Natural Gas Glossary |
Adsorbed Natural Gas (ANG)
A method of storage of natural gas where the gas is adsorbed by a
nonporous material. See our Vehicle Fuel Storage page for more
information.
AD
Anaerobic Digestion.
AFDC
Alternative Fuels Data Center (U.S.)
Aftermarket Conversion
The conversion of a vehicle to natural gas by a qualified and
registered converter after it has left an OEM factory or showroom floor.
AFV
Alternative fuel vehicle. A vehicle with an engine that operates on a fuel other than gasoline or diesel.
Alternative Fuel
A fuel that can be used instead of traditional vehicular fuels such as gasoline or diesel.
Aluminum Composite Cylinder
A high-pressure cylinder for CNG with an aluminum liner that is
reinforced with filament winding. Generally used because of its light
weight characteristics relative to steel cylinder. Aluminum composite
cylinders fall into the Type 3 class of CNG cylinder.
ANG
Adsorbed Natural Gas. A means of storing natural gas whereby an
'adsorbent' increases the surface area of a storage vessel, allowing
more methane to be stored under lower pressure than would otherwise be
required.
ANGVA
Asia-Pacific Natural Gas Vehicles Association .
ANSI
American National Standards Institute. The coordinating organization for the United States federated national standards system.
ATF
Alternative transportation fuel. A fuel that can be used instead of traditional vehicular fuels such as gasoline or diesel.
Barrel
A volumetric unit of measure for crude oil and petroleum products equivalent to 42 U.S. gallons (159 liters).
Bcf
Billion cubic feet. Gas measurement approximately equal to one trillion (1,000,000,000,000) BTUs.
Bi-fuel Vehicle
A vehicle with two separate fuel systems designed to run on either an
alternative fuel or a conventional fuel using only one fuel at a time.
Typically, gasoline/natural gas bi-fuel vehicles are gasoline vehicles
converted to bi-fuel operation by adding natural gas fuel storage,
pressure regulation and control systems. In some Bi-fuel vehicles,
gasoline is required to start the engine, even if the fuel selector is
switched to natural gas.
Bio-gas
An increasingly popular and high yielding biofuel. Renewable natural
gas produced from organic matter. Can be purified to produce
bio-methane.
Bio-methane
Renewable bio-gas purified to make it suitable for use in natural gas
vehicles. Bio-methane is chemically identical to methane found in
natural gas (CH4).
Bivalent
See Bi-Fuel.
BTL
Biomass to Liquids. The conversion of organic matter to liquid fuels such as biodiesel or ethanol.
BTU
British Thermal Unit. The quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.
CAA
Clean Air Act of 1963 (U.S.).
CAAA
Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (U.S.).
CAFE
Corporate average fuel economy. USEPA measure of the fuel economy of OEM vehicles when they leave the factory.
CARB
California Air Resources Board.
CCF
One hundred cubic feet.
CFM
Cubic feet per minute. A measure of volumetric flow.
CFV
Clean Fuel Vehicle.
CH2
Compressed Hydrogen.
CH4
Chemical compound for Methane (see methane).
CNG
Compressed Natural Gas. Natural gas compressed to a volume and density
that can be used as a portable fuel supply. CNG is stored in
high-pressure containers.
CNGVA
Canadian Natural Gas Vehicle Alliance.
CO
Carbon monoxide. A colorless, tasteless, and odorless gas slightly
lighter than air. It is poisonous if inhaled since it combines with
blood hemoglobin to prevent oxygen transfer. CO is produced by
incomplete combustion of fossil fuels (too little air or oxygen) and is
a major component of urban air pollution.
CO2
Carbon dioxide. A colorless, odorless, non-poisonous gas that is a
normal constituent of ambient air. CO2 is a product of fossil fuel
combustion. Although it does not have direct adverse human health
effects, it is a greenhouse gas that traps the earth's heat,
contributing to the potential for global climate change.
Compression ignition
Ignition within a diesel or dual-fuel engine by compression as opposed to spark ignition
Compressor
A mechanical device that is used to increase the pressure of, or
compress, a gas. Used in the NGV industry for storing natural gas in
CNG cylinders.
