GASEOUS FUELS

Hydrogen Gas: There is a considerable interest in hydrogen as a fuel. Not only it will help to
eliminate the present-day problem of dependence on petroleum fuels, but it also has a potential to
reduce vehicular pollution as it is a clean burning fuel. Essentially no CO or HC in the exhaust as
there is no carbon in the fuel. Most exhaust would be H2O, N2 or NOx. Fuel leakage to
environment is not a pollutant. It has high energy content per unit mass. When an internal
combustion engine uses pure hydrogen, the equivalence ratio can be extended to very low values,
where exhaust emissions are reduced by several orders of magnitude from those achievable by
lean operation with conventional hydrocarbons. Hydrogen offers the unique advantage of being a
fuel, the basic resource of which (water) is recyclable. Basically it can be commercially produced
either by coal gasification or by electrolysis of water using electricity generated from coal, nuclear
fission, or solar energy.
Disadvantages of Hydrogen are: it has heavy, bulky fuel storage; poor engine volumetric efficiency;
high fuel cost at present-day technology and availability; high NO x emissions because of high flame
temperature. Hydrogen is a unique potential automotive fuel with significant drawbacks in its storage
properties.

Generally it may be stored in a vehicle in three ways: as a gas dissolved in the form of metal
hydrides, cryogenic store of liquid hydrogen, and as a compressed gas. If stored as a liquid, it
would have to be kept under pressure at a very low temperature. This would require a thermally
super-insulated fuel tank. Storing in a gas phase would require a heavy pressure vessel with
limited capacity.
Natural Gas is a mixture of components, consisting mainly of methane (60 to 98%) with small
amounts of other hydrocarbon fuel components. In addition it contains various amounts of N 2,
CO2, He, and traces of other gases. It is found in many parts of the world. By extensive pipe lines
it is made available many hundreds and in some cases even thousands of miles away from the
wells from which it is obtained. Natural gas obtained from oil wells is called casing-head gas and
is usually treated for the recovery of gasoline, after which, called dry gas, it is delivered into the
pipe-line systems to be used as fuel. The analysis of natural gas varies considerably with the
location. Natural Gas is stored as compressed natural gas (CNG) at pressures of 16 to 25 MPa, or
as a liquid natural gas (LNG) at pressures of 70 to 210 kPa and a temperature around -160 C. As
a fuel, natural gas works best in an engine system with low emissions. Engines can operate with
a high compression ratio as its octane number is high because of its fast flame speed. Its
disadvantages are: low energy density resulting in low engine performance; low volumetric
efficiency; requires large pressurised fuel storage tank.
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) is mixture of hydrocarbon consisting chiefly of butane and
propane, its composition vary widely in the different countries. Depending upon the source and
the nature of the treatment to which the products have been subjected. LPG products are
composed of those readily liquefiable hydrocarbon compounds which are produced in the course
of processing natural gas and also in the course of the conventional refinery of crude oil. LPG is
obtained from three main sources:- (i) Crude oil associated with light hydrocarbons: The oil is
stabilized for distribution by pipeline or tanker. The amounts of light gases and light liquids
which are removed depend upon the pressure and temperature at the well head. (ii) Methane rich
gas associated with light hydrocarbon liquids (wet natural gas): The light liquids are removed
to prevent undue condensation problems during piping of the gas. (iii) Crude oil refinery
fractionation and conversion processes, which yields LP gases: The main conversion processes
used are catalytic reforming and catalytic cracking.

Coke-oven gas is obtained as a by-product when making coke, and its analysis depends upon the
coal used and also upon the method of operating the oven. Its heating value per unit volume is
only about one-half that of natural gas, but it requires about half the air for combustion, and the
heating value of the actual air-gas mixture (mixture heating value) is practically the same as
when natural gas is used.
Blast-furnace gas is a by-product of melting iron ore. Its analysis varies considerably with the
fuel used and the method of operating the blast furnace. Its mixture heating value is only slightly
less than that of the first two fuels. Part of the gas is used for preheating the air necessary to
operate the blast furnace itself and the blowing engines. The rest, about one-fourth of the total
amount, can be used as engine fuel for power production.
Producer gas is obtained by gasification (burning with small amount of oxygen) of solid fuels. Its
analysis varies with the fuel used, anthracite, coke, charcoal, bituminous coal, or wood, and
dampness of air, which influences the hydrogen content. A relatively low heating value of the gas
and a relatively high temperature of the gas coming from the producer, which results in a low
charge efficiency of the engine, reduce the power developed to only about 60 to 65 per cent of
that obtained with gasoline. However, because of absence of detonation, high compression ratios
can be used, which results in the thermal efficiency about the same as with gasoline.
Sewage-Sludge Gas: With the development of sewage-disposal plants, sewage-sludge gas is
produced and used as fuel for internal-combustion engines. These engines furnish energy for
driving the pumps in the sewage plants. The composition of the gas varies considerably.