I found out recently that Honda has released the Civic GX which runs on compressed natural gas (CNG). CNG is mostly methane (CH4), which has the highest calorific value amongst all hydrocarbon fuels. That means, gram for gram, CNG delivers more punch than petrol or diesel. CNG technology has been around for a while now... Several third world countries have started moving towards CNG technology because it is cheaper than petrol/diesel, and also because it is a cleaner fuel.
This might require some explanation... unlike petroleum, which is mostly available from oilfields in the Mid East, natural gas is more widespread. It does not take very advanced technology to convert regular Otto cycle (petrol) engines to CNG engines. It is clean, because it is chemically very simple: it burns to give out water and carbon-dioxide. Fossil fuels burn to give these, and a whole array of complex hydrocarbons including some pretty toxic ketones. Leading to pollution. Then, we have "antiknock". This is something that helps engines to run smoother. It can be just alcohol, or tetraethyl lead. Of course, it wasn't alcohol for the better part of a century, because anyone with some potatoes and a still in his backyard can make alcohol.. and hence antiknock. That would go against commercial interests, and forget about lead pollution in the air. It took legislation(and the fact that catalytic converters sort of curl up and die in the presence of lead) to enforce the use of unleaded fuel. CNG has none of these problems, and neither is it as volatile as, say hydrogen. But CNG is a politically bad fuel.. one that would reduce the world economy's shackled down relationship with oil companies. Hence, the First World has never seen it fit to experiment in this technology. Except that now... there is Al Gore and his Nobel Prize... times are a-changing, and trust the innovative Japanese to come up with clean technology.
I remember the hullaballoo when the Indian Government decided to start using CNG in cars and buses. It took a Supreme Court verdict against various transport unions to enforce CNG usage... but the turnaround has started, and the results are already visible in New Delhi. The other metro cities are catching up, and this is one field in which India (and Pakistan, and Bangladesh, too) are leading the world. Surprised?
This might require some explanation... unlike petroleum, which is mostly available from oilfields in the Mid East, natural gas is more widespread. It does not take very advanced technology to convert regular Otto cycle (petrol) engines to CNG engines. It is clean, because it is chemically very simple: it burns to give out water and carbon-dioxide. Fossil fuels burn to give these, and a whole array of complex hydrocarbons including some pretty toxic ketones. Leading to pollution. Then, we have "antiknock". This is something that helps engines to run smoother. It can be just alcohol, or tetraethyl lead. Of course, it wasn't alcohol for the better part of a century, because anyone with some potatoes and a still in his backyard can make alcohol.. and hence antiknock. That would go against commercial interests, and forget about lead pollution in the air. It took legislation(and the fact that catalytic converters sort of curl up and die in the presence of lead) to enforce the use of unleaded fuel. CNG has none of these problems, and neither is it as volatile as, say hydrogen. But CNG is a politically bad fuel.. one that would reduce the world economy's shackled down relationship with oil companies. Hence, the First World has never seen it fit to experiment in this technology. Except that now... there is Al Gore and his Nobel Prize... times are a-changing, and trust the innovative Japanese to come up with clean technology.
I remember the hullaballoo when the Indian Government decided to start using CNG in cars and buses. It took a Supreme Court verdict against various transport unions to enforce CNG usage... but the turnaround has started, and the results are already visible in New Delhi. The other metro cities are catching up, and this is one field in which India (and Pakistan, and Bangladesh, too) are leading the world. Surprised?
No comments:
Post a Comment