Fuel Tank To Think Tank

By Randy Lieber
Growing up, I learned early to go with the best I had until something else better came along. It has
served me well and I suggest here that it would also serve our country today.
There are many polarized groups pushing different agendas on the alternative fuels debate today, but
herein I would recommend the proposition sited above; why not use the best resources we have now,
until we develop something better? That answer may be different for some in different parts of our
country and the world.
At this point, hydrogen, cold fusion, solar and other proposed energy sources rank up there with Santa
Claus for me. I want to believe, but before we stake all our hopes on these possibilities, shouldn’t we
use the best options we have available now, rather than wait and hope? In economics decision-
making, this process is called satisficing. It explains the tendency to select the first option that satisfys
some of the priority needs, or to select the option that addresses most of the needs, rather than wait
for the “optimal” solution that does everything. Acceptance of less than the ideal: the principle that in
most cases people and organizations seek to obtain a satisfactory solution for the now, not necessarily
the permanent or perfect one that isn’t known or can’t agreed upon.
Below are my findings from researching several sources, including: the Chemistry and Automotive
Engineering Departments at BYU, the University of Utah, Utah State and Weber State, as well as Los
Alamos National Labs NM, the History Channel, the managements of the Utah, Idaho, Arizona and
Nevada natural gas companies, my own extensive readings, and ownership of CNG vehicles.
CNG is compressed natural gas. CNG powers more than eight million vehicles on the road today.
Unfortunately, only 150,000 of these are in the U.S. The average growth rate in the U.S. shows a 3.7%
per annum since 2000, as contrasted with a booming global growth rate of 30.6% per
annum. Expanding the numbers of CNG fueling stations and reducing the bureaucracy would allow for
the increase of CNG vehicles on U.S. roads.

ADVANTAGES OF CNG:
1) CNG is SAFER THAN GASOLINE or diesel fuel according to the head of the University of Utah
chemistry department. Natural gas and natural gas vehicles have a stellar safety record which is
based upon two facts:
a. The physical properties of natural gas make it safer than most other fuels.
b. The fuel systems designed for natural gas vehicles are built to very stringent standards.
Physical Properties: Natural gas is flammable; otherwise it could not be used as a fuel for internal
combustion and heating. These are the properties of the two fuels:
GASOLINE METHANE (natural gas is 90% methane)
Auto-ignition temperature: about 250°C = 482F Auto-ignition temperature:
537°C = 998.6F
Explosive limits, vol% in air: 1.3 - 7.1% Explosive limits, vol% in air:
5 - 15%
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ipcsneng/neng1400.html
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ipcsneng/neng0291.html
Which means that gasoline will ignite at about HALF the temperature that natural gas does AND at 1/4 to HALF of
the fuel to air mixture that gasoline would.
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 lean) there is not enough fuel, 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 far lower concentrations of flammability and much lower temperatures of ignition. In addition
natural gas is lighter than air so it does NOT pool like gasoline when spilled. Gasoline pools in the immediate
area creating a fire hazard long after a spill. CNG, unlike gasoline, dissipates into the atmosphere in the
event of an accident, being lighter than air.
We know that a fire or explosion needs three components: fuel, oxygen and ignition. A gasoline
vehicle already has two of these three components in its tank, fuel and oxygen. Three if you want to
count the electric motor fuel pump that is submerged in the gas tank. Whereas, a CNG vehicle has
only one component in its tank, fuel. Hollywood scripts have propane tanks explode at the least
provocation, which makes for great movie action, but is not true. A CNG tank has up to 3600 psi. Until
the pressure is reduced enough to allow oxygen access, there cannot be combustion. At the point that
the pressure is low enough to allow oxygen into the tank, the amount of fuel would be negligible. That
is why the likelihood of a CNG explosion is fiction; but remember, that’s what you were watching -
fiction.
Has anyone forgotten the Valdez? If that ship had split open with natural gas as its cargo, it would
have simply dissipated into the atmosphere rather than pollute the ocean and the coastline of Alaska.
Every day tanker trucks travel our roads delivering various types of petroleum products. More than
half of that traffic could be eliminated with the use of CNG, reducing the pollution and the risk of life
and property, if those trucks are involved in an accident. Ever wonder why the stove or furnace in your
home doesn't burn gasoline instead of natural gas?
Fuel System: Natural gas vehicles (NGV’s) have all the same standard safety equipment as
conventional cars (seat belts, air bags, etc.), yet they are subjected to the same crash safety tests as
well.
Because CNG fuel systems operate at pressures in excess of 3000 PSI, the fuel tank and associated
plumbing have to be incredibly rugged and strong enough to contain that pressure. Newer tanks are
constructed of polymers and composites that are stronger than steel. Contrast that with standard
gasoline and diesel tanks in regular vehicles that are usually made from stamped steel shell halves,
just a few sixteenths of an inch thick, that are welded or crimped together. Most new gasoline tanks
are plastic. In the event of a traffic accident, the ability of rugged, durable CNG tanks to withstand
rupture or puncture far exceeds that of simple stamped steel.
But the safety of natural gas vehicles (NGV’s) doesn’t just stop with the construction of the fuel tank.
Most CNG systems have a pressure release device (PRD). In a situation of excessive heat or pressure
build-up, the PRD will open and release the gas to the atmosphere, and since it is lighter than the
surrounding air, it will rise and dissipate. In the event of a fire, the fuel is safely evacuated from the
car before it ever has a chance to catch fire. Gasoline and diesel vehicles simply can’t do that.
Therefore, a CNG leak poses no direct threat to land or water and is safer.

