Alternative fuel engines(Natural gas)

[Fulmar]

I was reading an article in USA today the other week talking about natural gas cars and that it could be reasonably available at $1.30-$1.50 a gallon.  But the article forgot to mention that these prices did not include any type of tax that were normally pay for gasoline.  So add your 50 cents and you get about what we're paying at the pump now.

Long story short, I prefer the use economy gasoline cars for now until fuel cell vehicles can be brought into the main stream.  The fewer major changes we make to the vehicle energy system, the better IMO.

Also, I'm in favor of having RPGs mounted to squad cars in order to permanently end people who text while driving.  Talking on cell phones is bad, but texting is a whole new level of not watching what the @#$! you're doing.

[PFactorDave]

I was reading an article in USA today the other week talking about natural gas cars and that it could be reasonably available at $1.30-$1.50 a gallon.  But the article forgot to mention that these prices did not include any type of tax that were normally pay for gasoline.  So add your 50 cents and you get about what we're paying at the pump now.

I paid $1.53 for regular unleaded gasoline today before driving to the in-laws for Thanksgiving dinner.  There is no real shortage of oil.  There is only a market that is heavily manipulated by both the oil producers as well as by futures brokers.  Oh, and don't forget that we would see gasoline well below $1 per gallon if our ever so wise governments (both State and Federal) didn't tax the ever loving heck out of a commodity that they know we (the consumers) are virtually forced to purchase to maintain our current way of life.

[Xasthur]

Give me high-octane petrol or give me death!

To hell with gas.

No amount of money saved on fuel would warrant a gas system in my car.

[Ghosth]

The difference is that this continent has huge Natural Gas resources. Where much of the oil produced is not as easy to make gasoline out of as the Light Arabian crude we import.

Pay them for imported oil, or use our own barely tapped resources.
Hmmm kind of a no brainer in my opinion.

[Xasthur]

Yeah.... if you drive a heap of crap.

[Widewing]

I also wouldn't want a cylinder of compressed Natural Gas (Methane) in my trunk.   Accident = Death.   

Fuel cell cars will have a high pressure bottle of hydrogen aboard. High pressure translates into between 10,000 PSI and 15,000 PSI.

CNG bottles will be at a much, much lower pressure, typically in the 3,500 PSI range. Generally, CNG vehicles are considered less of a fire risk than those carrying liquid gasoline.

The drawback is that CNG will occupy a larger volume within the car to obtain the same range. Because CNG bottles cannot be shaped to fill voids like gas tanks can, they waste volume. These bottles are designed to survive extreme impacts.

Most designs have flow check valves on the outlet side of the bottle's pressure regulator to shut off the gas supply should a line downstream be cut and the flow of gas exceed normal rate. Minor leaks in the engine compartment are detected by methane sniffers, which then shut down the gas via a computer controlled solenoid valve.


My regards,

Widewing