KNOW YOUR ABC FROM CNG Whats different about CNG against other gases which are in use

currently? In the past, gas-fuelled automobiles used LPG (Burshane). Today it is compressed natural gas (CNG) that is in use. Methane is the prime component of CNG while LPG is a blend of propane, butane and some other chemicals. Can an existing LPG vehicle run on CNG? An LPG-fuelled vehicle will not run on CNG as the two fuels are different from each other, have differing calcrific values and need different air-fuel ratios for combustion. CNG has to be stored at relatively higher pressure in a cylinder than LPG, so the same cylinder cannot be used for both gases. A vehicle will need specific conversion for CNG operation. Will my car still run on petrol if I run out of CNG? The petrol carburettor is retained during conversion for CNG so that the vehicle will still run on petrol. A switch on the dashboard allows one to make instant changes of fuel sources. How much will I save on CNG? Savings on fuel cost by using CNG will depend on size and fuel consumption characteristics of the vehicle, as well as mileage. As we have seen in the CNG Omni the cost per kilometre incurred was nearly half that of the costs incurred by the petrol van. Should I use petrol occasionally? Occasional use of petrol serves to lubricate the carburettor besides making for better running of the engine. Is the CNG option safe? Four key features make CNG a safer fuel than petrol, diesel or LPG. With specific gravity of 0.587, it is lighter than air so in case of leaks, it rises up and dissipates into air. (Other fuels form puddles on the ground in case of leaks.) CNG has a 700 degree Centigrade ignition temperature compared to 455 degree Centigrade for petrol. The range of 4 to 14 per cent in which CNG mixes with air by volume for combustion is small. Storage is far safer than for petrol, as CNG cylinders are designed and built from special materials and to high safety specifications. What is the pressure of CNG in a cylinder? CNG is filled to a maximum of 200kg/cm (about 3000psi/g) in a cylinder. Is refuelling cylinders a safe option with such high pressures involved? Is it safe even in an accident? Refuelling is safe as the cylinder is made from a single piece of special steel alloy, with no welded joints, and each cylinder is tested as per international specifications before being installed. A burst disc ensures safety as in case of inadvertent high pressure filling, or fore, the disc ruptures so no excess pressure situation over the specified level is created. Italy, New Zealand, Argentina and the US are countries where CNG has been in use for years, and it has been categorised as being safer fuel than petrol.

Will CNG harm my engine in any way? Use of CNG serves to extend life of lubricating oil as CNG will not contaminate or dilute crankcase oil. Fouling of plugs is eliminated and plug life is enhanced as CNG does not contain any lead. CNG enters the engine as gas while petrol comes in as spray or mist which washes down the lubricating oil from the piston ring area to raise the rate of engine depreciation. This reduces maintenance costs and engine life goes up. Why are exhaust gases literally non-existent in CNG vehicles? A major positive aspect of CNG use is that being a natural gas (methane content) its exhaust emissions contain just water vapour and minuscule quantity of carbon monoxide, no carbon or other particles. Being virtually pollution free CNG driven vehicles meet the most stringent of emission standards worldwide. How does a CNG vehicle compare to a petrol powered one on performance parameters? Easy starts, steady idling and smooth acceleration are virtues of CNG run vehicles. Power loss of 5-15 per cent means that acceleration is slower, which can be eradicated with spot-on tuning of the CNG kit, by advancing spark timing to derive benefit of its high octane rating. However the power loss is less than noticeable in city driving. Does CNG equipment require special service? The CNG kit is easy to service and durable to boot. For optimum efficiency regular checks, every 10,000km, are prescribed. Can diesel vehicles be converted to CNG? Yes, diesel vehicles can be converted to CNG and most public transport in metros which previously ran on diesel now use CNG. Has the CNG movement fared well in developed or developing countries? Having been around since the 1920s, Italy has 240 stations and 300,000 cars running on CNG, New Zealand has 250 CNG pumps and 250,000 vehicles. Argentina has undertaken a major CNG programme and has 700,000 CNG run vehicles. Thailand, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Canada, France, Pakistan, India, Holland, Australia, UK and the US have also taken to CNG in smaller measure. Availability of natural gas and socio-economic conditions are the two factors conducive to bring about switch to CNG fuel. How does a country benefit if CNG were to be used on a large scale? A country can have cleaner environment with comprehensive use of CNG, while new job opportunities and economy are other benefits of using CNG. Motorists will have to pay lesser for fuel and certain countries like India which has huge reserves of CNG can also export it to generate revenue. This will also reduce the expense of fuels we have to import.