2) CNG has a Distribution System Already in Place that is 1000 times more extensive than that
used for petroleum products. Mega tanker ships transport oil from the Middle East. Tanker trucks
transport 99% of the gasoline and diesel fuel that we consume at the pump. That itself contributes
over 22% of price we pay at the pump, not to mention the danger. The transportation costs associated
with CNG are for the most part, fixed. Natural gas is distributed nationwide through an extensive
network of pipelines, which feed electrical generation plants, domestic and industrial heating uses.
Thus, the use of natural gas in vehicles is "piggybacking" on many years of infrastructure
development.
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 $1,000 Federal tax credit and in many
states an addition credit is available to offset the costs. 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. So depending on how many miles you drive, this could be a great addition. (Google - "Fuel
Maker")

3) CNG is a LOW COST FUEL or it should be. In Utah, as of 2/02/10, CNG is $.93 a gallon statewide;
yes, that's 93 cents! In many other states CNG is as high as $3.45 a gallon. Utah, Oklahoma and a few
other states regulate their natural gas. If Utah were not regulated, we also would be paying about 50
cents 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 twenty 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. Pricing is also muddled by current subsidies.
Anyone that has traveled outside of our country has noticed that gasoline prices are $3.00 to $5.00
per gallon higher than we pay at the pump here in the USA. The little know secret is that the US has
been subsidizing our gasoline prices at about $3.00 per gallon for years. Actually this has been a great
benefit to our countries economy but if the playing field were leveled you can see that CNG would
even be a more obvious choice. Even ethanol receives a $3.00 per gallon subsidy despite its failure as
a suitable fuel. (note section 7 below)
The federal government currently allows a $.50 per gallon excise tax credit to all states dispensing
CNG for vehicles. From the pricing differences, it’s easy to recognize which states are passing that
money on to the consumer. ( as is the case with Questar and Oklahoma Natural Gas ) Also note that
under the 2005 congressional energy bill which provided these incentives, the 50 cent tax credit is
offset by the same 18 cent tax excise tax which is paid at the pump for gasoline and diesel (until then
CNG, LNG, LPG and other alternative fuels were not subject to paying this “road tax”). So the net
effect is approximately 32 cents per gasoline gallon equivalent (GGE). This credit can also be made
available to non-taxpaying entities such as local governments and school districts indirectly.
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 total
energy used in the USA in 4 months.
The true odds of drilling are: of ten holes drilled, 2 will yield oil. Three will be dry and the other five will
yield natural gas. Most of those over the years have been capped due to inaccessibility and low
demand.
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 relatively low; what would you expect the
price to be?

4) REDUCE OUR DEPENDENCE on FOREIGN OIL These words are the mission statement for the
DOE. In 1969 when the DOE was created our countries oil imports were under 15%. Today, forty years
later, our oil imports exceed 75%. President Obama said in his inaugural address, “Each day brings
further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthens our adversaries and threatens our planet.”
CNG, on the other hand, is a domestic fuel. About 98% of the natural gas we use comes from right
here in North America. We export about $1.7 billion a day (that’s over $700 billion a year) to pay for
foreign oil, adding to our trade deficit and weakening the dollar. By using domestic natural gas, we
strengthen both our nation’s security and economy by keeping jobs and revenues at home.
Every gallon equivalent of natural gas used in vehicles is one less gallon of petroleum that has to be
imported. At the same time those funds we export go to finance people that don’t like us very much
and some that have made it their life’s work to destroy us. WHY not keep that money here, or at least
most of it?

