GAS QUALITY CHALLENGES TO SUPPORT DEVELOPING OF NATURAL GAS AS FUEL FOR VEHICLES IN INDONESIA by

EDI WIBOWO and YUSEP K. CARYANA

Research and Development Centre for Oil and Gas Technology LEMIGAS
Jakarta 12230, Indonesia. Phone/Fax.: 62-21-7398276

E-mail: ediw@lemigas.esdm.go.id, yusepk@lemigas.esdm.go.id, ed_bowo@plasa.com

THE 5th ASIAN PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY SYMPOSIUM FUEL QUALITY IMPROVEMENT & TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT 23 25 January 2007 Jakarta, Indonesia

OUTLINE
INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVE GAS QUALITY PARAMETER FOR VEHICLES CURRENT CNG SPECIFICATION CURRENT CNG QUALITY ANALYSIS PROPOSE CNG SPECIFICATION POLICY TOIMPROVE GAS QUALITY CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION
Since the middle of 2005, the government of Indonesia has policy and regulation to develop the use of alternative fuel such as coal, natural gas, green fuel to reduce Indonesias demand of refined petroleum product. As we knew that since 2002, this country was a net importer of petroleum fuel products. Natural Gas as commercial fuel for motor vehicles has been used in Indonesia since 1989, at the present there are 11 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Filling Station have been operating with amount of 600 vehicles and 50 buses uses this fuel. 3

INTRODUCTION
The scope of the blue skies program in transportation sector are:
BLUE SKIES PROGRAM IN TRANSPORTATION SECTOR
Energy Diversification Energy Diversification CNG, LPG, Etanol, Fuel Cell, Bio Diesel,etc. Cleaner Fuels Unleaded Gasoline, Low/ Ultra Low Diesel Air Pollution Prevention Equipment Catalytic converter Gas Exhaust Emission Reduction at Certified Workshop Ambient Air Quality Monitoring and Standard Gas Exhaust Emission Inspection Fuel Quality Monitoring Program

Public Involvement

Government Role

INTRODUCTION
The other hand, since 1995 to 2005 there were 15 accident CNG vehicles explosion which still have not been know its cause. Some reason said this was caused of lack on installation that did not refer to standard and procedure, the other reason this was caused of the low of quality of CNG, which can increase the corrosion and cracking to cylinder that have caused the explosion. For that problem, to support developing natural gas as fuel for vehicles that its has been declared as national program in May 2006, GAS
QUALITY SHOULD BE DESIGNED TO SUPPORT PROGRAM AND HAS GUARANTEE TO ALL USERS. THIS
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OBJECTIVE
Provide description of the present characteristic of natural gas that be used as fuel for vehicle, current Indonesias specification of natural gas for vehicles and the future natural gas quality that be expected and how to achieve

NATURAL GAS AS FUEL FOR VEHICLES

Natural gas as fuel for vehicles its usually called CNG is the natural gas that has been purified and compressed at the elevated pressure up to 200 bars (2900 Psi). Generally, it contains two major components i.e. methane (CH4) and ethane (C2H8). To provide guarantee that the quality of natural gas for CNG motor vehicles is safely for infrastructure and installation equipment at the filling station and motor vehicles, it needed the standard or specification of this fuel.
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GAS QUALITY PARAMETER AS FUEL FOR VEHICLES

The parameter are:
Component Hydrocarbon (C1 to C6+), Gas Inert (CO2, O2, N2), Acid Gas Content, Mercury, Water Content, Heating Value, Relative Density, Wobbe Index, Odor, Particle content.
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CURRENT CNG SPECIFICATION

Base on : The decree of Oil and Gas Director General Number 10K/34/DDJM/1993, Dated February 1,1993.

Parameter C1 + C2 C3 C4 C5 N2 H2S Hg (Mercury) O2 H2O CO2 Relative density at 28 C Calorific Value at 15C, 1 atm

Unit %Vol. %Vol. %Vol. %Vol. %Vol. ppm Vol. ppb Vol %Vol. %Vol. %Vol. Kj/ Kg

Limit Min. 62.0 0.56 44,000 Max. 8.0 4.0 1.0 2.0 14.0 9.0 0.2 0.035 5.0 0.89 -

Test Methode ASTM D 1945 D 1945 D 1945 D 1945 D 1945 D 2385 AAS D 1945 Gravimetri D 1945 Other

CURRENT CNG SPECIFICATION

CNG Specification from Other Country

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CURRENT CNG ANALYSIS

Water Content Analysis
30.0 P = 3000 26.16 25.0 22.00 21.09 Water Content (Lb/MMSCF) 20.0 P = 2000 P = 1500 P = 1000 P = 500 Before Compressor Indo CNG Spec Natural Gas Measurement and Control 16.7 15.0