Motor Vehicle Emission Controls: Fuel Types

Introduction In recent years concern about exhaust emissions from motor vehicles has been increasing. To combat this, the motor industry has been promoting the diesel car as cleaner than petrol cars, due to their greater fuel

economy and reduced maintenance requirements. However, diesel cars have very different emission characteristics, and an increase in diesel cars at the expense of petrol cars could have important implications on urban air quality, smog formation, global warming and other environmental issues. Emissions of lead are falling due to the banning of leaded fuel in the UK and many other countries. Recently there has been much debate about which fuel, diesel or petrol, is the cleanest in terms of exhaust emissions. Unfortunately there is no clear answer due to the lack of measurements of emissions from both types of fuel, although data from track tests and dynamometers have shown certain trends. Emissions from Petrol Vehicles Emissions from petrol cars have been dramatically reduced by the introduction of catalytic converters, which oxidise pollutants such as CO to less harmful gases such as CO2. When compared to petrol cars without catalysts, catalyst cars have much lower CO, HC and NOx emissions, at the expense of CO2 emissions, which increase due to the oxidation of carbon monoxide to CO2. As a consequence of this, a catalyst car will also use slightly more fuel and become less efficient. However, despite these improvements, petrol cars with catalysts still produce more CO and HC than diesel cars, although exhaust emissions of NOx and particulates are much lower than diesel cars. In fact particulate emissions from petrol cars are so low that they are not routinely measured. Emissions from Diesel Vehicles Diesel fuel contains more energy per litre than petrol and coupled with the fact that diesel engines are more efficient than petrol engines, diesel cars are more efficient to run. Diesel fuel contains no lead and emissions of the regulated pollutants (carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides) are lower than those from petrol cars without a catalyst. However, when compared to petrol cars with a catalyst, diesels have higher emissions of NOx and much higher emissions of particulate matter. Cold Start Emissions Emissions from cars are greatest when an engine is cold. On a cold day a petrol car may take up to 10km to warm up and operate at maximum efficiency; a diesel car may only take 5km. Consequently, diesel cars produce less unburned fuel during a cold start, which will result in lower emissions of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons. Diesel cars could make a significant impact on air quality in urban areas where most cold starts occur, especially when it is considered that a catalyst on a petrol car would take several minutes to reach its operating temperature. Overall, diesel cars emit less hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and lead pollution than petrol cars, but produce more noxious gases and significantly more particulates. Emissions for Road Vehicles (per vehicle kilometre)

Vehicles

Carbon monoxide 100

Hydro carbons 100

Oxides of nitrogen 100

Particulate matter ---

Carbon dioxide 100

Petrol car without a catalyst Petrol cars with a catalyst Diesel cars without a catalyst