5) LOWER MAINTENANCE - Not only is CNG cheaper but also when used in vehicles, the engines last
2 to 3 times longer and the oil only needs to be changed every 10,000 miles, unlike gasoline engines
that require oil be changed every 3,000 miles. Mechanics with Questar (Utah’s natural gas distributor)
say that vehicles that use CNG still look new, at 200,000 miles. There are CNG taxis and limos in Utah
that have logged over 1 million miles. They don’t experience the build up of hydrocarbons that
petroleum vehicles do. That’s because carbon is like sand in an engine increasing wear and shortening
its life. Dedicated CNG vehicles are designed to run only on natural gas but there are also bi-fuel
vehicles. They make the best of both worlds and have two separate fueling systems.

6) CNG is a PLENTIFUL & RENEWABLE RESOURCE 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. The planet’s current reservoirs of known
natural gas are enough to supply the earth’s energy needs for the next 200 years. According to a June
2008 study by Navigant Consulting, North American has at least a 120-year supply of natural gas –
contradicting the notion that America is running out. Canada itself has enough to supply our
continents 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. Since then, a similar
discovery has been made in Arkansas. There are at least 22 shale basins located onshore in more than
20 states in the U.S. including Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, West Virginia, Wyoming,
Colorado, New Mexico, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York and Michigan. 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)

7) PERFORMANCE in regards to CNG is not a problem. CNG is approximately 130 octane. Racing
fuels are about approximately 110 octane. The octane in regular gasoline that most of our vehicles run
on is 85. Methane has more BTUs but burns slower than other fuels making it a perfect dual-fuel
mixture with diesel fuels. In fact, the world land speed record was set by “Blue Flame”, a natural gas
vehicle on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah on October 28, 1970. The Blue Flame's record of
630.478 mph, lasted for 13 years. The best use of CNG is in a high compression engine such as diesel
or “hemi” powered trucks. Miles per gallon with CNG is the same as that experienced with gasoline.
Gasoline is liquid that is sprayed or injected into a vehicle’s cylinders in a semi-gaseous state. CNG is
already gas, thus providing a more complete and cleaner burn. This has to do with the molecular
structure of methane, CH4. It has the highest ratio of carbon to hydrogen atoms of any other
compound on earth, thus more complete efficient combustion as compared to petroleum,(C8H18). E(85)
Ethanol, on the other hand, has very poor performance and requires MORE energy to produce it than it
provides. If that isn’t bad enough, they use natural gas to heat the corn mash to produce ethanol. Add
that to the fact that by using our corn reserves (a third of the U.S. annual corn crop) to produce
fuel we lose our bargaining chip with other countries to feed their population. As noted in Time
magazine 4/1/08, ethanol is partially responsible for the deforestation of the rainforest as well. The
article reports that the corn that is used to distill one tank of ethanol would feed one human for a year.
Also less corn available means higher feed prices, thus higher meat, dairy and everything else. In
pandering to the farm lobby the federal government and Detroit abandoned CNG as an alternative fuel
in favor of E(85) and now we are feeling the pinch at the grocery store and in the lack of new CNG
vehicles to choose from. Would you rather import fuel or food? We don’t have to import either if we
could get special interests out of our elected officials pockets and heads.
The price of regular gasoline is approximately $3.00 a gallon. The price for CNG is $.93 a gallon in
Utah. So the ratio is approximately 3 to 1. So, in terms of the money paid, gasoline costs 3 times more
than natural gas, which means that a Ford Crown Victoria that averages 25 mpg gets the
financial equivalent of 3 x 25 or 75 mpg on average or in other words, it’s like paying the normal price
for gasoline, but getting 75 miles per gallon. Now, that’s my kind of GREEN$$

8) “Natural gas is an inherently cleaner fuel.”-EPA 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. Carbon dioxide is an
important greenhouse gas because it absorbs in the infrared range, and because of its atmospheric
lifetime. According to scientists with Los Alamos national labs, our planet would be better off with a
300% increase in carbon dioxide. It's plant life would flourius and the worlds hunger lowered.

