an overview of cng and png

An Overview of CNG and PNG Rohit Bisht

CNG OVERVIEW

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG): is natural gas compressed to a pressure of 200-250 Kg/cm²

(g) (due to its low density) to enhance the vehicle onboard storage capacity. Thus, the

compressed form of natural gas is used as a fuel for transportation purposes.

At present CNG Retail Outlets of GAIL and Its JVCs are available in Delhi, Maharastra, Uttar

Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tripura, and Madhya Pradesh States with more than 400

CNG Retail outlets catering to approximately 6,80,000 vehicles.

Indraprastha Gas Ltd, a JV of GAIL (India) Ltd, has 209 CNG Retail outlets and Mahanagar

Gas Ltd another JV of GAIL (India) Ltd has set up 148 CNG stations

Similarly, other JVCs like MNGL has 13 Outlets, BGL has 14 outlets , GGL with 10 outlets

each, and AGL & CGUL with 9 retail outlets each and TNGCL with one outlet.

GAIL Gas Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of GAIL (India) Limited has currently 17

CNG outlets at Dewas, Sonepat, Kota, Meerut, Vijaipur, Dibiyapur, Firozabad, Vadodara and

Panvel. It will be commissioning its other outlets very soon.

An Overview of CNG and PNG | Rohit Bisht

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CNG ADVANTAGE

CNG has several distinctions over other fuels:

Environmental

o No impurities, No Sulphur (S), No lead (Pb)

o Very low levels of polluting gaseous emissions without smell and dust

o Molecular structure compactness prevents the reactive processes which

lead to the formation of Ozone (O3) in the troposphere.

Safety

o Lighter than air - in case of leak no dangerous puddles

o Unlikely to ignite due to:

High ignition temperature

Narrow range of ignition

o Lowest injury and death rate per vehicle mile

o CNG cylinders structurally most sound and have passed every severe

tests

Economical

o Cheaper than conventional fuel.

o Payback period is short

Technical

o Very high antiknock power (more than 120 ON) allows greater

performance compared to petrol one.

o Does not require refining plant or additive adding and can be used

immediately after its extraction.

o It has no evaporation leaks and spills of fuel, both during refueling and

feeding of the car.


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Its combustion produces a very low quantity of carbon deposits (permits a

longer life of lubricant oil, spark plug, piston drum, valves & other

components

PNG – OVERVIEW

Piped Natural Gas (PNG) is natural gas used as a fuel for households, Industries

(with a demand of less than 50000 scmd) and commercial units.

Clean Energy for Households

The household use of gas has picked up in India, especially when multiple use of

natural gas in the houses was demonstrated. The gas can be used for cooking, water

heating, space heating, air conditioning, refrigeration and power generation. The

concept of a single switch solution in the household sector is picking up momentum.

This concept provides that a household could be a self-contained gas user to meet its

all energy needs at one go.

GAIL Gas has commenced supply of domestic PNG in Dewas, Sonepat, Meerut and

Kota. Thousands of residents have already enrolled for the hassle-free fuel and many

more are likely to register in the near future. GAIL Gas has also initiated the process

of providing PNG connectivity to the kitchens in new/upcoming housing complexes,

towers, etc. as value additions in order to equip kitchens of these houses with the

eco-friendly fuel.

Industrial PNG

Cost and supply of energy can play a significant role in industrial operations.

Industries requires a continuous and reliable natural gas supply with can have

provide benefits on efficiency and economy. A broad range of industries like


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chemicals, Food processing, Engineering Goods, power generation, Glass industries

etc are using Industrial PNG. Gas is used by these industries for application like

Heating- Boiler, Thermic Fluid Heater, Furnace; Cooling- Absorbtion Chiller;

Power- Gas Engine and Gas Turbine; Process- for dryers, furnace, oven etc.

GAIL Gas has started supply of natural gas to the industrial sector in Dewas,

Sonepat, Kota and Meerut and has signed Gas Sales Agreements (GSAs) for nearly

2.5 lakh SCMD natural gas.

Commercial PNG

In the commercial sector, city gas has been found to be very useful in applications like cooking, air conditioning and power generation. In fact, a concept of Combined

Heat and Power (CHP) is becoming popular in India. This system has much higher thermal efficiency as compared to other conventional services.

The quality of services plays significant role in the Commercial sector. This customer oriented segment of commercial sector comprises of Hotels, Restaurants,

Hospitals, Dairies, Bakeries, Cold Storages, Malls, Shopping Complexes, shops, educational institutes, hostels etc. Major applications of PNG in this category are in

kitchens, Ovens, boilers, Geysers, refrigerators etc. Some Complexes, hosing offices, Malls use PNG for power generation and Air Conditioning also.

There is thus no hassle of handling, refilling and changing of cylinders. The

uninterrupted supply of the natural gas as fuel to the commercial Units helps them to

provide better quality of service to its customers. Most gas appliances are low on

operational cost than electrical ones. Pipeline delivery relatively reduces the

transportation cost. When compared with other available alternative fuels like

commercial LPG it is economically viable fuel. As the cost of the fuel is on lower

side, its effect is on the total cost of the services that the commercial units offer.


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PNG ADVANTAGES

PNG has several distinctions over other fuels

Uninterrupted supply

PNG network offers continuous and adequate supply of Natural Gas, doing away

with the problems of storing gas in cylinders.

Unmatched convenience

No hassles of booking LPG cylinder and no long wait for its delivery. No tedious

routine of checking LPG refill cylinder for any suspected leakage or it being

underweight during delivery. The user is spared the inconvenience of connecting and

disconnecting the LPG cylinder, and saves space occupied by LPG cylinders.

Safety

o Narrow inflammability range makes PNG one of the safest fuels. The

combustible mixture of natural gas and air does not ignite if the mixture

is leaner than 5% and richer than 15% of the air-fuel ratio required for

ignition.

o Natural gas is lighter than air. Therefore, in case of a leak, it quickly

disperses into air with adequate ventilation.

o PNG is supplied through pipelines at a very low pressure, so it is a safer

system as the quantity of Natural Gas is very small inside the premises.

o In case of fire the PNG supply can be cut off through valves provided in

the pipelines inside and outside of the kitchen.

o The system design is tamper proof, thus, ensuring total safety. In case of

any tampering or in an emergency, the system automatically shuts

down, thereby avoiding any accident.

o Since natural gas is odourless, ethyl mercaptan (a chemical that has a

sulphur-like odour) is added before distribution, to give it a distinct

odour. This is similar to the odour of LPG and serves as a safety device

by allowing it to be detected in the atmosphere in cases of leak.


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Economical

Natural Gas is economically more viable compared to other fuels in the same sector..

Versatility

Natural gas is being used predominantly as a versatile fuel in many major cities

catering to domestic and commercial applications, as fuel for cooking, heating water,

space heating, air conditioning, etc.

Environment Friendly

Natural gas is one of the cleanest burning fossil fuels, and helps improve the quality

of air and water, especially when used in place of other more polluting energy

sources. When natural gas burns completely, it gives out carbon dioxide and water

vapor

an overview of cng and png

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