HCNG orH2CNG (hydrogen compressed natural gas) is a mixture ofcompressed natural gas and 4–9 percenthydrogen by energy.[1] It may be used as afuel gas forinternal combustion engines[2][3][4] and home appliances.
(regarding the acronyms in the above emissions chart:
AVL = Average Levels?
CNG = Compressed Natural Gas
HCNG = Hydrogen and CNG blend
NOX = Nitrogen Oxides
NMHC = Non-Methane Hydrocarbons?
CH4 = Methane
THC = Total Hydrocarbons?
CO = Carbon Monoxide)
HCNG dispensers can be found atHynor (Norway)Thousand palms andBarstow,[5]California,Fort Collins,Colorado (allUS),Chongqing[6] andShanxi (China),[7][8]Pico Truncado (Argentina),[9]Islamabad (Pakistan),[10][11]Dunkerque (France),[12][13]GothenburgSweden,Rio de Janeiro[14] (Brazil),Emilia-Romagna,[15][16]Lombardia[17][18] (Italy),Dwarka andFaridabad (Delhi),India[19][20][21] and theBC hydrogen highway in Canada.
HCNG for mobile use is premixed at thehydrogen station.
In the town of Nes on the island ofAmeland in theNetherlands, a four-year (2008-2011) field test was carried out where 20% hydrogen was added to the local distribution net supplying a complex of 14 apartments.[22] The appliances involved were kitchen stoves,condensing boilers, andmicro-CHP boilers.[23]
The use of existingnatural gas pipelines for HCNG was studied by NaturalHy.[24]
To get the most out of aninternal combustion engine in transportation if higher levels of hydrogen are added, modifications have to be made to the engine and the control strategy.[25][26][27] The hydrogen in the blend leads to lower CO2 emissions.[28]
TheNational Fire Protection Association 52 presently covers CNG and hydrogen fueling stations. Blends with < 20% hydrogen by volumeare treated identically to CNG.[29] For the use of blends with more than 30[30]-40 % of hydrogen in volume[31] decision support tools[32] for the design are used to ensure safe use.
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