Replacing one diesel-powered garbage truck with a natural gas-powered one is equal to taking 325
cars off the road in terms of pollution reduction.
According to the EPA, typical dedicated NGV’s can reduce exhaust emissions of:
Carbon monoxide (CO) by 70 percent
Non-methane organic gas (NMOG) by 87 percent
Nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 87 percent - This gas is an important signaling molecule in the body of
mammals, including humans, and is an extremely important intermediate in the chemical industry.
Nitrogen constitutes 80% of Earth's atmosphere by volume. Oxygen the other 20%. Yes, it occurs
naturally and is NOT the evil by-product the environmental wackos would have us believe.
Formaldehyde (H2CO) by 82 percent
Acetaldehyde (CH3CHO) by 91 percent
1.3-Butadiene (C4H6) TEX Toluene, Ethylbenzene, and Xylenes can have major affects on the central
nervous system, reduced by 88 percent Particle Mass by 98 percent - there are no acceptable levels of
particulate matter emissions. All levels have been linked to health hazards such as heart disease, lung
dysfunction and lung cancer. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is reduced by almost 20 percent below that of
gasoline vehicles. This is the least important reduction listed. Plants use carbon dioxide during
photosynthesis. It is produced during respiration by plants, and by all animals, fungi and
microorganisms that depend on living and decaying plants for food, either directly or indirectly. It is,
therefore, a major component of the carbon cycle. It is NOT the bad by-product the environmental
wackos would have us believe. Unfortunately, some enjoy the financial attention of environmental
pornography.
Note: Even hybrid's (gasoline-electric) emissions are subject to increased emissions until their catalytic
converters reach operational temperatures. Most importantly, the results above are maintained even
under cold-start, lower ambient temperature conditions like those experienced in the winter along
Utah’s Wasatch Front. Sulphur dioxide emissions that also lead to formation of deadly sulphate
particles are virtually eliminated.
Next to electric, CNG is the next least polluting fuel, only if you’re talking about what comes out of the
tailpipe. When you take into consideration the disposal of batteries every 3 to 4 years for electric cars,
you are now talking about a pollutant that rivals nuclear waste, according to a physicist at Los Alamos
National Labs NM. Plus 49.2% of our nation’s electrical power comes from coal (the highest manmade
particulate contaminate, also the number one source of radioactive contaminates in the atmosphere),
20.4% from natural gas, 19.4% from nuclear, 7% from hydro-energy, 1.6% from petroleum and 2.4%
from renewable wind, solar, and geothermal. With that, the energy that is recharging the “clean”
electric car, over 50% of the time is not so clean. Until technology comes up with a battery that does
not need to be disposed of and can store energy more efficiently, electric vehicles are counter
productive to most environmental concerns, at this point.
Particulates are responsible for maximum health damage and have no safe levels according to
international studies. Those studies confirm that breathable particles kill even at low concentrations.
The CNG Honda Civic GX on the other hand has been the cleanest internal-combustion-engine vehicle
ever tested by the EPA in every year since 1998.

9) Use it Before it Becomes a Threat? According to the History Channel, one of the Mega Disasters
that hangs over our planet is global warming’s effect on methane deposits on the sea floor close to the
arctic polar ice cap and its effect on permafrost. Those pockets bubble to the surface as our oceans
warm and could provide a flammable methane-rich atmosphere in the future. Scientists have proposed
drilling into that deposit to tap into the fuels there, but they are meeting opposition from
environmentalists. The History Channel cites known methane deposits on planet earth to be about
20,000 million tons. That’s two to three times that of the known reserves of petroleum and more being
produced every minute by nature. Why not reduce the threat? USE IT!

10) A SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP is one where both parties benefit. As stated above, natural gas
contains a minimum of 90% methane. Every animal on earth produces methane. We currently collect
the material that could be used to produce methane. It’s called sewage, fecal matter, and waste
products. Over 60% of American homes are connected to a sewage collection system. Over 50% of
American homes are connected to a natural gas supply system for heating. A symbiotic system would
be to use our sewage collection plants in our larger metropolitan areas to produce natural gas. That
methane could then be piped to our already existing natural gas providers. They in turn would pipe it
to our homes and businesses for heating and power. The homes in turn would return sewage to the
production plants.