42

19

23

---

100

31

100

85

* Petrol cars without catalysts have been given a relative value of 100 for comparison Despite much debate over which car, petrol or diesel, is cleaner, weighing up the advantages and disadvantages is not easy. For example, diesel cars have been promoted, as they produce less CO and HC on average when compared to petrol cars, and they have greater fuel economy producing less CO2 per km. However recent health concerns about particulate matter have given diesels a less environmentally-friendly image, as have the higher emissions of nitrogen oxides compared with petrol cars. As a comparison, petrol cars produce virtually no particulate matter, take longer to warm up, produce more carbon dioxide per mile on average, and emissions of the regulated pollutants are higher. Cleaner Petrol and Diesel A method of pollution reduction currently being utilised involves the use of cleaner petrol and diesel. It is cheaper to improve conventional fuels than to use many of the alternatives and no investment is needed for new storage tanks and service stations. Ultra low sulphur petrol is now widely available in the UK. Alternative Fuels To replace pollutant fuels (petrol and diesel), alternative fuels are currently being developed. Those put forward as alternatives to petrol and conventional diesel include: compressed natural gas (CNG); liquefied petroleum gas (LPG); city diesel; hydrogen; alcohol fuels; and battery operated vehicles. LPG & CNG On a cycle representing congested urban traffic, both LPG and CNG outperform petrol powered vehicles on emissions of carbon monoxide (CO). Indeed, emissions of CO from CNG powered vehicles are of the same order as those emitted by diesel vehicles. However, emissions of total hydrocarbons (THC) from CNG vehicles are relatively high because of methane, the major component of natural gas. Although methane is a small contributor to the formation of low level ozone it is a major factor in global warming. Emissions of NOx and particulates from both LPG and CNG powered vehicles are significantly lower than those from diesel vehicles. Moreover, emissions of NOx from CNG vehicles are half those from equivalent petrol engined vehicles. A recent study using a small delivery van fitted with a three way catalyst and capable of switching between CNG and petrol, showed that on a modified EU emission test cycle, emissions of CO, non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC) and NOx were 76%, 88% and 83% respectively lower with CNG than with petrol. Using data from other studies CNG also compares favourably with emissions from equivalent sized dieselengined vehicles. City Diesel City diesel is a petroleum based lower emission diesel developed in Sweden but now available in many European Countries including the UK. Exhaust emissions from vehicles fuelled with city diesel compare favourably with exhaust emissions from equivalent vehicles fuelled with conventional diesel. The main benefit of city diesel is that its combustion reduces particulate emissions by 34 - 84% depending on engine type, duty cycle, test basis and type of particulate measured. An additional benefit of city diesel is that it is a low sulphur fuel, which is necessary for the optimum running of oxidation catalytic converters. Conclusion To produce a cleaner environment for all to live and work in, the development of alternative, cleaner fuels is essential. To encourage the use of the fuels, competitive prices combined with good marketing techniques are required.

Here is a comparison chart showing, approximately, how far various cars will travel for every Rs. 250.00 worth of Petrol or Gas.

Gas Petrol

Cars on LPG/CNG are highly economical to run and the expenditure is almost 1/3 to that of Petrol. The total cost of the conversion can be recovered quickly from the savings accruing by use of Autogas in lieu of Petrol depending on the average run of the car. Moreover, gas being a

cleaner and greener fuel in comparison to Petrol / Diesel there is less wear and tear of the engine. There is much less
carbon deposit on the engine and also the life of Engine oil is enhanced which does not dilute. One can say that on a whole 15% of car maintenance costs are saved by using Autogas. Besides economy, there is no compromise to the safety & performance of the car which is the same as Petrol. Engine runs smoother and there is no change in the noise or vibration of the car which is a major plus over diesel cars. The above chart shows comparison of distance covered by different Indian Cars on Autogas vis-a-vis Petrol.
THE CNG OPTION Ring out the old, ring in the new. With the Centre bringing in alternate fuel legislation, Maruti was quick on the gun to strap in factory fitted CNG kits into any model the customer chooses. Restrictions have finally been lifted and Bertrand Dsouza straps himself in, in one of the oldest surviving people movers of the nation, the Maruti Omni. And gets inevitably drawn into analysis of economics and performance of CNG-driven vehicles opposed to petrol-driven ones. There is no mistaking the fact that alternate fuel sources such as CNG, LPG, hydrogen

etc could be principal fuels powering vehicles of our future. In India the LPG wave caught on very early due to its easy availability and comparatively cheaper prices of kits and the fuel itself. However due to a number of safety aspects that were grossly ignored by the general public, the government did not legalise use of LPG as fuel. However after much deliberation the Supreme Court legalised the use of LPG in August 2000, albeit with the directive that the gas was stored in custom made canisters which had a safety release valve instead of the domestic gas cylinders that had some disastrous results and that the canisters were correctly installed in the vehicle. LPG as fuel though is an expensive proposition for the nation as Indias natural resources for LPG are quite inadequate and we largely depend on imports leading to massive economic burden which the nation cannot sustain. The only reason we had it so cheap was because of enormous subsidies levied, perhaps the governments take on trying to instill a strong eco-conscious movement amongst the masses. These subsidies however took a massive toll on the exchequer and sent our import bill skyrocketing and have thus been done away with.

The primary installation in the Maruti Omni is like any other kit fitted at a local vendor. The gas tank takes up quite some space in the storage area. A factory fitment is far neater. Sizes of tanks vary and the user is free to choose the capacity. For practical purposes choose tank big enough to last a week at the least.

