About the possibility of using natural gas as a fuel on agricultural tractors

Abstract

AIMS: Evaluation of the effectiveness of converting diesel engines used in agricultural self-propelled vehicles to fully or partially natural gas (methane) fueled engines.

METHOD: Is analytical.

RESULTS: In agriculture up to 25% of operating expenses are fuel costs. However, the only number of the concomitant objective and subjective factors allow us to estimate expedience and efficiency of converting diesel engines used in agricultural self-propelled vehicles for full or partial supply of natural gas (methane). On the one hand, the price of an equivalent amount (in terms of work performance) of natural gas is more than 2 times lower than the price of diesel fuel. At the same time, natural gas is the most environmentally friendly hydrocar-bon fuel. But, on the other hand, the underdeveloped refueling infrastructure is obvious, and the environmental friendliness of natural gas itself is not a guarantee of the environmental friendliness of the engine itself. Also, the safety of gas equipment operation under high pressure is an important matter.

CONCLUSIONS: Firstly, the use of natural gas instead of diesel fuel requires taking into account the difference in the physicochemical characteristics of these fuels, which determines both the requirements for the organization of the working process and the advantages and disadvantages of such replacement. Secondly, the combustion process of natural gas, compared to diesel fuel, is characterized by in-creased formation of water leading to more intensive watering of lubricating oil, although it re-duces carbon dioxide emission into the atmosphere. Safety of natural gas equipment operation plays an important role, and first of all, it is concern of cylinders that are filled at pressure of 20.0…25.0 MPa.

Keywords

natural gas / forced ignition / gas diesel / power / pollutant emission / price / safety

References

[1] Eurasiancommission.org [Internet]. Sovet Evraziiskoi ekonomicheskoi komissii. Reshenie ot 29 oktyabrya 2021 goda N 127 O vnesenii izmenenii v tekhnicheskii reglament Tamozhennogo soyuza "O bezopasnosti sel'skokhozyaistvennykh i lesokhozyaistvennykh traktorov i pritsepov k nim" (TR TS 031/2012) [updated 2021 Oct 29; cited 2022 Mar 7]. Available from: https://docs.eaeunion.org/docs/ru-ru/01430574/err_19112021_127. (In Russ).

[2] Eurasiancommission.org [Интернет]. Совет Евразийской экономической комиссии. Решение от 29 октября 2021 года N 127 О внесении изменений в технический регламент Таможенного союза "О безопасности сельскохозяйственных и лесохозяйственных тракторов и прицепов к ним" (ТР ТС 031/2012) [дата обращения: 07.04.2022]. Доступ по ссылке: https://docs.eaeunion.org/docs/ru-ru/01430574/err_19112021_127.

[3] News.mail.ru [Internet]. Evropa priznala gaz i atom chistoi energiei [cited 2022 Mar 7]. Available from: https://news.mail.ru/economics/49522620/. (In Russ).

[4] News.mail.ru [Интернет]. Европа признала газ и атом чистой энергией [дата обращения: 07.04.2022]. Доступ по ссылке: https://news.mail.ru/economics/49522620/.

[5] Sarkisyan V. The complex using of lng in agro-industrial sector – the basis of upheaval russian agriculture. Autogas filling complex+alternative fuel. 2011;(6):69–71. (In Russ).

[6] Саркисян В.А. Комплексное использование СПГ в агропромышленном комплексе – основа подъема сельского хозяйства России // Автогазозаправочный комплекс + альтернативное топливо. 2011. № 6. С. 69–71.

[7] Kim AA. Sovershenstvovanie pravovogo regulirovaniya ispol'zovaniya gaza v kachestve motornogo topliva. Energosvet. 2012;(3):26–30. (In Russ).

[8] Ким А.А. Совершенствование правового регулирования использования газа в качестве моторного топлива // Энергосвет. 2012. № 3. С. 26–30.

[9] L'otko V, Lukanin VN, Khachiyan AS. Primenenie al'ternativnykh topliv v dvigatelyakh vnutrennego sgoraniya. Moscow: MADI (TU), 2000. (In Russ).

[10] Льотко В., Луканин В.Н., Хачиян А.С. Применение альтернативных топлив в двигателях внутреннего сгорания. Москва: МАДИ (ТУ), 2000.

[11] Makhov VZ. Protsessy sgoraniya v dvigatelyakh. Moscow: MADI, 1980. (In Russ).

[12] Махов В.З. Процессы сгорания в двигателях. Москва: МАДИ, 1980.

[13] Voinov AN. Sgoranie v bystrokhodnykh porshnevykh dvigatelyakh. Moscow: Mashinostroenie; 1977. (In Russ).

[14] Воинов А.Н. Сгорание в быстроходных поршневых двигателях. Москва: Машиностроение, 1977.

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Kulchitskiy A.R.