11) UTAH IS ON THE CUTTING EDGE according to the Salt Lake Tribune, for CNG implementation.
(July 16, 2007) However, Utah screwed up! Ten years ago Utah led the nation by providing bi-fuel
vehicles for state employees who were supplied bi-fuel vehicles (run on either gasoline or CNG). It
failed. Why? If you were given a credit card to pay for all of your fuel and had the choice of getting
your gasoline on almost every street corner or have to look around for a CNG station, which would you
choose? The State should have supplied dedicated CNG vehicles to all employees for city driving, and
then made bi-fuel or traditional gasoline vehicles available to check out for travel to areas where CNG
is not available.
This addresses one of the hurdles to CNG acceptance. That is, the consumer’s demand for access to
fuel. Not because we need it, necessarily, but because we are used to it. Those of us born after 1930
have grown up spoiled and brainwashed by having a filling station on almost every corner. In town we
don’t give a thought to where our next fill-up will come from, only its price. The only time we consider
access is when we drive our gasoline vehicles to remote locations off the main road. We typically don’t
consider how much fuel we have or might need. For a savings of $1.00 to $2.50 a gallon, I for one, am
willing to plan ahead and consider CNG fuel locations before I travel. The average family that drives
2,000 miles a month will save about $2,500 a year. With that kind of savings, a family could afford to
fly or rent a gasoline-powered vehicle and not put the miles on their own.

12) CNG BONUS:

DRIVE ALONE IN THE CARPOOL LANE. A CNG vehicle also qualifies for a Utah Clean Air License Plate
that lets you drive solo in the carpool lane and ignore fees at the parking meters in downtown Salt
Lake City. Saving hours each week. Many Californians drive CNG vehicles for this benefit only.
FEDERAL & STATE TAX CREDITS Utah and the federal government are encouraging the use of
Alternate Fuel Vehicles through various tax incentives. The Federal tax credit is on newly produced or
newly converted dedicated vehicles and provides between $4,000 and $32,000 depending on GVW.
Cars and trucks under 8500 GVW get $4,000 and it goes up from there. Most pickups 8600 GVW or
higher get $8,000. Only the first person to register a used CNG vehicle in Utah is eligible for a state tax
credit that can be as high as $3000. The amount of the credit is based on how much the CNG option
costs on the conversion costs when made. That may sound unfair but go back and read all the
advantages above again. (Talk to Utah Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ) for details)

13) CNG is the short-term fix and is part of the long-term cure to our transportation fuel
appetite. Over the long term, fuel cell vehicles operating on hydrogen promise to deliver zero
emissions. Tremendous synergy and continuity exists between the deployment of today’s NGVs and
tomorrow’s hydrogen-fueled vehicles:
• Natural gas is the leading source for hydrogen in the U.S. today.

• The first fueling stations along California’s highways will likely produce hydrogen onsite by reforming pipeline
natural gas.

• Some of these will be “energy stations” that break hydrogen from natural gas to power fuel cell vehicles,
generate electricity for buildings, and produce usable hot water (“tri-generation energy”).

• Technologies and products developed for NGVs and natural gas stations over many years are now
“jumpstarting” fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen stations.

• Many “lessons learned” for NGVs and natural gas directly apply to fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen.

• Most investments already made in NGVs and natural gas fueling stations (capital, institutional, educational,
organizational, etc.) are directly or indirectly applicable to America’s emerging hydrogen fueling system.
The infrastructure being built today for CNG will be tomorrow’s hydrogen transportation network.
America’s long-range plans to improve air quality and energy independence call for a gradual
transition towards zero-emission modes of transportation and away from petroleum-based fuels. The
“ultimate” fuel and technology combination for meeting these objectives will be FCVs (Fuel Cell
Vehicles) using hydrogen that has been produced locally from renewable energy sources, such as
solar, wind and geothermal power, or even landfill bio-methane.
Fuel cells and associated technologies are steadily advancing, but many challenges remain. Perhaps
the most formidable of these are associated with the costs and use logistics of hydrogen itself.
Although hydrogen is nature’s most abundant element, on Earth it largely exists in forms that are
chemically bound into water molecules or hydrocarbon compounds such as methane. A major
challenge to commercializing FCVs involves developing a process that can economically “free”
hydrogen into its pure elemental form (H2) at minimal impact to the environment.
Fortunately, natural gas provides a widely available resource with a proven technique for separating
out hydrogen molecules. Specifically, most hydrogen in the United States today, and over half of the
worldwide supply, is produced by steam reforming of natural gas. In part, this is because methane (the
main component of natural gas) has the highest hydrogen-to-carbon ratio of any hydrocarbon fuel –
CH4. During the initial “launch” of hydrogen-fueled vehicles (both FCVs and internal combustion
engine vehicles, or ICEVs), it is highly likely that demand for hydrogen fuel in the transportation sector
will be met through this type of traditional steam reforming of natural gas.
14 – Vehicle conversions to Bi-Fuel or Dual-Fuel are the answer. Current basic conversions are
$7,500 to $8,500. Diesel conversions are the most beneficial, financially and environmentally.