CNG on the contrary is available in literally infinite quantities in our country. So how does one explain the long queues at CNG filling stations? Poor distribution networks, inadequate piping facilities and even poorer storage capabilities spell enormous waste of this commodity. With the network in shambles there was no way a consumer could avoid spending hours waiting for a tank-up. The government, in context of the environment reeling under mushrooming pall of pollution made it mandatory for public transport vehicles in metros to be run on CNG. As there was no corresponding upward shift in availability of CNG, cab/autorickshaw drivers too had to suffer long hours of waiting in queue for refuelling. Things are finally looking up now that efforts have been made to reduce prices of kits, increase availability of CNG, and set up more CNG stations in metros. The government has also legalised use of CNG as fuel in private vehicles, making prospect of cleaner environment and cheaper fuel a more feasible proposition. A primary clause however stipulates that kits can only be factory fitted and not privately fitted. Against this backdrop, Maruti Udyog has been astute in providing factory fitted CNG kits to private vehicle owners which previously were available only to the public transport sector. The Omni being perfect for inter-city travel was the first vehicle into which Maruti

strapped in the CNG kit. CNG fitment however isnt just confined to the Omni and Maruti dealers will install a CNG kit into any of their existing models. OVERDRIVE got hands on both petrol- and CNG-fuelled Omnis to gauge the better option. Cosmetically there is nothing to set the two Omnis apart. However the CNG kit consumes a large chunk of luggage storage space, with the gas canister placed behind the rear passenger seat, pushing it further ahead. Still it helps liberate acres of leg room for the rear seat passengers. The petrol version has two rows of facing seats in the main passenger area with space left over for a couple of small bench seats right at the rear. Get behind the wheel of the CNG van, stomp the accelerator pedal to the floor and the stark differences between petrol and CNG powered vehicles come to the fore... youre not getting anywhere at any rubber-streaking pace. The petrol van in contrast though is quick to respond to throttle and the speedo needle does swing past the 100kmph mark. The gas powered van though barely scrapes the 90kmph, taking an eternity to get there. A common belief is that CNG is not good enough for performance machines but that is not the case. CNG has a higher octane rating than petrol and theoretically should be able to exhibit better performance from the engine as compared to petrol powered engines. However a CNG engine lacks the torque that can help a vehicle achieve higher and faster speeds. Fine tune the engine, adjust the timing and you definitely can achieve spot-on performance from the CNG as compared to the petrol van. But performance is no criterion here as the cost factor of CNG as opposed to petrol as fuel is what we must derive. And the CNG Omni does prove to be a fairly cost effective option. With the price of petrol currently at Rs 33.51 per litre in Mumbai, the petrol Omni with fuel efficiency of 16kmpl, costs about Rs 2.09 to run per kilometre. The gas powered van travelled 18.48km to a kg. CNG per kg costs Rs 19.70 in Mumbai which translates to about Rs 1.06 per km. So the CNG user is shelling out only half the cost of what a petrol-vehicle user does. Economical, for sure! CNG by virtue of being a gas is able to improve the combustion process by completely mixing with air, lesser scope of adulteration keeps the gas clean and free of impurities and better burning properties. This by itself improves the efficiency of the engine however kit installers also detune the engine so that it leans more towards the economy side rather than power. Currently the priority before one indulges in the CNG driving experience means seeking the nearest CNG outlet with the shortest refuelling queue. Production has increased, distribution has improved, storage is better, but the refuelling lines have not disappeared, though they are not as endless as they used to be. Mumbais largest CNG filling station near Sion is also the hub that supplies CNG all over the city. Being the main station, pressure is higher than elsewhere. This means you can pack in a few more kilos of gas into your canister for a few more kilometres before refill. Taxi drivers get their refills at such depots only so one must be prepared for a couple of hours of waiting. However do not be put off by the long queues as these are for cabs. For private vehicles there is another queue so one can drive in and get a refill most times without hours of waiting. The need of the hour then is to increase the number of filling stations as the existing ones are woefully inadequate to cater to growing numbers of CNG users. Also, CNG use is still confined to the metros and smaller towns have been completely ignored. And

with CNG being proved as safe for use as petrol, the path is clear for a mass move to switch to CNG as viable alternative fuel.