10.0 6.4500 5.0 6.6200 7.0000

9.89

5.5300 4.39 2.5300

7.0 5.44 2.6900

CNG FS 1 CNG FS 2 CNG FS 3 CNG FS 4 CNG FS 5 CNG FS 6 CNG Filling Station

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CURRENT CNG ANALYSIS

C3 and Heavier Analysis
14.00

13.0
12.00 C3 and Heavier (% Mol) 10.00 8.00 6.0643 6.00 4.0592 4.00 2.3183 2.00 CNG FS 1 CNG FS 2 CNG FS 3 CNG FS 4 CNG FS 5 CNG FS 6 CNG Filling Station
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C3 and Heavier Ind CNG Spec (C3 s/d C5) CNG OEMS Spec (C3 and higher) US CNG Spec (C3 and higher) 7.0615 6.5810

5.3 3.2

1.7723

CURRENT CNG ANALYSIS

CO2 Analysis
8.00 7.00 6.00 CO 2 (% Mo l) 5.00 4.00 3.00 2.00 1.00 CNG FS 1 CNG FS 2 CNG FS 3 CNG FS 4 CNG Filling Station CNG FS 5 CNG FS 6 1.13 4.45 CO2 Analysis Ind CNG Spec US CNG Spec 4.59 4.78 2.96 6.78

5.0 4.5

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CURRENT NATURAL GAS ANALYSIS FROM GATHERING STATION

Water Content Analysis

18.0 18 16 14 12
lb/mmscf

11.5 9.6 8.0 8.0 6.8

10 8 6 4 2 0 GS (Gathering Station) 1 GS (Gathering Station) 2 GS (Gathering GS (Gathering Station) 3 Station) 4 Sample location GS (Gathering Station) 5

GS (Gathering Station) 6

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CURRENT NATURAL GAS ANALYSIS FROM GATHERING STATION

C3 and Heavier Analysis
9 8.36

7 6.14 6 4.95 % vol 5

3 1.76 1.61

1 0.02 0 GS (Gathering Station) 1 GS (Gathering Station) 2 GS (Gathering Station) 3 GS (Gathering Station) 4 GS (Gathering Station) 5 GS (Gathering Station) 6

Sample location at Gathering Station

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CURRENT NATURAL GAS ANALYSIS FROM GATHERING STATION

CO2 Analysis
30 26.4 25

20 15.9
% vol

15 11.3 10 5.9 5 0.3 0 GS (Gathering Station) 1 GS (Gathering Station) 2 GS (Gathering GS (Gathering Station) 3 Station) 4 Sample location GS (Gathering Station) 5 GS (Gathering Station) 6 0.1

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PROPOSE CNG SPECIFICATION

CRITICAL PARAMETER OF SHOULD BE IMPROVED ARE:
WATER CONTENT :
FROM 16 LB/MMSCF TO < 3 LB/MMSCF

CNG

QUALITY

THE PARAMETER THAT CAN CAUSE INCREASE CORROSION ON CYLINDER SUCH AS:

PROPANA AND HEAVIER :

FROM 13 % VOL TO < 6.5% VOL

THE PARAMETER THAT CAN IMPACT TO SAFETY, SUCH AS :

ODORANT, SHOULD BE ADDED TO GAS FOR CNG PARTICLE, SHOULD BE LIMITTED OR MINIMIZED

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PROPOSE CNG SPECIFICATION

Parameter 1. Component Methane (C1) Ethane (C2) Propane (C3) Butane (C4) Pentane (C5) Hexane (C6+) N2 O2 CO2 Hg H2O H2S 2. Relative Density, at 15 C 3. Heating Value at 15C and 1 atm 4. Wobbe Index 5. Particle 6. Odor Unit % vol % vol % vol % vol % vol % vol % vol % vol % vol ppb vol lb/mmscf ppm vol BTU/ft3 Minimum 77 8,0 4,0 1,0 1,0 0,5 3,0 0,1 5,0 9,0 3,0 10 0,85 1175 Limit value Maximum

0,56 960

1050 1313 BTU/ft3 CNG should not contain dirt, sand, dirt, rubber, oil or
other objects of which can danger to equipments in the CNG Filling Station and its installation of gas fuel system.

CNG should be odored

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HOW TO IMPROVE GAS QUALITY

TO ACHIVE GAS QUALITY FOR CNG VEHICLE, WHICH CAN GUARANTEE THE SAFETY TO USE THIS FUEL SOME POLICY SHOULD BE DONE SUCH AS:
ALL CNG FILLING STATION SHOULD INSTALL THE GAS DRYER SYSTEM TO REDUCE WATER CONTENT. GAS WHICH DISTRIBUTE TO CNG FILLING STATION SHOULD HAVE STANDARD PARAMETER AND BE ODORED. COMPRESSOR ON THE CNG FILLING STATION SHOULD BE FILTERED TO REDUCED OIL CARRIER FORM COMPRESSOR AND PIPELINE TO DISPENSER NOZZLE.
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CONCLUSION With the policy from government to reduce subsidy of oil price, and there is the significant different price of CNG and Oil will make interesting the investor and owner of vehicles to convert the oil fuel supply system of their vehicles to CNG fuel supply system.
Critical parameter of CNG quality should be improved are:
Water Content, Propane and Heavier,

By increasing gas quality of CNG, the consumer will be guarantee to use this fuel safely.
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THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

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