CRT
Continuously Regenerating Trap.
CSA
Canadian Standards Association.
CVT
Continuously Variable Transmission.
Dedicated Engine
Also known as Mono-fuel or Monovalent. An engine that operates only on
natural gas. Typically optimized to take full advantage of the high
octane inherent in natural gas, thus using the fuel more efficiently. A
dedicated vehicle only operates on one fuel but may have a ‘reserve
tank’ with gasoline to be used if natural gas is unavailable.
DGE
Diesel Gallon Equivalent. A unit of measurement for compressed or
liquefied natural gas comparing natural gas with energy content with
diesel energy content.
DISC
Direct Injection Stratified Charge.
DME
Dimethyl Ether.
Dual-Fuel Vehicle
A vehicle designed to operate on a combination of an alternative fuel
(usually natural gas) and diesel at the same time. Dual-fuel vehicles
have two separate fuel systems, with diesel providing the ‘pilot
ignition’ for the other fuel.
ECM
Electronic control module.
EEV
Enhanced Environmentally Friendly Vehicle. Classification determined by the European Commission.
EGR
Exhaust Gas Recirculation. The reuse of exhaust gases in an engine to reduce emissions.
EIA
Energy Information Administration (U.S.).
ENGVA
Former European Natural Gas Vehicle Association (superseded by NGVA Europe).
EPA
Environmental Protection Agency. Government agency charged with setting
and administering environmental policy and guidelines. The most well
known is USEPA though other countries have the same or similar agencies.
EPACT
Energy Policy Act of 1992 (U.S.).
ETBE
Ethyl tertiary butyl ether.
Ethane
(C2H6) - a colorless hydrocarbon gas with slight odor that has a gross
heating value of 1,773 BTUs per cubic foot. Ethane is a normal
constituent of natural gas.
Ethanol
(C2H4OH) - an alcohol fuel made primarily from agricultural products,
typically corn, or other grains. Also known as ethyl alcohol.
EV
Electric Vehicle.
F
Fahrenheit.
Fast-Fill Station
A vehicle fueling station designed to refuel NGVs quickly (5 to 10
minutes) depending on the size of the on-board vehicle storage tanks.
FFV
Flexible-fuel vehicle. A vehicle designed to run on more than one type
of fuel, usually ethanol, ethanol/gasoline blends or gasoline. Some may
also operate on natural gas as well.
Fuel Cell
An propulsion system that relies on electricity produced by a chemical
interaction of hydrogen and certain other metals, such as platinum,
gold, and other electrolytes to produce electricity. The only
by-product of fuel cell operation is water. Fuel cell technology is in
the early development phase and therefore is very expensive.
g/bhp-hr
grams/brake horsepower-hour.
Gas Mixer
A device used to determine how much natural gas is mixed with air before entering the engine.
GCW
Gross Combined Weight.
GDI
Gasoline Direct Injection.
GGE
Gasoline Gallon Equivalent A unit of measurement for compressed natural
gas comparing natural gas with energy content with gasoline energy
content.
GHG
Green house gas.
GLE
Gasoline Liter Equivalent.
gpm
Gallons per minute.
GTL
Gas-to-Liquid.
GVW
Gross Vehicle Weight. The maximum weight of a vehicle, including payload.
H2
Hydrogen
HC
Hydrocarbon(s). Organic chemical compounds that consist only of carbon
and hydrogen. Hydrocarbons are usually major components of petroleum
products, natural gas, and coals. Hydrocarbons that are not burned
completely during combustion contribute to air pollution, i.e., smog.
HCNG
Hydrogen Compressed Natural Gas. A blend of hydrogen and compressed
natural gas used in an internal combustion engine. The addition of
hydrogen improves combustion and reduces emissions.
HEV
Hybrid-Electric Vehicle. A vehicle which utilizes an internal
combustion engine or fuel cell along with an electric motor, propelled
by batteries charged by vehicular motion. The vehicle switches between
the two modes automatically.
