Table Of ContentMETHANE
Fuel for the Future
METH
Fuel for the Future
Edited by
PATRICK McGEER
Minister of Universities, Science, and Communications
Province of British Columbia, Canada
and
ENOCH DURBIN
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey
PLENUM PRESS • NEW YORK AND LONDON
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Main entry under title:
Methane: fuel for the future.
"Proceedings of a world conference entitled "Methane-Fuel for the
Future," sponsored by the government of British Columbia, held during
September 1981, at Delta's River Inn, Vancouver, British Columbia"-T.p.
verso.
1. Methane-Congresses. I. McGeer, Patrick L. II. Durbin, Enoch.
TP761.M4M469 1982 665.7 82·1.3120
ISBN-13:978-1-4684-4342-4 e-ISBN-13:978-1-4684-4340-0
DOl: 10.1007/978-1-4684-4340-0
Proceedings of the World Conference entitled "Methane-Fuel for the Future,"
sponsored by the government of British Columbia, held during
September 1981, at Delta's River Inn, Vancouver, British Columbia
© 1982 Plenum Press, New York
Softcover reprint of the hardcover lst edition 1982
A Division of Plenum Publishing Corporation
2.3.3 Spring Street, New York, N.Y. 1001.3
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming,
recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher
PREFACE
In September of 1981, a world conference on alternative fuels
enti tled "Methane - Fuel for the Future" was held at Delta s River
I
Inn in Vancouver, British Columbia. Approximately 500 registrants
from over a dozen countries attended the two day meeting. There
were 20 invited papers which form the basis of this volume. The
conference itself was inspired by the "energy crisis". This crisis
was not seen in terms of any real shortage of oil in the -near term,
although an end to conventional oil could be seen on the horizon.
Rather, it was perceived as an artificial crisis, precipitated by
OPEC, but one which required urgent and effective solutions.
Not everyone will agree that urgent action is required to meet
the "energy crisis". Indeed, as this volume goes to press, the
media are advising that a global glut of oil exists and that price
reductions will inevitably ensue. The OPEC production rate has
slipped from 31 million barrels a day shortly before the 1973 oil
embargo, to a current rate of less than 20 million barrels a day.
The non-Communist world now depends upon OPEC for less than half of
its oil requirements versus 70 per cent only a decade ago.
Much of this reduced demand for OPEC oil is attributable to
lower consumption from buyer resistance. Some is a result of
alternative supply from major new oil fields such as the North Sea
or Prudhoe Bay. But very little represents a shift to al ternati ve
fuels. That is unfortunate, because it is only through this latter
method that true independence from OPEC can be achieved. It is
also the only way a long range solution to the oil problem can be
developed.
The world is just as dependent as it was a decade ago on oil.
While new sources and a plateau in consumption have temporarily
reduced OPEC leverage, the fundamental vulnerabi li ty to reduced
supply remains and the punishing economic consequences of current
prices continue.
vi PREFACE
Sheik Yamani of Saudi Arabia has perceived the world situation
well and has articulated the consequences of various courses of
action better than any Western leader. He has spoken frankly of
the "oil weapon", and has cautioned his OPEC colleagues not to push
the cost of oil to the point where Western nations will seriously
pursue alternatives. So far the western world is acting precisely
as Sheik Yamani would wish. Alternative energy projects are being
abandoned as word of a glut of oil spreads, and as hopes for price
reductions grow.
Saudi Arabia retains the greatest ability of all nations to
influence the supply and price of oil because of its unequalled
capaci ty to expand or restrict production. It can readily shift
from a high of more than 10 million barrels a day to any figure
below that. Thus, Saudi Arabia alone, through internal or external
pressures, can produce an unmanageable glut of oil in the world, or
leave it desperately short. Without Saudi Arabia production there
is simply not enough oil to go around.
For the first dozen years of its existence, OPEC had virtually
no success in escalating oil prices. It was a chance accident to
the trans-Arabian pipeline in May of 1970 that touched off the
first major supply shortage. Only then was the true inflexibility
of Western demand demonstrated, and the route to OPEC power clearly
outlined. The price shocks of the 1970s, each tied to OPEC supply
restrictions, are subsequent history. Either the price was paid,
or homes could not be heated, electricity could not be generated,
and vehicles could not move. With no alternatives to OPEC oil, the
choices facing Western consumers were economic dislocation due to
lack of fuel or economic dislocation due to higher prices. Higher
prices proved to be the course of minimum regret although
restricted supply, with its more severe consequences, could be
imposed at any time.
These lessons of history need never be repeated if the course
of action outlined in this volume is followed. Oil must eventually
be replaced as an energy source, and particularly as a
transportation fuel. It can be done now, in which case dependence
on OPEC will be terminated, or it can be done later, in which case
dependence on OPEC will continue. The choices for replacement fuel
are few. They include methane, hydrogen, methanol, ethanol and
synthetic fuels from coal. For many countries methane is by far
the most attractive choice, both in the short and long term.
The reasons for methane's superiority -- availability, price,
ease of distribution, cleanliness and compatibility with current
engines -- are outlined in the early chapters of the book. It is
the aspect of compatibility which may be the most intriguing
feature of methane as a transportation fuel. Vehicles can have a
dual fuel capability, in which case they can utilize OPEC-derived
PREFACE vii
gasoline or diesel if price and supply are attractive, but can
readily switch to domestically-produced methane if they are not.
The state of the "art technology with respect to methane
uti lization in vehicles, described in the middle chapters of the
book, provides insight into how rapidly a wide-spread system could
be introduced into a jurisdiction such as North America. The time
line could be measured in months as opposed to the years required
for the development of synthetic fuels programs or major new oil
fields.
