Obama wants to get rid of gasoline cars and replace them with compressed natural gas cars. His motivation for this is that burning methane produces slightly less CO2 than burning gasoline.
During the winter of 1970-1971 I was living in Los Alamos, New Mexico. One evening around 8pm a tremendous natural gas explosion occurred. My neighbors’ house exploded in a massive fireball which actually lifted the house next door off its foundation and set it down about a foot away. No one died, but a girl I went to school with suffered brain damage due to a high fever from her burns.
In 1991 or 1992 I was living in Houston, and was awoken by a natural gas pipeline explosion fifty miles away which killed numerous people. The shockwave practically knocked my pregnant wife out of bed.
In 1937, a gas explosion killed 425 school children in New London, Texas.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqCRNtZ12mo]
Any kind of highly compressed gas (as would be required in a CNG car) is a bomb. Even an inert compressed gas tank containing CO2 or nitrogen would blow up like a bomb if the integrity of the tank were damaged due to an accident or structural defect. But methane is much worse, because it is extremely unstable in the presence of oxygen.
But the most ridiculous thing about Obama’s plan, is that climate alarmists consider methane to be thirty times worse than CO2 for global warming. His motivation for the Obomba Car is beyond idiotic.
Natural gas has killed ten times more schoolchildren than rifles.
Al-Qaeda is lining up to buy them! Especially the trucks! 😉
Many years ago in college, as part of a design project I examined gasoline to natural gas engine conversions (this was when gas was about as cheap as it is now). There are some issues:
Nat gas has a higher ignition temperature and is a harder gas to crack chemically. The higher temps results in more NOx formation (smog) than a modern gasoline engine. You also get more unburned hydrocarbons (more smog) from the latter issue. Methods to control the NOx (ie. exhaust recirculation) rob the engine of horsepower.
Plus, you have range issues. Liquid fuel had a much higher energy density than a gas. As the pressure drops in the CG tank, you might find it hard to accelerate up some hills.
A better option is to turn natural gas into gasoline, diesel, etc.
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2011/05/janus-20110501.html#more
http://www.sasollouisianaprojects.com/
Shell’s GTL plant in Qatar went online last year.
Chelsea Clinton is Killing Polar Bears!
“Chelsea Clinton is buying a $10.5 million spread right across the street from Madison Square Park, reports NyPo. The apartment is 5,000 square feet and is located in the Whitman.
The unit at 21 E. 26th St. is four bedrooms, with 6 1/2 bathrooms, and the family room has a full view of the park. The five-story building has one apartment per floor, and a key-locked elevator.
Chelsea, 33, and her husband Marc Mezvinsky, 35, according to NyPo, “live in the neighborhood and found the building on their own while out walking.”
http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/2013/03/chelsea-clinton-buying-10-million-nyc.html
5000 square feet and 6.5 baths for a couple? What is wrong with a 500 square foot flat? Think of the children! 😆
Daddy Willy, “The Felon”, Clintoon needs extra space for all his bimbos when dear daughter is our roaming the neighborhood scaring the poor children. The kids think she looks like a witch.
Is the president’s limo going to be converted to NG?
That would be a big bomb.
Not bloody likely tho…
Maybe Obama could do a proof of concept pilot project with a NG limo in Afghanistan?
I’m sure the Taliban would be very interested in this technology and would appreciate a heads up.
Well, yes, gas cars can be dangerous, look carefull here at 0:18 you’ll see why it hapens a bit later, lucky guy comes alive from it:
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b56_1359742471
I’ll consider buying a natural gas powered vehicle when I see Obama driving one.
The same line of thought includes electric cars.
How much you want to make a bet that gasoline has killed a hundred times as many school children?
Hell, that’s probably just from being curious enough to try and drink it.
Err sniff it!
Natural gas can be turned into perfectly good fulfa free diesel but comes at a price. High pressure fuel systems like natural gas fuel systems are stupid and unreliable. Just forget all about it. Obama should take a hike.
First post!
I had a natural gas powered van for many years. It was a 1981 Dodge Ram 1/2 ton (full size) van that had been converted to dual fuel. My brother bought the van new in ’81, and had it converted in ’85. He was an owner/operator courier. Even thought the initial conversion cost was expensive, about $3500 in 1985, it paid off for itself shortly, because the cost of fuel was about 1/3 (Nat gas to gasoline).
My brother sold me the van in 1988. I used it as a tow vehicle, to the local race track. Plus it was a great around town vehicle. The cost of operation was really good. Being a dual fuel vehicle, I did not have to worry about being stranded because I could not find a natural gas station near by.
Range on natural gas was eighty miles, in the city. A bit more on the highway.
The van always passed the government’s emissions testing. I drove the van up until 2011, when my wife insisted that I get a vehicle that isn’t a “big steel box on wheels”. Because of the vans age I could not sell it, nobody wanted to buy something that old. So, I gave my Dodge van to a friend who is a commercial gardener. It is still running to this day. The body looks like crap, lots of rust holes in the lower sheet metal. But the frame and suspension are good. The motor and drive train are still going.
The good things about driving on natural gas;
Cost of operation. Cheap to buy fuel. Oil stays cleaner. Spark plugs never foul. Cold weather does not effect the way the motor runs. No wear on the motor because it stays clean.
The bad things about driving on natural gas;
Big fuel tanks take up space and add weight. Range. Slight loss of power, but not a problem for city driving.
Ya need to have phone like that too!
LOS ALFAQUES Spain 1978
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Alfaques_Disaster
http://youtu.be/K37kNwt1nyk (gruesome scenes!)
I rather like the idea of the hydrogen economy. It will be quite exciting. Mere methane would be tame by comparison.
Some cousins of mine died in a gas explosion that destroyed their house.
Politicians shouldn’t be dictating the types of technology being used, since they have no understanding of technology.
Every Democrat should have one of these!
I’m thinking of starting up a charity that will collect money for this exact purpose.
Paypal details to follow shortly.
Someone thought there was an O-bomb-a-train in Chicago
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2013/03/15/video-feds-swoop-in-on-metra-train-after-detecting-nuclear-risk/?utm_medium=VPH&utm_source=topvph_news&utm_campaign=434154
Nah – they were looking for someone emitting energy.
Since Democrats only absorb resources, there would have to be another explanation.
CNG was tried in cars in NZ, but it failed dismally due to the cost, the weight of the tanks and the inefficient running of the cars. Some cars had to be re-sprung to take the added weight. Very few vehicles have it now, apparently less than 200, down from a high of some 120,000. LPG is preferred over CNG, but LPG stores are running out in NZ. CNG has to be stored under high pressure also making it less safe and desirable.