MERITS AND DEMERITS OF ALTERNATIVE FUELS

What’s the difference between CNG, LNG, LPG and Hydrogen

The following is a brief summary highlighting the main differences of these fuels.
Compressed Natural Gas or CNG is stored on the vehicle in high-pressure tanks - 20 to 25 MPa (200 to 250
bar, or 3,000 to 3,600 psi). Natural gas consists mostly of methane and is drawn from gas wells or in
conjunction with crude oil production. As delivered through the pipeline system, it also contains hydrocarbons
such as ethane and propane as well as other gases such as nitrogen, helium, carbon dioxide, sulphur
compounds, and water vapour. A sulphur-based odourant is normally added to CNG to facilitate leak detection.
Natural gas is lighter than air and thus will normally dissipate in the case of a leak, giving it a significant safety
advantage over gasoline or LPG.
Liquefied Natural Gas or LNG is natural gas stored as a super-cooled (cryogenic) liquid. The temperature
required to condense natural gas depends on its precise composition, but it is typically between -120 and -
170°C (-184 and –274°F). The advantage of LNG is that it offers an energy density comparable to petrol and
diesel fuels, extending range and reducing refuelling frequency
The disadvantage, however, is the high cost of cryogenic storage on vehicles and the major infrastructure
requirement of LNG dispensing stations, production plants and transportation facilities. LNG has begun to find
its place in heavy-duty applications in places like the US, Japan, the UK and some countries in Europe. For
many developing nations, this is currently not a practical option
Liquefied Petroleum Gas or LPG (also called Autogas) consists mainly of propane, propylene, butane, and
butylene in various mixtures. It is produced as a by-product of natural gas processing and petroleum refining.
The components of LPG are gases at normal temperatures and pressures. One challenge with LPG is that it
can vary widely in composition, leading to variable engine performance and cold starting performance. At
normal temperatures and pressures, LPG will evaporate. Because of this, LPG is stored in pressurised steel
bottles. Unlike natural gas, LPG is heavier than air, and thus will flow along floors and tend to settle in low
spots, such as basements. Such accumulations can cause explosion hazards, and are the reason that LPG
fuelled vehicles are prohibited from indoor parkades in many jurisdictions
Hydrogen or H2 gas is highly flammable and will burn at concentrations as low as 4% H2 in air. For automotive
applications, hydrogen is generally used in two forms: internal combustion or fuel cell conversion. In
combustion, it is essentially burned as conventional gaseous fuels are, whereas a fuel cell uses the hydrogen to
generate electricity that in turn is used to power electric motors on the vehicle. Hydrogen gas must be produced
and is therefore is an energy storage medium, not an energy source. The energy used to produce it usually
comes from a more conventional source. Hydrogen holds the promise of very low vehicle emissions and flexible
energy storage; however, many believe the technical challenges required to realize these benefits may delay
hydrogen’s widespread implementation for several decades
Hydrogen can be obtained through various thermochemical methods utilizing methane (natural gas), coal,
liquified petroleum gas, or biomass (biomass gasification), from electrolysis of water, or by a process called
thermolysis. Each of these methods poses its own challenges

1
Advantages and Disadvantages of Ethanol as a Fuel
There are both great advantages and great disadvantages associated with the use of ethanol as an
alternative fuel to petroleum.

Advantages
o Unlike petroleum, ethanol is a renewable
resource
o Ethanol burns more cleanly in air than
petroleum, producing less carbon (soot)
and carbon monoxide
o The use of ethanol as opposed to petroleum
could reduce carbon dioxide emissions,
provided that a renewable energy resource
was used to produce crops required to
obtain ethanol and to distil fermented
ethanol
Disadvantages
o Ethanol has a lower heat of combustion (per
mole, per unit of volume, and per unit of
mass) that petroleum
o Large amounts of arable land are required to
produce the crops required to obtain ethanol,
leading to problems such as soil erosion,
deforestation, fertiliser run-off and salinity
o Major environmental problems would arise out
of the disposal of waste fermentation liquors.
o Typical current engines would require
modification to use high concentrations of
ethanol

Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG)