What are the benefits of using natural gas in transportation?

Natural gas available and is produced worldwide at a relatively low cost. It is cleaner burning than
gasoline and especially diesel fuel. Could we switch today – no. Could we start doing something about
it today – YES! All diesel machines could be adapted to a dual-fuel system. The engine will run easily
on a mixture of 20% diesel and 80% CNG.
There is something wrong with the current fuel situation and what we are being told about it. After
driving a CNG vehicles for years, reading everything I can get my hands on about alternative fuels and
speaking to the Chemistry department at the U of U and BYU, I can say that it is logical that every
family’s second car should be CNG and that every state should encourage CNG use over petroleum.
Moving to CNG will not only help us to reach emission results comparable to Euro IV norms, but it will
also immediately reduce the cancer risk from diesel emissions significantly. Since CNG is a cleaner
fuel, it is possible to meet much tighter standards within a short time frame and make a quantum leap
towards what environmentalists crave, still satisfy the consumer’s desire for value and yet provides
these at the lowest economic impact as we face our future transportation energy demands.

National Security, Economy and the Environment. Is their anything else out
there that could have more immediate and positive affect on these three
areas than CNG?
We need it NOW! We have a choice; it just isn’t being offered. ASK WHY!
Disadvantages of CNG:
1 The country needs time to put in pump stations as the demand increases. States other than Utah are
way behind the curve.
2) Other states are a much larger problem. i.e. All of Idaho’s CNG stations are private or government
only.
3) The space necessary for the storage of a CNG tank in a vehicle makes it impractical for very small
vehicles. That’s why trains, buses, and local freight semis would be an easy conversion
4) Perception: Most people know nothing about CNG yet will express an uninformed opinion.
5) Perception: See #1 People believe that CNG is more dangerous. See #2 People think they need
more access to fuel then they really need.
6) CNG requires major retooling of both cars and fuel-station infrastructure.
7) If your car spends more than 80% of its time in a metropolitan area with CNG pumps available, no
problem. If the vehicle is to be used out of state then you need to do further study on the availability
in the areas that you intend to travel. For the 10% that it is used outside the city, you would need to
figure the vehicles range and alow enought fuel to return to a CNG station. There are bi-fuel vehicles
that can operate on both CNG and gasoline. There too, with what you save with CNG, you could rent a
vehicle to go out of state or fly.
8) The myths that surround natural gas such as it is too expensive to use as a generating fuel.
Recommendations and Solutions:
A - The Federal government has mandated that 50% of the Federal fleet is to be alternative fueled by
2014 but all public transportation, i.e. buses, trains, taxis, local delivery vehicles too should be 50%
alternative fuels by 2016 as well. CNG stations be required for every city with a population of over
100,000 by 2014.
B – All commercial diesels to augment CNG to 40% by 2015
C - Base public service commissions to regulate all USA petroleum and natural gas companies by a by
2012.
D – Re-instate the 1992 Clean Air Act WITH teeth. Penalties for non-compliance by 2012.
E – Mandate that all US auto Manufacturers offer a bi-fuel and dual-fuel CNG vehicle by 2015. Chevy
and Ford produce over 18 CNG vehicles worldwide but they are only sold outside of the USA.
F - The EPA is a bureaucratic mess. In short, they have made it too expensive to get the approval that
currently sets qualifications for the federal tax credit! It has made it so expensive to test and get
anything approved. It costs US auto manufacturers $300-$400 thousand to get one system approved.
Newt Gingrich said “What we have done is build a very slow, cumbersome process of paying for
research. If you’re not already a senior scientist, if you don’t already have a track record, if your idea
is too wild, the system ignores you.” What to do? Recognize, says Gingrich, that incentives work, and,
as 90% of the respondents said in an ASWF poll, that entrepreneurs are more likely to solve our
energy and environmental problems than an approach that is merely regulatory. The EPA was set up
for the new car industry. They don not have the personel nor the patence to deal with each state on
unique needs and circumstances.
G - The petroleum industry has a vested interest in thwarting any efforts to make CNG available and
competitive. Hold them accountable. The FTC should do something about the monopoly, but won’t
until “we the people” get educated.
H – An alternative method for on-site storage of natural gas is to store it in the form of LNG (liquid
natural gas).
High-pressure cryogenic pumps can be used to compress the LNG to 4,000-4,500 psi and then
vaporizing the highly compressed liquid. This method offers several advantages over conventional
CNG: a) Cryogenic pumps require significantly less energy than the compressors used at the
conventional CNG stations and are less maintenance-intensive. b) Since LNG is essentially pure
methane-CH4, LNG or CNG is delivered to vehicles with virtually no contaminants such as oil
carryover, moisture and higher hydrocarbons. According to the US-based Gas Research Institute, the
capital costs of a large LNG or CNG station can be nearly 50 per cent lower than a conventional CNG
station.
I - Allow the immediate production of any CNG vehicle that was being produced from 1990 to 2005.
J - Many other countries are far ahead of the U.S. in their use of NGV’s. Italy, China, India, and Pakistan
are just a few. Brazil has over one million NGV’s. In Argentina, 20% of all vehicles use natural gas.
There are over 6 million worldwide and only 110,000 in the USA.
K - In view of the USA’s air quality profile, the benefits of moving to CNG outweigh the potential ills.
Therefore, the priority in US should be to move out of fuels that emit greater particles such as diesel
as fast as possible.
N – More and larger CNG stations. Update and provide regular service to existing stations through
state funding. Set the price at the pumps to fund repairs and expansion to the infrastructure.
O – Put a $3 fee on all vehicle registrations in each state to be used for tax credit incentives, loans and
grants for alternative fuels.
CNG is the best-kept secret. WHY?
My first title for this paper was “A Conspiracy of Stupidity”; some recommended that people
ruffle at the word “conspiracy”, so I changed it. It should have been “Conspiracy OR
Stupidity”
To do something will cost. To do nothing will cost much more.

