Compressed natural gas - natural gas under high pressure

You can cook with it and heat your house with it. You may even power a car or truck with it. So what is it? ... natural gas. Like oil (petroleum), this common fuel comes from underground. However, natural gas, as the name implies, is a gas much like air, rather than a liquid like petroleum. It has been found to be one of the most environmentally friendly fuels, and its popularity is growing.

Natural gas is mostly made up of methane, about 95 percent of the natural gas in California. The other 5 percent is made up of various gases along with small amounts of water vapor. These other gases include butane, propane, ethane and other trace gases. Methane is a hydrocarbon, meaning its molecules are made up of hydrogen and carbon atoms. Its simple, one carbon, molecular structure (CH₄) makes possible its nearly complete combustion.

Because of its clean burning nature and the fact that it is not made from petroleum, as gasoline and diesel are, many automakers around the world are developing vehicles to run on natural gas. Cars, vans, buses and small trucks generally use natural gas that has been compressed (called compressed natural gas or CNG) and stored in high-pressure cylinders.

Several vehicles are available today (such as the Honda Civic CGX above and the Ford Crown Victoria to the right) that operate on compressed natural gas. Some run on natural gas only and others can run on natural gas or gasoline (called bi-fuel vehicles).

• Gasoline.
• Alcohols - ethanol and methanol.
• Compressed natural gas (CNG) - natural gas under high pressure.
• Electricity - stored in batteries.
• Fuel Cell Vehicles - zero-emission vehicles of the future?
• Hybrid Vehicles - using a couple of different energy sources or motors.
• Hydrogen - a very special type of gas.
• Liquefied natural gas (LNG) - natural gas that is very, very cold.
• Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) - hydrocarbon gases under low pressure.
• Liquids made from coal - gasoline and diesel fuel that doesn't come from petroleum.
• Biodiesel - a lot like diesel fuel, but made from plant oil or animal fat.

• Alternative Fuel Vehicles Available in California
• Safety First with Motor Fuels

Sites With More Information About Electric and Alternative Fuel Cars

• California Energy Commission - Alternative Fuel Vehicle Information
  
• Advanced Research Projects Agency - Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Data Center
  
• Alternative Fuels Data Center (U.S. Dept of Energy Funded)
  
• American Society of Engineering Technology
  
• CALSTART
  
• Museum of Modern Art's Different Roads: Automobiles for the Next Century (July 22-September 21, 1999)
  
• Links to Dozens of Other Places on the Internet About Alternative Fuel Vehicles.

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