Advantages and drawbacks

The advantages of LPG include:

 Because LPG vaporizes when released from the tank and is not water soluble, LPG does not pollute
underground water sources.
 Power, acceleration, payload and cruise speed are comparable to those of an equivalent vehicle fueled
on gasoline. Propane has a high octane rating of 104, in-between Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)
(130) and regular unleaded gasoline (87).
 Refueling a propane vehicle is similar to filling a gas grill tank; the time it takes is comparable with that
needed to fill a CNG, gasoline or diesel fuel tank.
 Its high octane rating enables it to mix better with air and to burn more completely than does gasoline,
generating less carbon. With less carbon buildup, spark plugs often last longer and oil changes are
needed less frequently.
 Because it burns in the engine in the gaseous phase, propane results in less corrosion and engine wear
than does gasoline.

The drawbacks of LPG include:

 In cold conditions, below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, starting could be a problem because of the low vapor
pressure of propane at low temperatures.
 One gallon of LPG contains less energy than a gallon of gasoline. The driving range of a propane
vehicle is about 14 percent lower than a comparable gasoline-powered vehicle.
 LPG is generally higher priced than other fuel alternatives such as CNG and gasoline.

2
  There are over 4,000 LPG refueling sites in the US, more than all of the other alternative fuels
combined. Most of these stations, however, are not readily available to consumers on a 24/7 basis. This
is one of the reasons why most on-road applications are bi-fuel vehicles, which burn LPG and gasoline.

HYDROGEN
Advantages of Hydrogen Energy
1. Readily Available : Hydrogen is a great source of energy for a number of reasons, the biggest one being that
it is so readily available. While it may take some work to access, there is no element in the universe as
abundant as hydrogen.
2. No Harmful Emissions : Another advantage to using hydrogen energy is that when burned, its leaves almost
no harmful byproducts. In fact, when used in NASA’s spaceships, the burned hydrogen gas leaves behind clean
drinking water for the astronauts.
3. Environment Friendly : Hydrogen is also non-toxic, which makes it a rarity among fuel sources. Nuclear
energy, coal, and gasoline are all either toxic or found in hazardous environments. This makes hydrogen ideal
for use in a number of ways other fuel sources can’t compete against
4. Used as Fuel in Rockets : Hydrogen energy is also very powerful and very efficient. It’s powerful enough to
propel spaceships and safer than using any other similar product to accomplish such an energy-intensive duty.
In fact, hydrogen is three times as powerful as gasoline and similar fossil fuels, meaning it takes less of it to
accomplish more.
5. Fuel Efficient : Hydrogen energy is very efficient fuel source than traditional sources of energy and produces
more energy per pound of fuel. This clearly means that a car loaded with hydrogen fuel with go much farther
than the one using same amount of traditional source of energy.
6. Renewable : Unlike non-renewable sources of energy which can’t be produced again and again as they are
limited; hydrogen energy can be produced on demand. Hydrogen is available in plenty. All we need is fossil
fuels to break the water molecules to separate it from oxygen.

Disadvantages of Hydrogen Energy

And yet, hydrogen energy is not quite the perfect, super clean and cheap energy source that so many
companies and governments would love to get their hands on. It’s volatile in gas form, and while that makes it
able to accomplish huge tasks, it also makes it sometimes hazardous to work around and use.

. Expensive : Hydrogen gas also requires a lot of work to free if from other elements. If it were simple and easy
to isolate everyone would be using it. It’s already being used to power some hybrid cars, but at the moment it is
not a viable source of fuel for everyone. That’s simply because it’s expensive and time-consuming to produce.