THE CNG OPTION GETTING GASSED IN a bid to encourage cleaner fuels the government has been promoting CNG and LPG as alternatives to conventional fuel (petrol and diesel). And with the public transport in the capital and other metros already running on CNG, the problem of limited refuelling outlets too seems to be disappearing. All this and the fact that green fuels mean lower running costs compared to conventional auto fuels, has a significant number of private vehicle owners interested in the CNG option. To assess the cost factor, for a car like the Premier Padmini, a kilogram of CNG costs round about Rs 20 and offers a range of almost 20km per kg translating into running cost of rupee a kilometre. On the contrary, a litre of petrol, which costs about Rs 35, offers a running cost of almost Rs 3 per kilometre. Even if we were to keep the better economy factor aside, CNG still offers a number of benefits. The fact that CNG enters the engine in the form of gas instead of spray or mist prevents the wash down of the lubricating oil from the top piston ring area keeping the engines rate of depreciation to a bare minimum. In addition, the octane number of CNG being 130 as compared to 87 of that of petrol helps thorough and rapid mixing of gas and air in the correct proportion, thereby improving the combustion efficiency. Talking about good conversion systems, its imperative that the system operate as close to petrol as possible. In addition the risk of leakage should be marginal. So how much does a good conversion system cost? It can cost from around Rs 35,000 for a carburetted engine to Rs 45,000 for fuel injected ones (installation costs included). For taxis though its available on a discount at Rs 32,000 while for three-wheelers the price touches Rs 25,000. Most of these kits sold in India are brought in from Italy, while the remaining are manufactured in Gujarat. A CNG kit includes a conversion kit and cylinder wherein the former is placed in the engine bay while the latter goes into the boot. The kit may be installed at any of the authorised CNG workshops, which are increasing by the day. But attention must be paid to the safety aspect while installation, which takes a simple soap test to ascertain if the safety aspect is adhered to. The test involves covering the lines carrying CNG with a soap solution, which indicate a leak by forming bubbles at suspect areas. The basic components of a conversion kit include a pressure regulator to provide the system with fuel at a consistent operating pressure in addition to a mixer to ensure correct air/fuel mixing in both stationary and dynamic conditions improving the drive of the vehicle thanks to improved mixing. Besides a high pressure solenoid to allow the flow of gas and a petrol solenoid to cut off the flow of petrol to the engine during gas operation. A filling valve installed in the engine compartment between the storage cylinder and the regulator aids easy refilling. The valve is connected to the refuelling system and a manual ball device to open/shutoff gas in case of an emergency or for maintenance. In the case the car runs out of gas, a change over switch is provided which is an electronic

control module allowing the user to switch to petrol. The gas from the cylinder goes to the engine compartment through a pressure pipe, which is also connected to the refuelling system. It is all part of the high pressure piping system that works overtime to avoid leakage. A pressure indicator is also provided to display the level of natural gas remaining in the storage cylinder.
Installation of the CNG kit in a three-wheeler (below left), and a taxi refuelling at a CNG station. Though refuelling takes just a few minutes the wait can be arduous (below). The three major parts employed for a CNG kit installation: mixer employed for correct air-fuel mixture, filler valve, cylinder in the boot (top to bottom, right)

Safety aspects Pressure vessels, in this case the storage cylinder, are ideally made of high strength steel or aluminium over wrapped with a composite material like fibre-glass. There have been reports of tank rupture upon refuelling due to the damaged fibre over-wrap thanks to the use of spurious cylinders, especially by unauthorised agents who carry out conversions from petrol to CNG. But this problem can be addressed through adequate monitoring and implementation efforts. CNG calls for high-pressure on-board storage of the fuel around 200 atmosphere (3000 to 3500psi) or more. Providing them as after-market retrofits on autos and cars without proper inspection would lead into disastrous results from the safety point of view. The diesel option In diesel engines, CNG can be used either as a dual fuel or mono fuel. In dual fuel mode, diesel provides combustion initiation for CNG burning. Kits can be retrofitted to existing vehicles for them to operate on diesel/CNG mode. However, under city driving conditions, the substitution of diesel with CNG is quite low and hence the gains in emission reduction are also low. Considering the limitations of emission reduction in a dual fuel engine, CNG can be used as a mono fuel by converting the diesel engine to a spark ignition engine. This conversion warrants major changes in the engine and the operation of the vehicle becomes CNG-

dependent.