June 2011, Volume 2, No.

3 International Journal of Chemical and Environmental Engineering

A Step for the Future Sustainability in Pakistan: Conversion of Vehicle Fuel from CNG to HCNG & its Environmental Effects/Benefits
Qandeel Fatima Gillani *, Farrukh Jamil**, Waqar-un-Nisa***,Dr. Moinuddin Ghauri**** Department of Chemical Engineering COMSATS Institute of Information Technology Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Abstract Abstract- The land of Pakistan is highly enriched with treasure of natural gas reservoirs due to that compressed natural gas CNG is abundantly used all over the Pakistan as a vehicle fuel. Natural gas can be blended with hydrogen to make HCNG. HCNG vehicle offers the potentials for immediate emission benefits, reduction in NOx/ SOx emission, which eventually affects positively on our environment. At the same time they can pave the way for a transition of fuel cell vehicles by building early demand for hydrogen infrastructure and vehicle fueled with hydrogen based transportations for future. This paper will mainly focus the blends of H and CNG as a fuel and its benefits for the future of Pakistan.

Keywords: Saba, reducing substances, tannins, mucins, proteins, alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids., E. coli, callouses, Ethanol component of our energy consumption scenario. Prices of 1. Introduction transportation fuels are increasing and this is the main reason that transportation in Pakistan is becoming very Most of energy used in world is supplied by fossil expensive day by day. Rapid growth in transportation fuels. Burning of fossil fuels generates waste materials, industry has occurred in last two decade in Pakistan. CNG mainly emissions to the atmosphere in form of is cheaper, environmental friendly and well known combustion fuel gases and dust, as well as some ash alternative transportation fuel. Hydrogen is an excellent and/or clinker. These waste materials have hazardous additive to methane or gasoline due to its unique effects on environment, some of them locally, others with characteristics. The blends of Hydrogen and CNG serve more widespread or even global impact.1 effectively as fuel for vehicles. Pakistan is that part of land which is very rich with treasure of natural gas. It is one of most abundant energy resources in Pakistan. Natural gas is mixture of various 2. Cng Vehicles & Basic Infrastructures gases, major component is methane. In nature, this is Pakistan is third largest country in world that using odorless and colorless gas. In year 2007-2008, natural CNG as a transportation fuel. In June 2007, 15500003 gas consumption in Pakistan was 1817.741 MMCF/day2. vehicles on road were running due to CNG fuel, which is Natural gas is a domestically available energy source with 24.9% of total vehicles. In 2012, no of vehicles will all consumers including residential, commercial, approximately 3500000 with annual growth of 50.1% industrial, electricity generation, and automotive. While [Based on data from IANGV]. Pakistan has largest liquid petroleum fuels are current standard for automotive number of CNG stations that is 145045 in June 2008. applications, some believe that hydrogen is indeed future Natural gas vehicles are potential alternative to automotive fuel of choice. A transition to hydrogengasoline vehicles in short term. They are less polluting fueled automobiles will take a litte time. One approach and fuel is widely available in Pakistan. being suggested as an early step is concept of blending hydrogen with compressed natural gas (H/CNG) for use 3. Hcng As A Fuel: in internal combustion engine vehicles. Current natural Since last 15 years, many experiments have been gas engines and vehicles can be modified to operate on conducted all over world. The major topic of the study is H/CNG with available technology. reduction of emission with respect to %age of hydrogen Pakistan has been suffering from severe kind of by volume and air fuel ratio. HCNG is a fuel, having very energy crisis for long. Transportation fuels are major

