What color is methane gas?
- Methane gas is colorless.
Are the combustion residues of methane gas toxic?
- Methane combustion residues are non-toxic. The main advantage of compressed methane is that when it burns, it releases carbon dioxide and water that are harmless to the human body.
Is methane a natural gas or a chemical synthesis product?
- Methane is a natural gas, it is formed as a result of reactions of main chemical processes. It is a main component of natural (77-99%) and associated petroleum (31-90%) chemical processes. In anaerobic conditions (in swamps, waterlogged soils, ruminant rumen), it is formed biogenically.
Does methane gas have a storage life and a period of use?
- Under normal conditions (according to GOST), the storage life of methane is unlimited.
Is methane gas used at home?
- Yes, the main mode of application is for gas stoves.
Does methane change its volume when the temperature changes?
- Yes, it does, since for any gas, the distance between the molecules increases when heated, and decreases when cooled.
Will methane be the main fuel of the future?
- It is known that the world's oil reserves (from which petrol is produced) are coming to an end, and according to scientists, these reserves will be sufficient only for the next 50 years. The natural gas reserves will still be sufficient for about 250 years. This suggests that methane will increase its potential as one of the main types of fuel.
What is the service life of autogas system?
- High-quality equipment has a service life of up to 10 years.
Is it possible to install a used autogas system on a vehicle?
- Yes, it's possible, and that's often the way that it is. But the gear unit and pipelines are new ones.
Does the odorant affect the quality of the gas?
- Odorant does not affect the quality of the gas.
Why is a methane autogas system more expensive than a propane one?
- For these two types of fuel, different cylinders are required. For propane, a cylinder with a wall thickness of 4-5 mm is sufficient, and for methane, cylinders need to be much thicker and to lighten their mass, they are made of metal-plastic (which is more expensive).
Does the vehicles lose power when the engine runs on methane gas?
- If a new type of AGS (fourth generation) is installed, the power will not be lost.
What is the temperature of the gas should be during the fuelling?
- The normal temperature is considered to be from 10 to 40 °С.
Explanation of abbreviations:
- AGS stands for Autogas System;
- CNGFS stands for Compressed Natural Gas Filling Station;
- MGFS stands for Mobile Gas Filling Station;
- LNG stands for Liquefied Natural Gas;
- CNG stands for Compressed Natural Gas;
- LPG stands for Liquified Petroleum Gas (propane-butane).
Why is methane significantly cheaper than petrol?
- Methane is a natural gas that is extracted from the interior of the earth in the form in which it is delivered to the CNGFSs after processing and purification, in turn, petrol is a product of oil refining and its production is more expensive. Hence the difference in price.
Do vehicles consuming petrol and methane use the same amount of fuel in the same conditions?
- On modern gas systems, the gas consumption is equal to that of petrol. It also depends on how the autogas system and petrol equipment is configured. The gas has an octane number of 110, which is higher than that of petrol, accordingly, when mixed with air and entering the engine cylinders, less amount of gas is required. Under the same conditions, less amount of gas is consumed.
Why is methane more profitable than propane, even taking into account that the AGS installation is more expensive?
- Methane is the cleanest fuel with no more than 1% of the impurities in it;
- Methane autogas systems runs longer;
- Filters are constantly clogged when working on propane, which does not happen when using methane;
- Gear unit and injectors require frequent repairs when working on propane, which does not happen when working on methane;
- Propane consumption is 25% higher than that of methane;
- Methane is a more environmentally friendly fuel than propane.
What is the probability of a cylinder explosion in a road traffic accident?
- The official tests have revealed that for various types of impacts, gas is by far the safest type of fuel for a car.
Does the service life of an engine decrease when running on methane?
- No, the engine life is not reduced. The gas does not wash off the oil film from the cylinders, and since the gas is not liquid, unlike petrol, the piston group life increases. The gas is much cleaner than petrol, so when running on gas, all the additives that did not burn during petrol combustion and did not get into the oil do not remain in the oil, and therefore the oil needs to be changed much less often. Also, in general, the inter-repair maintenance period of vehicle is much longer when running on methane than on petrol.
It is said that methane dries the engine, is it true?
- No, gas cannot dry the engine. On the contrary, the engine will be noticeably cleaner, since petrol leaves deposits and washes out the oil, unlike methane. And this is confirmed by the fact that the world's vehicle manufacturers such as Volkswagen, Mercedes, Volvo, Scania produce vehicle equipped with gas systems.
Why is methane better than propane?
- Propane has a higher percentage of explosion hazard, and when leaking, it's difficult to ventilate a room due to the stale air. Propane consumption is also 25% higher than that of methane. Methane is a more cost-efficient fuel.