HOV
High-Occupancy Vehicle. A vehicle with (usually) three or more
occupants, thus qualifying to use HOV lanes on a highway or to access
congested city areas.
HP
Horsepower.
HPDI
High-Pressure Direct Injection.
Hydrogen
The most common element in the universe. Used as a fuel on its own or in combination with other fuels such as natural gas.
Hydrostatic Testing
A test that is conducted to evaluate cylinder strength. This test
consists of filling a cylinder with liquid, subjecting it to pressure,
sealing it, and then monitoring the pressure. A successful test result
is indicated by the tank's ability to hold this pressure.
IANGV
International Association for Natural Gas Vehicles.
ICE
Internal Combustion Engine.
IGU
International Gas Union.
ILEV
Inherently Low-Emission Vehicle. Classification based on tailpipe
emission standards determined by California Air Resources Board (CARB).
ISO
International Standards Organization.
kW
Kilowatt.
kWh
Kilowatt hour.
LCNG
Liquefied-to-compressed natural gas. The availability of CNG from an LNG storage facility.
LDV
Light-Duty Vehicle.
LEV
Low-Emission Vehicle. Classification based on tailpipe emission standards determined by California Air Resources Board (CARB).
LH2
Liquefied Hydrogen.
LNG
Liquefied Natural Gas. Natural gas (primarily methane) that has been
liquefied by reducing its temperature to minus 260 degrees Fahrenheit
(-162 degrees Celsius) at atmospheric pressure. At standard conditions
it occupies a volume that is 1 / 600th that of gaseous natural gas.
LNGV
Liquefied Natural Gas Vehicle.
LPG
Liquefied Petroleum Gas or Liquid Propane Gas. A byproduct of crude oil refining used for transport and other uses.
Mcf
One thousand cubic feet.
Methane
(CH4) - The simplest of the various hydrocarbons and the major
component of natural gas. It is colorless, odorless, and burns
efficiently without many by products.
MMcf
One million cubic feet.
MMTU (also MMBtu)
Million BTU.
Mono-Fuel
See Dedicated Engine.
Monovalent
See Dedicated Engine.
Mother Daughter System
A 'virtual pipeline' where natural gas is compressed at one site, the
Mother site, and transported to another, the Daughter site, by truck.
Usually used to service sites that are not located on or near a natural
gas pipeline.
MPI
Multi-Point-Injection.
Mpg
Miles per gallon.
MSR
Methane Steam Reforming.
MTBE
Methyl tertiary butyl ether.
Natural Gas
A mixture of hydrocarbon compounds and small quantities of various
other constituents existing in the gaseous phase or in solution with
crude oil in natural underground reservoirs. Pipeline quality natural
gas has had most, but not all natural gas liquids and other
contaminants removed. On board a vehicle, natural gas is stored at high
pressures of between 2,500 to 3,500 pounds per square inch (psi).
NGO
Non-Government Organization.
NGV
Natural gas vehicle. A vehicle that operates on CNG, LNG or HCNG.
NGV-1
The NGV industry standard for natural gas fueling nozzle and receptacle
certification. ANSI and IAS approve this standard.(*Readers should
check for applicable local standards. Our International Standards pages
may help with this).
NGV-2
The NGV industry standard for on-board fuel-storage cylinder
certification. Also approved by ANSI, NGV-2 is currently the only
fuel-storage cylinder certification standard that applies specifically
to vehicle fuel tank usage (*Readers should check for applicable local
standards. Our International Standards pages may help with this).
NGVAmerica
U.S. Natural Gas Vehicle industry association.
NMHC
Non-methane hydrocarbon(s). Hydrocarbon measurement which excludes
methane. Methane is excluded as it is not a contributor to smog or
ozone formation.
NMOG
Non-methane organic gas (es). See NMHC.
NOx
Oxides of Nitrogen. A general term for compounds* of nitrogen oxide
(NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and other nitrogen oxides. Oxides of
nitrogen are typically created during the combustion process, and are
major contributors to smog formation and acid deposition.