3
That means until technology advances enough to simplify and ease the process; hydrogen energy will continue
to be too expensive for most people.
2. Storage : Hydrogen is also hard to move around. Whereas oil can be sent through pipelines, and coal can be
carried in the back of dump trucks, super-light hydrogen is hard to transport in a reasonable fashion. It is very
expensive to move anything more than small amounts of it, making it impractical for most functions.
3. Not Easy to Replace Existing Infrastructure : As expensive as hydrogen is to produce and transport, it
becomes even more expensive when you consider trying to use it to replace gasoline. There is no existing
infrastructure in place to accommodate hydrogen as a fuel source for the average motorist. Gas stations and
cars themselves would all have to be refitted at an astronomical cost to taxpayers and governments. It seems
insane to even suggest that current fuel sources be replaced when what is already in place is working so well.
4. Highly Flammable : Hydrogen in itself is a very powerful source of fuel. It’s highly inflammable and always in
news for the potential risks associated with it.
5. Dependency on Fossil Fuels : Though hydrogen energy is renewable and its environmental impacts are
minimal, we still need other non-renewable sources like coal, oil and natural gas to separate it from oxygen. We
may reduce our dependency on fossil fuels by using hydrogen but in turn we are actually using them to produce
hydrogen fuel.

Ammonia

Its high hydrogen density makes ammonia(NH3) a very promising green energy storage and distribution media.
In fact, among practical fuels ammonia has the highest hydrogen density including hydrogen itself in both the
cryogenic and compressed forms (refer to table). Moreover, since the ammonia molecule is free of carbon
atoms (unlike many other practical fuels), combustion of ammonia does not result in any CO 2 emissions. The
fact that ammonia is already a widely produced and used commodity with well established distribution and
handling procedures would allow for its smooth transition as an alternative fuel.

Fuel Density, LHV LHV H2 Density %

kg/lt MJ/kg MJ/lt kgH2/m3 H2Energy
Ammonia 0.76 18.6 14.1 136 100
Diesel 0.84 42.8 35.8 126 42
Methane 0.47 50.1 23.3 116 58

4
Gasoline 0.70 42.5 29.8 110 44
Propane 0.51 45.8 23.2 106 48
Ethanol 0.78 27.0 21.1 102 59
Methanol 0.79 20.1 15.9 98 75
Hydrogen 0.07 120.1 8.4 70 100

The two major disadvantages of ammonia are its low energy density compared to hydrocarbon based
fuels and its toxicity. Both of these shortcomings have hindered the development of ammonia as a
transportation system fuel especially for small vehicles such as automobiles. However, the low energy
density and toxicity issues are not critical for the use of ammonia in power generation systems. For a power
generation system, for which the storage space is readily available, the energy density is not the determining
factor for the fuel selection, as the cost per BTU and emission levels are typically the important parameters.
With the new energy efficient methods of producing ammonia (on the cost per BTU basis), ammonia produced
using renewable energy sources would be competitive with the fossil based fuels (even at today's relatively low
prices). The toxicity issue is also not as critical for power generation systems since the fuel will be handled by
professionals following well established handling procedures. It is important to note that as a widely used
commodity, ammonia has a perfect safety record.

The feasibility of ammonia fuel depends on two factors: 1) development of green and efficient methods of
synthesizing ammonia and 2) development of technologies to burn it in power generation plants. The first aspect
is currently being addressed by other commercial entities, and ammonia production units based on the Solid
State Ammonia Synthesis (SASS) technology is believed to be commercially available in the near future. Once
technologies that can burn ammonia in gas turbine systems have been established, it is believed that the
ammonia will become a viable green alternative fuel?

SPG has started a program to evaluate ammonia as an alternative fuel for gas turbine systems which are
widely used in power generation applications. It is believed that the existing gas turbine systems can be
converted to burn ammonia instead of liquid fuels or natural gas.

Ammonia is extensively used as a fertilizer, either directly or as a feedstock to other forms of fertilizers. The
production of ammonia in the US has been declining, resulting in the import of this strategical commodity
from foreign sources. The potential use of ammonia as a fuel will stimulate its production in the United
States in larger quantities, thereby significantly reducing its cost (either by the development of new
technologies or by economics-of-scales) and reducing the dependency on the foreign sources.

5
 Ammonia as an Enabler for Stranded Renewable Energy Sources
 Stranded Renewable Energy Sources: Most of the renewable energy sources such as solar, geothermal or
wind are not accessible by the existing electric grid system.
 Extending the grid to remote areas is NOT economical. In most cases extension of the grid system is
politically difficult (if not impossible).
 Ammonia as an energy carrier has the potential to solve the Stranded Renewable Energy problem.
 Using a synthesis method such as SSAS ammonia can be produced at the stranded site from water and air.
 The produced ammonia can be shipped via trucks, railroad or pipelines to the power generation plants to
generate electricity.