Purification of Natural Gas with High CO2 Content by Formation of Gas Hydrate: Thermodynamic Verification small amount of Hydrogen by volume leads to many advantages due to some particular physical and chemical properties of two fuels [1]. The currently alternative fuels CNG and hydrogen have been studied and according to literature, they prove to be safe, economic, environment friendly fuel. [2][3][4][5] In Pakistan mostly small vehicles are utilizing CNG as a fuel. If they are converted into HCNG, following Benefits can be availed from the above mentioned step: A higher efficiency Better environmental effect Blend of H2 (5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50% by volume) with CNG may be utilized. The volume to weight ratio of H2 in HCNG is shown in Table 01. From the table it is clear that hydrogen has less weight then same volume of CNG. In table 2, the properties of Hydrogen and Methane are shown. Based on an examination of properties in Table 2, it is seen that hydrogen is able to burn ultra-lean at an equivalence ratioequivalence ratioequivalence ratio.
Volume 14% 20% 29% 34% 42% Table 1: Volume To Weight Ratio Of H2 Weight 5% 7% 10% 12% 15%

4. Environmental Effects Environmental effects of the HCNG can be seen by emissions of various gases from HCNG. The major emissions are NOx, CO2, CO, NMHC, CH4 and HC emissions. Various studies are conducted to see values of emitted gases from the HCNG. Usually NOx refer to a mixture of two gases: Nitrogen monoxide (NO) and Nitrogen dioxide (NO2). NO is a colorless gas where NO2 absorbs sunlight strongly at short wavelengths. Many studies are conducting regarding NOx emissions from combustion of HCNG. Generally NOx emissions increases but if a catalytic support is installed in the vehicles at gases exit point, NOx emissions can be reduced. Mostly studies regarding emissions are carried out on single cylinder experimental engines. According to studies, with increasing H2 percentage, BSNOx values are increasing or decreasing. According to [9][10][8] with increasing H2 percentage, BSNOx values are increasing. BSNOx values, which were obtained by [9], can be considered as high [8] obtained BSNOx about 21g/kWh at 40%H2 + 60%CH4, 19g/kW h at 20% H2 + 80% CH4 and 16g/kW h BSNOx and 100% CH4 at equivalence ratio 0.8. But, in experiments performed by [11] with increasing H2 percentage, BSNOx values are decreasing. Moreover, if equivalence ratios are decreased, BSNOx values reach to a low value. Some experiments conducted on complete vehicles, according to [12] NOx values are changes at different equivalence ratio () NOx changes as shown in fig 01.

Addition of H2 in CNG increases the calorific value of fuel. HCNG can be used without modification in CNG vehicles. [1]. In Pakistan, small vehicles are gradually shifted from gasoline to CNG fuel. This is the better step for saving our natural resources that directly convert gasoline vehicles on HCNG.
Table 1 Comparison Between Properties Of Methane And Hydrogen Properties Hydrogen(H2) Methane(CH4) Equivalence ratio ignition lower limit in NTP air [6]
Mass lower heating value (kJ/kg) [7]

0.10 119,930 0.083764 10,046 34.20 0.290 2913 265-325 17-25 0 0.064 2318

0.53 50,020 0.65119 32,573 17.19 0.095 3088 37-45 23-33 0.25 0.203 2148 Figure 1. NOx and torque in function of k for lean mixtures at 1500rpm (15% H2)

Density of gas at NTP (kg/m3 ) [7] Volumetric lower heating value at NTP (kJ/m3 ) [8] Stoichiometric air-to-fuel ratio (kg/kg) [8] Volumetric fraction of fuel in air, =1 at NTP[8] Volumetric lower heating value in air, = 1 at NTP (kJ/m3) [8] Burning speed in NTP air (cm/s) Percentage thermal energy radiated from flame to surroundings [7] Molar carbon to hydrogen ratio
Quenching distance in NTP air in cm [7]

Karan D. & Francfort J. made a study in 2003 on factory CNG vehicle without modifying its engine, except NOx all emissions reduced to significant amount. The results of CNG versus HCNG are shown in table 03.
Table 2 Percent Change In Emissions: Vehicle Operating Using Cng Versus Hcng. Emissions Percentage Change Carbon monoxide (CO) Total hydrocarbons (HC) Carbon dioxide (CO2) Oxides of nitrogen (NOx) -55.4 -34.7 -11.3 +92.1

