PROBLEMS OF INTRODUCTION OF THE LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS INTO MOTOR TRANSPORT AND SOME WAYS OF THEIR DECISION

Abstract

The article deals with main reasons for the restrained use of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a motor fuel. Different designes of cryogenic automobile tanks are given, the essential advantages of LNG in terms of its safe use are shown. Technical solutions allowing to promote introducing LNG as a motor fuel are expounded. It is proposed to replace an expensive, from the point of view of production, vacuum shielding thermal insulation  with the foam plastic one and completely to abandon an external tank casing. An LNG vessel may be constructed in several standard modules having a diameter less than in the commonly used ones, which makes possible to locate such a tank in any configuration-convenient place, i. e. to fabricate it flat, oblong, etc. It seems expedient to increase pressure in a tank that allows the automobile motor to run after a long-term standing using a residual gas from the tank. The new automobile tank is substantially less-expensive in manufacturing, more reliable in operation and has a lighter weight. The calculation of payback of the motor transport LNG-conversion projects has shown that such projects have short payback periods.