# Compressing natural gas at home



## Rectifier (Jun 12, 2011)

So we have natural gas supplied to the farm... it's becoming increasingly popular, though still a fringe activity, to compress your own natural gas and use it as a motor fuel. CNG can be used for almost anything, even co-fueling diesel engines - which could obviously cut the fuel bill for all the equipment tremendously!

I've seen a few videos and such about the internet and wonder if anyone has some more information about how to come across such a compressor and set it up, requirements for the tanks to hold the fuel (3000psi, I have heard somewhere)

And hopefully do it all without spending a ton of money on the setup. Motors, compressors, pumps and such are my trade. I am sure that I can do this safely, but it's true that I don't have a ton of experience on the very high pressure end of things.

Even if I could only get enough range to get a truck to town and back, or go down to the lake, that would still be pretty awesome!


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

Look for a surplus compressor to fill high pressure air or oxygen bottles such as a breathing air or dive shop compressor. A local farmer had two surplus military units one of which he used to fill the tanks on his converted tractor and truck from a well on the farm.

As far as setting it up, good luck. The man had his working. He blew the front timing cover and some other parts off the engine in his truck when he didn't close a valve and the engine filled with natural gas. It went *BANG* the last time he started it.

The current most widely available home unit, Phill, sells for $5,000+. It's rumored that Eaton has one coming to market for about $500. If that's so, $500 is a pittance compared to the usual $3,000 and up cost of ready to run breathing air units on eBay.


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## Rectifier (Jun 12, 2011)

Wow, if they can bring a unit to market for $500 the age of gasoline is over. That seems like an unbelievable deal.
Thanks for suggestion re dive compressor or old mil spec unit. I assume diving tanks could also be used to hold the gas? Could said unit legally be connected to a gas service or would it need to be certified?
Unfortunately most of us don't have our own wells to play with


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Great subject... 

I've got free gas, and the well is USUALLY kept pumped, but I did run out of gas last year a time or two..... 

I did think though it would be nice to add a tank so in case something happens with the well I could have a small supply of gas to use until the well problem could be taken care of.. (I don't own the well, so have to rely on the well owner to keep it running)


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

In WV, no one would notice the tank. The ones meant for automotive use are carbon fiber wound aluminum. They have an expiration date. Beyond that they can't be hydroed for an extension. You can buy them off eBay. Just make sure they have enough useful life remaining.


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## nosqrls (Jun 9, 2012)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compressed_natural_gas


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Darren said:


> In WV, no one would notice the tank. The ones meant for automotive use are carbon fiber wound aluminum. They have an expiration date. Beyond that they can't be hydroed for an extension. You can buy them off eBay. Just make sure they have enough useful life remaining.


I was thinking an old large propane tank or something would be sufficient?


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

Propane tanks may see 200 psi on a really hot day. That's a lot less than 3,000 psi in a CNG tank. You wouldn't get many road miles out of a propane tank.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

All I'm looking to do with it is store some for cooking and hot water in case the well doesn't get pumped for a period of time.. Id' think a 500 gallon tank with 150 psi would last for quite a while?


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

In that case you'd be OK.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

So are there any rules or regulations about that you know of I'd need to worry about Darren? Or can a guy just compress gas coming out of his land and be done with it?


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

Here you can buy the vehicles state surplus for next to nothing. They are removing the pumping stations. Never seen one for sale on the state websites, my guess they were installed by companies just like the electric plug in stations going up now, they get part of the profits....James

http://www.cngpump.com/


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

simi-steading said:


> So are there any rules or regulations about that you know of I'd need to worry about Darren? Or can a guy just compress gas coming out of his land and be done with it?


I wouldn't share information about what you're doing. That includes the locals. If your insurance company orders an inspection, you have a backup propane supply. By now you know how things work or rather don't work in rural WV.


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## Rectifier (Jun 12, 2011)

Things tend to work that way in SK, as well... I suppose someone could get a nice, legal BBQ NG connection installed, and perhaps buy a long hose - for barbequing out by the barn, of course.
I looked into the Eaton/GE thing and it almost looks not worth messing around as the $500 compressor is fairly likely to actually happen!


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Darren said:


> I wouldn't share information about what you're doing. That includes the locals. If your insurance company orders an inspection, you have a backup propane supply. By now you know how things work or rather don't work in rural WV.


Yep..learning well.. ssshhh... and never call DNR or the cops.. take care of it yourself


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

simi-steading said:


> All I'm looking to do with it is store some for cooking and hot water in case the well doesn't get pumped for a period of time.. Id' think a 500 gallon tank with 150 psi would last for quite a while?


That tank would hold about 680 cubic feet of natural gas when compressed to 150psi. About 10times what it would normally hold.

WWW


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

hhhmm.. cool, but I'd have no clue what that would amount to in hot water, running the dryer, and cooking.. I have no clue how much gas I use at our main home since I'm not the one that sends in that bill.. As far as the farm, it's unmetered, so I got no clue how much we use there.. 

I do know that the well has enough gas that they vent it to the atmosphere when it gets over 10 lbs at the head to help keep the well cleared..


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## Bret (Oct 3, 2003)

I have done this at formal banquets for only a brief moment at small volume and pressure. It did not seem so at the time. It was not practical at powering anything really except repelling people outward. That's the black and white of it.


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

simi-steading said:


> hhhmm.. cool, but I'd have no clue what that would amount to in hot water, running the dryer, and cooking.. I have no clue how much gas I use at our main home since I'm not the one that sends in that bill.. As far as the farm, it's unmetered, so I got no clue how much we use there..
> 
> I do know that the well has enough gas that they vent it to the atmosphere when it gets over 10 lbs at the head to help keep the well cleared..


Most items have a Cubic feet per hour rating so it shouldn't be hard to calculate usage. About the same as what needs to be done for sizing off-grid solar systems. Look at the ratings and calculate what you use.


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

If they only list a btu/hour then 1 cubic foot/hour @= 1000 btu/hour

http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/natural-gas-consumption-d_172.html

WWW


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