The political problems associated with alternative fuels
programs, which form the final chapters of the book, deserve to be
particularly closely studied by policy makers. It is never easy to
effect major changes in industry. Revolutionary ideas precipitate
change, but the industrial development which follows is usually
evolutionary with the logic of economics dominating decision
making.
The energy crisis is different. The price and supply of oil
are unrelated to oil reserves, production capacity, or rational
economics. They are related to politics, primarily those of the
unstable Middle East. Uncertainty of price and supply is the
greatest weapon OPEC can use to keep the oil impGrting nations in
bondage and they have used it well. Prices and supply have risen
and fallen unpredictably. The response of Western nations at the
political level has been one of confusion and uncertainty, thus the
logic of internal economic decision-making has been impossible to
apply. Firm policies that could be translated into appropriate
economics have never really evolved. But the closing chapters
reveal the sensitivity of response to the details of various
government alternative fuel initiatives. It is here that the
volume may have its greatest value because it provides evidence
that the commodity most lacking today is not fuel but leadership.
ACKNONLEDGEMENTS
The editors are grateful to a number of individuals whose
dedicated efforts were essential to the production of this volume.
Foremost amongst them is Jane Burnes, Policy Coordinator in the
Ministry of Universities, Science and Communications of the
Province of British Columbia. She undertook the task of assembling
and coordinating all of the written material, supervising the
artwork and preparing the index. Typing of the volume was done by
Mrs. Judy Fetterly, also of the Ministry of Uni versi ties, Science
and Communications.
The volume represents the transactions of the world conference
"Methane - Fuel for the Future" held in Vancouver, British Columbia
in September of 1981. The conference itself was co-sponsored by
the Energy Development Agency and the Ministry of Uni versi ties,
Science and Communications of the Government of British Columbia.
Organizers of the conference, in addition to the editors, were Mr.
Ray Langdon, Dr. R.W. Stewart, Mr. E. Macgregor and Mr. George
Lenko. Special help at the conference was provided by many others,
too numerous to list.
We are indebted to the following firms who presented exhibits
of the state of the art technology at the conference:
ADVANCED FUELS, Wichita, Kansas
BEECH AIRCRAFT CORPORATION, Boulder, Colorado
BLACK TOP CABS, Vancouver, British Columbia
B.C. HYDRO, Vancouver, British Columbia
CANADIAN WESTERN NATURAL GAS, Calgary, Alberta
CNG FUEL SYSTEMS, Calgary, Alberta
DUAL FUEL SYSTEMS, Culver City, California
EUROMATIC MACHINE AND OIL COMPANY, Jersey, England
FIBA-CANNING, Toronto, Ontario
GAS SERVICE ENERGY CORPORATION, Kansas City, Missouri
J-MAR, Richmond, British Columbia
ix
x ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
L.P.F. CARBURETOR, Hutchinson, Kansas
NORWALK, South Norwalk, Connecticut
RIX INC., Emeryville, California
SPRINT AUTO, Bologna, Italy
STRUCTURAL COMPOSITES INDUSTRIES, INC., Azusa, California
TRI FUELS INC., Plano, Texas
WILLIAMS & JAMES, Gloucester, England
A. 'l'BE llRGERCY FOR A MULTI-RATIORAL
ALTBRRATXVB FUELS ~ •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 1
Patrick McGeer and Enoch Durbin
B. AVAILABILITY OF ALTBRRATIVB FUELS
2. Geological Estimates of Methane Availability 19
Ken Deffeyes
3. Supplies of Methane in the United States •••••••••••••• 31
W.J. Bowen
4. Earth Outqassinq of Methane ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 45
Thomas Gold
.........................
5. Biomass Conversion to Methane 59
Michael Antal, Jr.
..........................
6. Methane from Coal Conversion 71
Rod McElroy
C. 'l'ECBNOLOGICAL ADAP'l'IORS FOR ALTBRRATIVB FUELS
7. Crude Oil Conservation in Motor Vehicles •••••••••••••• 83
Enoch Durbin
8. The Batural Gas Fueled Enqine ••••••••••••••••••••••••• 101
Gerard Born and Enoch Durbin
9. Methane and Diesel Enqines •••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 113
Ghazi Karim
10. The Ho.a-Rechargeable Batural Gas Co.-Iter Car •••••••• 131
Robert Axworthy
xi
xii CONTENTS
D. COMMERCIAL EXPERIENCE WITH ALTERNATIVE FUEL PROGRAMS
11. A Retail Marketinq Strategy for Methane ••••••••••••••• 141
w.c.
Dunning
12. Specifications for a Retail System •••••••••••••••••••• 157
Lloyd Brown
13. The Experience of CNG FUel Systems Ltd ••••••••••••••• 173
Judd Buchanan
14. Use and Distribution of Natural Gas •••••••••••••••••• 183
Velio Bellini
15. Innovative Approaches to CNG Vehicles •••••••••••••••• 193
John Wright
E. SOME NATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR ALTERNATIVE FUELS
16. The New zea1and Experience .•••••••••••••••••••••••••• 209
Peter Graham
1 7. The I ta1ian Experience ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 223
Gustavo Bonvecchiato and Pietro Magistris
18. The Japanese Experience •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 245
Munenobu Tanaka
19. The Netherlands Experience 253
Jouke van der Weide
20. The Brazilian E~erience ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 267
Georg Pischinger and Rolf Siekmann
21. Aspects of the Alternative Fuel Program
in the United States................................. 291
Dan Glickman
22. The Canadian Program 297
Ray Perrault
23. Energy Policies in British Columbia •••••••••••••••••• 303
Robert McClelland
