Thread: house gas in your V8 ?? are you running it? comments?

When I was a nipper my folks had a Falcoon on CNG. They loved the bloody thing. Only got rid of it because CNG was phased out in NZ.

CNG as dual fuel has a long history. Limited range and low power with the technology of the 80's made it hard to get excited about. Nowadays I would look for injection systems as they don't need restrictive mixers to function. They also allow strategies to supplement with petrol during acceleration for full power when needed. The home refuel systems have been around for years but not widely adopted. Great for commuting but crap for travelling unless we get refilling stations outside of transport depots. Much like LPG was in the early years, you couldn't get it anywhere in the country unless the local gas depot had a pump. And natural gas isn't reticulated outside of major population areas yet. It's something that Australia needs to get serious about.

Don't the tanks for CNG have to be Much bigger as L=Liquid PG is compressed to a much smaller volume than the equivalent energy value of CNG.
From WIKI

CNG is used in traditional gasoline internal combustion engine cars that have been converted into bi-fuel vehicles (gasoline/CNG). Natural gas vehicles are increasingly used in the Asia-Pacific region, Latin America, Europe, and America due to rising gasoline prices.[1] In response to high fuel prices and environmental concerns, CNG is starting to be used also in tuk-tuks and pickup trucks, transit and school buses, and trains.
CNG's volumetric energy density is estimated to be 42% of LNG's (because it is not liquefied), and 25% of diesel's.[

So your tank has to be 60% bigger to get the same range as LPG. Maybe you could tow a trailer with a tank on it or put the tank on the roof like the CNG buses in Sydney.

LATER
Actually it is worse than that as LPG has a much higher per KG energy rating than natural gas per KG. From Wiseeek site

Propane provides more energy per unit volume than does natural gas. Heat is measured in BTUs, or British Thermal Units. Propane provides about 2500 BTUs for the same volume of natural gas that only gives 1000 BTUs. However, natural gas can be less expensive at up to one-sixth the cost of propane, depending on where you live. Utilities in colder climates might supply natural gas for less money, especially during winter months. Some rural areas don't have access to a utility company that provides gas service.
Regards Philip A

I really wouldnt care how much boot sapce I lost in a commuter car....... home .....work.......home.......work...........etc

I'm sure the tank would be big enough to get me to work and back.
Its an interesting topic but a bit irrelivant for me now as I'm moving to a semi-rural property soon so I won't be converting unless there is a fill station on my way to or from work.

I'm not saying its new or some wonder fuel but even if it took 1/3 more or even twice as much CNG to do the same K's as pertrol or LPG it would still make it $20-ish for 400k's still much cheaper than LPG.

Bigger tank, yer I could live with that I have a 100L LPG tank now another 50L would be here nor there and commuting I hardly need a huge range.

Worth thinking about

There used to be a CNG filling station in Morebank, near the hockey fields. Believe it was put in for a trial with Liverpool council vehicles.
If I was still living in SW Sydney and commuting it would be my fuel of choice.

Very popular in Asia, Hyundai do factory CNG and plenty of taxis running around on CNG as well.

just as a follow up to this post, there are no CNG filling station here in WA.
It appears the average cost of the system is about $3,500 and HOME filling stations should be available within the next 12 months at a cost of about $4000.
The cost of install is higher than standard LPG conversion but I still think that if you are a standard commuter adding this system to a conventional petrol car has got to be a huge saving over time.

If I wasn't moving to a property without mains gas I'm pretty sure I would install it.

Why not whip up a gas producer and you could have free running, except for the fuel for your chain saw.
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My dad ran his truck on it in WW2.
Regards Philip A