Flame temperature in air (K) [7]

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Purification of Natural Gas with High CO2 Content by Formation of Gas Hydrate: Thermodynamic Verification

5. Environmental Problems And Benefits Using Hcng As A Fuel

Pakistan has been declared highly polluted country by World Bank (WB) & other organization. Road transport sector causes more urban air pollution than any other single human activity in Pakistan according to a report of WB, it is cause of one half of the NOx, two-thirds of CO, and about one half of hydrocarbon emissions. It has been noted in last twenty years that, air pollution (AP) due to vehicles fuels exceeds maximum limits set by various organizations including World Health Organization (WHO), United States Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA), WB and might be a major cause of respiratory diseases7. The WBs estimation reports that AP causes 168,000 premature deaths annually in Pakistan (60 percent of them attributable to indoor air pollution)8. Use of HCNG as a fuel definitely helps a lot to solve these problems. The emissions from automobiles are reduced approximately up to 30% as per calculation. The premature deaths and respiratory diseases in Pakistan can be minimized by providing clean environment.

System Safety, 37:938. [3] Adamson KA, Pearson P., 2000. Hydrogen and methanol: a comparison of safety, economics, efficiency and emissions. J Power Source, 86:54855. [4] Hackney J. Neufville R., 2001. Life cycle model of alternative fuel vehicles: emissions, energy, and cost trade-offs. Transport Res Part A, 35:24366. [5] Demirbas A., 2002. Fuel properties of hydrogen, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and compressed natural gas (CNG) for transportation. Energy Sources, 24:60110. [6] Das LM, 1990. Hydrogen engines: a view of the past and a look into the future. Int J Hydrogen Energy, 15(6):425- 43. [7] Peschka W., 1992. Liquid hydrogen: fuel of the future. Berlin: Springer, 283-6. [8] Bauer CG, Forest TW, 2001. Effect of hydrogen addition on performance of methane-fueled vehicles, Part I: effect on S.I. engine performance. Int J Hydrogen Energy, 26:5570. [9] Swain MR, Yusuf MJ, Dulger Z, Swain MN, 1993. The effects of hydrogen addition on natural gas engine operation. SAE paper 932775. [10] Hoekstra RL, Collier K. Mulligan N., 1994. Demonstration of hydrogen mixed gas vehicles. Proceedings of 10th World hydrogen Energy Conference held in Cocoa Beach, USA, June 2024. [11] Raman V, Hansel J, Fulton J, Brudery D., 1994. Hythanean ultraclean transport fuel. Proceedings of 10th World hydrogen Energy Conference held in Cocoa Beach, USA, June 2024. [12] Fernando Ortenzi, Maria Chiesa, Riccardo Scarcelli, Giovanni Pede, 2008. Experimental tests of blends of hydrogen and natural gas in light-duty vehicles. Int J Hydrogen Energy, 33:3225 3229

6. Conclusion
A complete study of Hydrogen sources in Pakistan should be conducted, so that cheapest way of getting H2 for HCNG may be adopted. Improve the quality of CNG cylinders so that they can be used for blends of 20% to 50% H2 by volume rather than 15% by volume. For filling purpose dispensers should be well equipped and calibrated for measuring correct amount of H2 and CNG by volume.Instead of shifting vehicles from gasoline to CNG, the vehicles must be directly shifted to HCNG for efficient fuel consumption and low emission. Additional catalytic treatment kit must be installed in prevailing CNG vehicles to reduce NOx emissions while using them with HCNG. Existing natural gas vehicles can be enabled to use a mixture of hydrogen and natural gas (HCNG) which will help to stimulate the development of hydrogen reformation and dispensing infrastructure. The combination of HCNG infrastructure and natural gas/hydrogen vehicles may prove to be essential for nurturing the infancy of the future hydrogen highway for sustainability in Pakistan. At the same time the immediate reduction is shown in emissions from automobile which definitely help us to protect our environment. The pollution free environment helps us to save many children from pre mature death.

REFERENCES
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