CNG
Advantages and Disadvantages of Natural Gas
Natural Gas is a fossil fuel that exist in a gaseous state and is composed mainly of methane (CH4) a
small percentage of other hydrocarbons (e.g. ethane). The use of natural gas is becoming more and
more popular as it can be used with commercial, industrial, electric power generation and residential
applications. Various schools, hospitals, hotels, motels, restaurants, office buildings also use natural
gas for cooking and water and space heating. It is popular because of its property of instant heating
and thus commercially used, in hotels, restaurants, motels, small manufacturing units, commercial
office buildings, hospitals and schools mainly for cooking and heating purposes.

Natural gas is produced along with coal and oil beds. It is found deep inside the earth and drilled in
same way was oil. It is cheaper and cleaner than gasoline and produce less greenhouse
emissions than its counterparts. It burns completely and can be safely stored.
Natural gas can be used in the form of compressed natural gas (CNG)or liquified petroleum gas
(LPG). It has two sides to it. Let us examine the pros and cons of using natural gas:

Advantages of Natural Gas

1. Less Harmful than Coal or Oil: As compared to petroleum or coal, natural gas causes less
damage to the environment. It is made up of methane and results in less carbon emissions. In fact
emissions of carbon dioxide are 45% lesser than other conventional fuels and 30% less than oil.
2. Easy Storage and Transport: Natural gas is easier to preserve than other fuels. It can be stored
and transported through pipelines, small storage units, cylinders or tankers on land and sea.
3. Residential Use: Natural gas can be piped into houses for heating and cooking purposes and
running a variety of appliances. Where there are no pipes, it can be supplied in small tanks.
4. Vehicle Fuel: Natural gas can be used as a fuel for vehicles (cars, trucks, jet engines). It is a
cleaner, cheaper fuel than diesel or gasoline.
5. Burns Cleaner: Natural gas burns cleaner without leaving any smell, ash or smoke.

6
6. Instant energy: Natural gas is an economic and instant fuel for heating water and large areas as
well as cooking. It is ideal because it provides precise control and quick results. It helps in oven
cooking as it does not require pre-heating.
7. Precision in Kitchen: Natural gas is the best fuel to power kitchens because of its control,
reliability and precision. A gas flame provides for precise temperature control and variety of heat
settings allowing shift from hot to cold or vice versa, with the turning of the knob.
8. Industrial use: Natural gas is used for producing hydrogen, ammonia for fertilizers and some
paints and plastics.
9. Abundant: It is relatively abundant compared to other fossil fuels, burns more cleanly and is easy
to distribute.
10. Safer: It is lighter than air and tends to dissipate when there is a leakage unlike Propane, which
being heavier than air, collects into explosive pockets.
11. Versatile: It can be used for heating, drying clothes, cooking, backing up generator power, and
many other uses.
12. Cheaper: Natural gas is cheaper than electricity. It is quicker when used for cooking and heating
water and majority of gas appliances are cheaper than electric appliances.
13. Neater: Gas appliances do not create electric fields which are unhealthy near your homes.
14. Used to Produce Electricity: In the U.S., itself, 30% of natural gas is used to produce electricity.

Disadvantages of Natural Gas

1. Toxic and Flammable: Leaks of natural gas are tremendously dangerous. Such leaks may cause
explosions or fire. When inhaled, the gas is highly toxic. The main danger is that it is odorless and
leaks cannot be detected unless some odorant has been added to the gas. It is for this reason that
LPG (residentially used gas) is suffused with odorants, that in the event of a leak, detection is easy
and appropriate actions can be taken. In the case of an underground leak, we are helpless as odorant
becomes weaker and the gas leak goes undetected.
2. Damage to Environment: Burning of natural gas also releases carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide
and other carbon compounds which are greenhouse gases that cause global warming and climate
change. Even though it is cleaner than oil or coal as far as its by products are concerned, leakage of
natural gas can be have serious consequences as methane is more toxic than carbon dioxide.
3. Complex Processing: For use as fuel, except for methane, all other constituents of natural gas
have to be extracted. Processing results in many byproducts: hydrocarbons (propane, ethane etc.),
sulfur, water, helium, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide.

