ethane and pentane.s It is found in oil fields or isolated in natural gas fields, and in coal beds.s It is composed of over 92% methane that is created from the anaerobic decomposition of organic material and also occurs naturally deep in the earth and throughout the solar system.q The Salt Lake County landfill on 6400 West powers its buildings, heating, cooling and electricity from the methane that is piped off the landfill. Thus while petroleum is being produced at a snails pace at optimal conditions of pressure and temperature within the earth, methane is produced comparatively quickly and easily.
About the Author
Randy writes articles about cng cars and writes article for dual fuel autos
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