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Power topic #GLPT-5932-EN | Technical information from Cummins Power Generation

LNG - an Alternative to Diesel?

White Paper
By Keith Packham, ESB Applications Manager, Cummins Power Generation

Demand for LNG is growing globally

as its use in utility networks increases.
The infrastructure of liquefaction, large
scale sea transportation, storage
and vaporisation is also growing to
meet demand. This, together with
the clean burning image of gas, has
stimulated interest in small scale LNG
use and this should lead to a growth
in investment for distribution systems
that can start to compete with the well
established diesel distribution system.

LNG storage tanks

What is Liquefied Natural

Gas (LNG)
Natural gas is predominately made up of
Methane, but generally also contains a mixture
of longer chain Hydrocarbon compounds such
as Ethane, Propane, Butanes, Pentanes, etc. at
progressively smaller amounts. The percentage
of the longer chain compounds varies with the
specific source of the natural gas, but a typical
pipeline natural gas would be as below.
Compound Name

Formula

Volume (%)

Methane

CH4

>85

Ethane

C2H6

3-8

Propane

C3H8

1-2

Butane

C4H10

<1

Pentane

C5H12

<1

Carbon dioxide

CO2

1-2

Nitrogen

N2

1-5

Helium

He

<0.5

If this mix of compounds is reduced in

temperature, at normal atmospheric
pressure, then at approximately -165 degrees
centigrade (deg.C) the Methane will condense
out and turn to liquid, as will any other
compound that has a boiling temperature
above -165deg.C. For example, Ethane
has a boiling temperature of approximately
-89deg.C, but the boiling temperature of
Nitrogen is approximately -196deg.C.

This resultant liquid is referred to as Liquefied Natural Gas

(LNG). The volume of 1kg of natural gas is approximately
600 times the volume of 1 kg of LNG, and the latent heat
of vaporisation is approximately 512kj.

LNG Storage
Modern large LNG storage tanks are typically of the
bunded or twin walled full containment type, where
a high-nickel steel inner tank, sits inside a concrete
tank with extremely efficient insulation between them.
Large tanks are low aspect ratio (height to width) and
cylindrical in design with a domed steel or concrete
roof. The storage pressure in these tanks is very low,
less than 10 kPa.
Smaller tanks may be horizontal or vertical steel with a
vacuum jacket insulation design, and can hold higher
pressures up to approximately 1700kPa.
For LNG to remain a liquid it must be kept cold, and
this property is independent of pressure. Therefore, as
even efficient insulation will not prevent heat transfer to
the tank there will inevitably be some heat leakage into
the LNG, which will result in vaporisation of some of the
LNG. Because the change of state from liquid to gas
requires heat energy, the boil-off process draws this
energy from the liquid and keeps the LNG cold, which
in turn limits the boil off quantity. The boil-off gas can
either be used, or reliquefied and returned to the tank.

Why Use LNG

The reasons for using LNG change with the scale
of use. For example, if there is a natural gas source
which is a long distance from the point of use, it may
be cost beneficial to create LNG and transport it with
ships rather than build a pipe line.
For small scale use, other factors such as changing
emissions regulations or finding an alternative to oil
or coal take over. Therefore, if a site is considering
producing small scale on site power or heat, then the
use of LNG to replace traditional diesel fuel may be
considered.
Some benefits of using LNG:
Exhaust emissions regulations may be easier to
meet with LNG derived gaseous fuel.
Lean burn gas engines have much lower NOx
and particulate emissions than diesel engines,
and should a catalyst be necessary it will be
significantly smaller on a gas engine.
Oil based fuels may create a high risk environmental
hazard.
The storage and transfer of liquid fuel does create
a risk of spillage. The consequences of a spill will
be different, in that LNG will evaporate and create
a flammability hazard, whereas a diesel spill will
create an environmental /pollution hazard.

Delivery tanker transferring LNG to storage facility

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Once the consumption rate exceeds the boil-off rate

then heat must be supplied to the LNG to produce the
gas volume required.

The cost per kWh of LNG derived gas may be less

than that of oil based fuel.

Factors to consider:
Is there a capable delivery infrastructure that can
provide the LNG?

The energy content of a cubic metre of LNG

is less than that of a cubic metre of diesel, so
the required delivery volume is greater. This will
result in more delivery cycles for the same power
output, and increase the LNG price per kWh.

The current LNG infrastructure is for large scale

liquefaction, transportation by ship and on shore
storage and vaporisation of the LNG for use in
gas utility networks.

In addition, the price of gas has generally been

artificially linked to the price of oil, and this may
make LNG less attractive to replace diesel.

Is there a cheap source of heat that can be used to

vaporise the LNG?
The ideal would be to use some of the waste
heat from the engine, for example the low grade
intercooler heat.

If the gas consumption does not exceed the boil off

rate then a liquefaction plant will be necessary to
avoid release of gas.
Environmental regulations may restrict or prohibit
the release of Methane into the environment
as it is a significant Greenhouse gas. Therefore
the operational characteristics of the site must
be carefully assessed to ensure LNG boil off is
consumed at all times.

It may be possible to use ambient heat for

vaporisation, but that will depend upon the
consumption rate.

Changes in LNG Composition

When LNG is taken from a storage tank, vaporised
and consumed, and the tank refilled, the make-up
of the gas after vaporisation can change due to
the different boiling temperatures of the constituent
compounds. This is a problem for reciprocating
engines, so the vaporisation process must ensure that
all of the constituents are vaporised at the same time.

Change in LNG composition within a container as the LNG ages due to the Methane
boiling off and being replaced with LNG of the original compositional mixture
1

0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5

This graph illustrates the concept of how the

compostion of the LNG changes over time as the
Methane preferentially boils off from external
pumps and the boil-off is replaced by fresh LNG
from the tank (which is assumed not to have
aged). The Ethane, Propane and Butane are

0.3

assumed to not be present in the boil-off gas.

Although this assumption is essentially true at high
Methane concentrations, it becomes less accurate
as the Methane concentration drops, and
correspondingly the temperature of the mixture

0.2

rises, thereby allowing the higher hydrocarbons to

become signicant contributors to the boil-off gas.

0.4

0.1
0

Time
Methane mole fraction

Ethane mole fraction

Propane mole fraction

Butane mole fraction

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Mole fraction of components

0.9

About the author

Keith Packham started out as a marine
engineer working in the UK Merchant Navy.
He is now ESB Applications Manager for
Cummins Power Generation, and provides
expert technical advice and support to the
global Energy Solutions Business team
on the design, installation and operation
of energy efficient plants. He has been

involved with the design, installation, maintenance,

and operational aspects of combined heat and power
(CHP) plants, boiler plants for steam or hot water,
power generation and distribution, refrigeration, water
and effluent treatment plants and their optimum
performance. He holds a Bachelors degree in Energy
Engineering from Southbank University in England.

Conclusion
Demand for LNG is growing globally as its use in
utility networks increases. The infrastructure of
liquefaction, large scale sea transportation, storage
and vaporisation is also growing to meet demand.
This, together with the clean burning image of gas,
has stimulated interest in small scale LNG use and this
should lead to a growth in investment for distribution
systems that can start to compete with the well
established diesel distribution system.

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