7
4. Non-Renewable: Like all fossil fuels, natural gas though found in abundance is non-renewable and
hence likely to be exhausted at some point of time. It is not a long term solution to our energy
problems.
5. Expensive Installation: The infrastructure for natural gas production and distribution is fairly
expensive. This includes separate plumbing systems and specialized tanks.
6. Inefficiency in Transportation: Natural gas when used as a fuel in vehicles provides less mileage
than gasoline.
In spite of disadvantages, the entire process of producing, transporting and making use of natural gas
provides an energy efficiency which is best among all fossil fuels. It proves to be less harmful to
environment when it comes to pollution. It may not last forever but as of today it is the most popular
energy source.

Vegetable Oil as Fuel

Vegetable oil is an ideal fuel but one needs to understand the pros and cons of this approach to compare it to
other options, especially biodiesel. Let's start on the upside.
Merits
Widely Available
One of the biggest advantages of vegetable oil is that the fuel is widely available. You can stop and fill up
anywhere in North America so long as there's a restaurant that deep-fries its food in vegetable oil. (You'll have
to filter the gunk out of the deep-fryer oil first, however.) Not only is the fuel abundant and widely available, so
are diesel engine conversion kits. You can purchase them on the Internet.
Renewable
Like other options, this fuel is renewable and can be picked up for free, for example, from fast-food restaurants
whose owners are typically pleased to give it away, rather than pay for disposal!
Reduces Air Pollution
Vegetable oil burns cleanly and thus helps solve another thorny issue - air pollution from conventional fossil
fuels. Like biodiesel, vegetable oil use reduces carbon dioxide emissions. The fuel itself is often called carbon
neutral but that's not entirely true. Sure, the amount produced during combustion equals the amount the plants
take up during photosynthesis, but remember, it takes energy to make this fuel (gasoline to power a tractor, for
instance). The consumption of energy, in turn, produces carbon dioxide. Even so, the fuel is light years ahead of
conventional fossil fuels in the greenhouse gas production department.
Increased Range
Another advantage of vegetable oil is that it dramatically improves the range of a car. Gary Liess of Santa Rosa,
California, for instance, can drive his Mercedes more than-get this-800 miles on a tank of diesel (or biodiesel)
and a tank of vegetable oil. His partner, with a slightly more fuel-efficient vehicle, can travel 1,000 miles between
fill ups, if she wanted, using diesel or biodiesel and vegetable oil.

8
Demerits
Cost of Conversion
Like virtually anything we do in life, vegetable oil fuels have some disadvantages. The conversion kits and
installation of the kits cost money. Expect to pay $800 to $1,600 for a good kit and installation. In addition, the
additional fuel tank takes up a considerable amount of trunk space. And you'll need to still use diesel or find
biodiesel to fill the car's main fuel tank.
High Maintenance
You'll also need to find a source of vegetable oil and be willing to collect and store it. Another problem is that the
vegetable oil may clog the fuel injectors of a diesel engine over time, according to Sam Anderson of BioFuels
Technology, a Denver-based company. For more on this topic, read about how to use vegetable oil as fuel
In addition, you also need to switch the fuel on and off, although back-flush pumps that come with the more
expensive kits avoid this task. They automatically purge the fuel lines after the ignition switch is shut off.
However, Elsbett, a German manufacturer, now provides a bare-bones conversion kit that allows vehicles to be
cold-started on veggie oil (to learn about it go to www.elsbett.com).This system uses only the fuel tank that
comes with the car.
This kit doesn't require extra switches and hoses like others. It comes with glow plugs (to warm the fuel in the
tank), special fuel injectors, and an in-line heater that permit the car to operate on 100 percent vegetable oil.
If you own a diesel car, biodiesel or vegetable oil may be just the thing. If you are thinking about a new car and
wondering what vehicle makes the most sense, given the decline in global oil production, you may want to give
strong consideration to a diesel vehicle. Neither biodiesel nor vegetable oil will be immune to the rising prices of
gasoline and conventional diesel, because it takes energy to make them, but they may be less severely
affected. I envision a time when biodiesel and vegetable oil are used to power the tractors and trucks on farms
that produce these renewable fuels, perhaps even the facilities that produce these fuels.

