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Do you know What is CNG and how it is made? If not, then there is no need to panic because in today’s article you will be told everything about CNG. As the prices of petrol and diesel are increasing, people’s attention is also increasing towards their alternative fuels.
Natural gas is one of the alternative sources of conventional fuels. Vehicle companies are launching CNG variants of vehicles so that the burden of fuel expenditure from people’s pockets can be lightened. Along with reducing the price, CNG also increases the mileage of vehicles.
In the coming time, the number of CNG-run trains will increase. In such a situation, it becomes important for you to know about CNG. In today’s article, you will be told about what is CNG gas, how CNG gas is made, what is the full form of CNG, etc. So let’s go ahead and know the complete information about CNG.
What is the full form of CNG?
The full form of CNG is “Compressed Natural Gas“. in Hindi means “compressed natural gas”.
What is CNG?
CNG is a compressed (with pressure) natural gas which is clean, odorless and non-corrosive. CNG causes very small amounts of pollution, so it is called eco-friendly gas. It is cheaper than other fuels, such as petrol and diesel. CNG is mainly made up of methane, which compresses it in less than 1% of the volume it occupies on standard atmospheric pressure.
Cng is usually stored and distributed in cylindrical or spherical sized containers with 20-25 megapasscal pressure (MPa) (2900.75 to 3625.94 psi). CNG can be used as fuel in vehicles that use petrol, diesel and LPG.
During CNG combustion, harmful gases are released in much smaller quantities than other fuels. CNG is being used in autorickshaws, pickup trucks, school buses and trains to avoid rising fuel prices and environmental pollution. CNG contains 80-90 percent methane and other nitrogen, carbon dioxide, propane and ethane.
How is CNG made?
As we know, CNG is a compressed natural gas. Natural gas is a fossil energy source that exists below the earth’s surface. Natural gas contains many different compounds. The most abundant compound is methane (CH4).

Natural gas is present beneath the earth’s surface along with coal and oil, which are produced by being buried under the remains of plants and animals millions of years ago. There are huge reserves of natural gas under the surface of the earth and sea floor.
Wells are drilled to flush out these gases. When the gas comes out of wells, it is called wet natural gas, because along with methane it contains NGLs (natural gas liquids) such as ethane, propane, pantane and water vapor. In addition, gas can also contain non-hydrocarbons, such as sulfur, nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide, most of which are removed before reaching consumers.
After coming out of the well, natural gas is sent to processing plants, where water vapor and non-hydrocarbon compounds are removed. NGLs are separated from wet gas and sold separately. Some ethane is often discarded into processed natural gas.
Separated NGLs are called natural gas plant liquids (NGPLs) and modified natural gas is called dry consumer grade or pipeline quality gas. These gases are odorless, so some chemicals called odorants are added to it so that leakage in the natural gas pipeline can be detected.
Dry natural gas is now sent through pipelines to underground storage fields or distributor companies and then to consumers. During or before coal mining, coalbed methane is also extracted from coal reserves and it is put in the natural gas pipeline without any special treatment.
Now this gas reaches the CNG stations through the natural gas pipeline, where it is passed through the dryer. After this, two or five steps of compression are passed to compress the gas and a pressure of 20-25 MPa (2900.75 to 3625.94 psi) is achieved.
Cng, once compressed, is stored and delivered at a much lower price than petrol or diesel.
What are the Main Features of CNG Gas:
There are many benefits of using CNG, some of which are as follows –
- CNG is an eco-friendly gaseous fuel as its use does not cause any kind of pollution.
- CNG provides high auto ignition temperature of 540 degree Celsius or more.
- The maintenance cost of a car running on CNG is very low.
- CNG is cheaper than petrol and diesel.
- The operating cost of CNG-powered vehicles is lower than other fuel-powered vehicles.
- CNG-run vehicles make less noise than vehicles running on any other fuel.
What is the difference between CNG and LPG?
Some of the differences between CNG and LPG are as follows:
CNG | LPG |
CNG is a gas and remains in a gaseous state even when compressed. | LPG is in gas form at normal temperature and pressure and turns into liquid state when compressed. |
CNG is used as a clean fuel instead of petrol and diesel. | LPG is used as cooking, industrial fuel and for refrigeration. |
Advantages of using CNG
CNG is considered a green fuel as it is free of lead and sulphur and does not emit harmful gases (gases like carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide). This helps in controlling the greenhouse effect.
Due to being non-corrosive, the life of the spark plug of the vehicle increases.
Being lighter than air, CNG is considered a safe fuel, because in the event of a leak, it immediately spreads in the air and mixes easily in the air. Apart from this, it has a narrow flammability range, which makes it safer than other fuels.
- CNG has a higher ignition temperature, so compared to other fuels, it reduces the chances of accidental and automatic ignition.
- The operational cost of CNG-run vehicles is much lower than other fuel vehicles.
- The price of CNG is low and its use in vehicles gives good mileage.
- The use of CNG increases the life of lubricant oils, as it does not contaminate and dilute crankcase oil.
Disadvantages of using CNG
If you use CNG in your vehicle, then you have to visit the service center again and again. This is because your engine runs dry on CNG, so the spark plug and engine oil are worse. You will need to visit the service center frequently and keep an eye on the running of the car engine.
Theresale value of CNG vehicles decreases significantly. In such a situation, if you go out to sell your car after use, then the customer may have trouble getting a good price. Its advantage is when you want to buy a second hand car, because you will get a CNG car at a lower price.
Another major disadvantage of CNG is that you may have to wait longer than petrol to get it. This is because the number of CNG pumps in India is very low right now. But as new CNG pumps open, this problem will also go away.
If your car has a CNG kit fitted by the company, then you can drive without worry. But if you install a retro-fitted CNG kit from outside, you have to make sure that the kit is fitted correctly. Apart from this, you will also have to pay attention to engine oil, HP and LP filters.
If you are using CNG in the car, then you will have to get a cylinder hydro testing every 3 years. This is a mandatory test to find out whether your cylinder is fit enough to use in today’s fast-paced life. Now you have to decide whether you can take a day off for this test or not?
What are the uses of CNG?
- CNG is used as fuel in vehicles.
- CNG is also used for power generation.
- CNG can be used for cooking in homes.
Who invented CNG?
Natural gas was first discovered in America in 1626, thanks to William Hart. However, CNG was invented in 1800. At that time CNG was considered to be the best option to keep the environment safe.
FAQs
Q1) Is it safe to use CNG?
Ans: Yes, it’s safe. The properties and characteristics of CNG make it a safe fuel. It is lighter than air, so in the event of leakage it rises up and spreads into the atmosphere.
Q2) What are the main components of CNG?
Ans: CNG contains gases such as methane, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, propane and ethane, and these three gases are considered to be the main components of CNG.
Q3) Does the CNG kit need servicing?
Ans: CNG kit is absolutely safe and simple. It gives years of hassle-free operation and does not require repeated servicing.
Conclusion
I hope you liked my article “What is CNG How is it Used Now a Days?” I have tried my best to provide all the information related to CNG to you so that you do not have to go to any other website regarding this subject. If you liked this information or got to learn something new, please share it on other social media networks.
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