For more information about natural gas and CNG, visit:

a – http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/environment/2008-02-25-plug-in-hybrids-pollution_N.htm
b - http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/transportation/afvs/cng.html
c - http://engva.org/Pages/63/documents/Low%20Temp.%20Emissions.Alt.FuelsWindsor2004.pdf
d - http://pubs.its.ucdavis.edu/publication_detail.php?id=368
e - http://www.tennesseecleanfuels.org/Natural_Gas.html
f-
http://www.cseindia.org/campaign/apc/myths_facts/index_final.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compressed_natur
al_gas
g - http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/239381/
h - http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/transportation/CNG.html
i - http://www.mckenziecorp.com/dehydration.htm
j - http://www.altfuels.org/backgrnd/altftype/cng.html
k - http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695204002,00.html
l - http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,5143,695204005,00.html
m - http://www.envocare.co.uk/lpg_lng_cng.htm
n - http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bifueltech.shtml
o - http://autos.yahoo.com/green_center-article_114/
p - http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epa/figes1.html
q - http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2007/04may_methaneblast.htm Rockets
r - http://ngvamerica.com/
s - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_gas
t - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Flame_(car)
u - http://engva.org/Content.aspx?PageID=63
v – http://engva.org/Pages/63/documents/TNO%20emission%20study-passenger%20cars%2012.02-
12.03.pdf
w-
http://www.mycngkit.com/MyCngKit.Com_CNG_Conversion_Kits_For_Every_Make_and_Model_Foreign_or_Domestic_Auto_or_Truc
k.html
x - http://solveclimate.com/blog/20080311/ethanol-way-youll-need-water
y - http://www.lanl.gov/news/index.php/fuseaction/home.story/story_id/12554
z. - http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1725975,00.html
aa - http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/video/video_player.shtml?vid=193319
bb - http://cleanskies.org/
cc - http://www.natruell.com/safety.html
dd - http://www.cngprices.com/

The bottom line is that, natural gas-powered vehicles are

dramatically better for our nation’s security, its economy and the
environment than gasoline-powered vehicles.
2/24/10
Refer on line to:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/2275970/Fuel-Tank-To-Think-Tank-
for a online copy of the above.