Biogas:

What is Biogas?
Most organic matter begins the process of decomposition when it is exposed to oxygen and sunlight. However,
organic matter can also decompose without any oxygen, by the process of anaerobic fermentation. This
happens due to the bacteria present in the matter which acts during the absence of oxygen. Landfills see a lot of
such decay, especially when the waste material becomes wet and receives little sunlight. As a result, a lot of
methane and nitrous oxide is produced and released into the atmosphere. Biogas is the result of this decay, and
it is an energy source like no other.
One may find the structure of biogas to be a little confusing. Comprising mainly of methane and carbon dioxide,
one has to wonder how thesegreenhouse gases are helping anybody. However, the magic happens when the
gas is burnt. The use of biogas as a fuel happens because it reacts with oxygen and releases energy, which is
clean in nature.

9
The resulting reaction uses up the gases and prevents them from rising into the atmosphere. Biogas plants are
slowly becoming popular due to the many benefits associated with them. They are already being used for public
transport, industrial heating and many more applications.

Advantages of Biogas
1. Renewable Source of Energy: To begin with, biogas is considered to be a renewable source of energy.
Since it often produced from materials that form sewage and waste products, the only time it will be depleted is
when we stop producing any waste.
2. Non-Polluting: It is also considered to be non-polluting in nature. The production of biogas does not require
oxygen, which means that resources are conserved by not using any further fuel.
3. Reduces Landfills: It also uses up waste material found in landfills, dump sites and even farms across the
country, allowing for decreased soil and water pollution.
4. Cheaper Technology: Applications for biogas are increasing as the technology to utilize it gets better. It can
be used to produce electricity and for the purpose of heating as well. Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is biogas
that has been compressed and can be used as a fuel for vehicles. Production can be carried out through many
small plants or one large plant.
5. Large number of Jobs: Either way, work opportunities are created for thousands of people in these plants.
These jobs are a blessing in rural areas, which are the targeted grounds for the use of biogas. In fact, biogas
can easily be decentralized, making it easier to access by those living in remote areas or facing frequent power
outages.
6. Little Capital Investment: Biogas are easy to set up and require little capital investment on a small scale
basis. In fact, many farms can become self sufficient by utilizing biogas plants and the waste material produced
by their livestock each day. A single cow can provide enough waste material within a day to power a light bulb
the entire day.
7. Reduces Greenhouse Effect: It also reduces the greenhouse effect by utilizing the gases being produced in
landfills as forms of energy. This is a major reason why the use of biogas has started catching on. It recycles
most forms of biodegradable waste and works on simple forms of technology.

Disadvantages of Biogas
1. Little Technology Advancements: First of all, the current systems in place used to create biogas are not as
efficient as they get. Little new technology has been introduced for streamlining the process and making it more
cost effective. As a result, large scale industrial production of biogas is still not on the energy map. Although it
could solve the energy issues being faced by countries all over the world, very few investors are willing to put in
the startup capital. It is also not the best idea to construct one biogas plant per house, which means that a
central system will have to be put into place.
10
2. Contain Impurities: Biogas contains a number of impurities even after refining processes have been put into
place. When compressed for use as fuel, these can become corrosive to the metal parts of engines.
3. Not Attractive on Large Scale: The process of using biogas on a large scale is not economically viable and
it is very difficult to enhance the efficiency of biogas systems.
4. Unstable: It is also somewhat unstable, making it prone to explosions if the methane comes in contact with
oxygen and become flammable in nature.
Even with all of the disadvantages present, countries have started to apply the uses of biogas in everyday life.
Public transportation has been renewed and made efficient with the help of CNG. Remote locations that are off
the electric grid receive a steady supply of power from these plants. The future use of biogas is bright, even with
the problems it faces.

11