NREL
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (U.S.).
O2
Oxygen.
OBD
On-Board-Diagnostics.
OBD II
Enhanced Onboard Diagnostic System. On-board system designed to monitor vehicular emissions.
Octane Rating
The anti-knock index number of a fuel.
OEM
Original Equipment Manufacturer. Vehicle or engine manufacturer.
Otto cycle engines
Spark-ignited (i.e., gasoline engines and most NGVs), as compared to compression-ignition engines (i.e., diesel engines).
Particulates
Liquid or solid particles such as dust, smoke, mist, or smog found in
air emissions. Particles with diameters that are less than 10
micrometers (PM10) can be deposited in the human respiratory system,
where long term damage can occur since these particles usually carry
other toxic substances.
PEM
Proton Exchange Membrane.
PM
Particulate matter. (See particulates).
PNGV
Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles. US vehicle development program.
PPB
Parts per Billion. One PPB is one part in a billion parts.
PPM
Parts per Million. One PPM is one part in a million parts.
PPT
Parts per trillion. One PPT is one part in a trillion parts.
PSA
Pressure Swing Adsorption.
PSI
Pounds per square inch.
PSIA
Absolute pressure.
Psig
Pounds per square inch gauge (above atmospheric pressure).
Quad
Abbreviation for one quadrillion (1,000,000,000,000,000) BTUs. For
natural gas, roughly equivalent to one trillion (1,000,000,000,000)
cubic feet, or 1 TCF.
R&D
Research and Development.
RD&D
Research, Development and Demonstration.
SAE
Society of Automotive Engineers (US).
SCAQMD
South Coast Air Quality Management District (California).
SCF
Standard cubic foot. Standard cubic foot, a volume measurement, used to
determine the fill rate (usually on a "per minute" basis).
SCFM
Standard cubic feet per minute.
Shut-off Valve
A valve that is usually located between the onboard fuel-storage
cylinders and the regulator. This valve usually has a manual shutoff
feature.
Slow-fill station
See timed-fill station.
SMR
Steam-Methane-Reforming.
SO2
Sulfur dioxide.
Solenoid Valve
A valve that controls the flow of natural gas in a natural gas vehicle.
SOV
Single occupancy vehicle. A vehicle with one occupant.
SOx
Sulfur oxides. (i.e., SO2, SO3, S2O3, and S2O7).
Specific Gravity
The ratio of the weight of a given volume of gas to that of the same
volume of air, both measured at the same temperature and pressure.
Steel Composite Cylinder
A steel-lined cylinder with filament winding. Steel composite cylinders fall into the Type 2 class of CNG cylinder.
Stoichiometric Engine
An engine with a specific air-to-fuel ratio where all combustible materials are used with no deficiencies or excesses.
SULEV
Super-Low-Emission Vehicle. Classification of the Californian Air Resources Board.
Tcf
Trillion cubic feet.
THC
Total Hydrocarbons.
Therm
A unit of heating value equivalent to 100,000 British Thermal Units (BTUs).
Timed-Fill Station
A method of fueling a vehicle with natural gas over an extended period
of time, usually 6 to 8 hours (overnight), that is less expensive than
high-pressure, fast-fill compressor stations. Also known as slow-fill.
TLEV
Transitional low-emission vehicle. Classification of the Californian Air Resources Board.
ULEV
Ultra-low-emission vehicle. Classification of the Californian Air Resources Board.
Vapor Density
Volumetric mass of a gaseous element.
Virtual Pipeline
See Mother-Daughter System.
VMT
Vehicle miles traveled.
VOC
Volatile organic compound(s). Any organic compound which evaporates
readily to the atmosphere. VOCs contribute significantly to
photochemical smog production and certain health problems.
VRA
Vehicle Refueling Appliance. Small onsite CNG refueling appliance, usually slow-fill.
VVLT
Variable Valve Lift & Timing.
W&M
Weights and measures. Common reference to authority responsible for ensuring the accuracy of refueling dispensers.
ZEV
Zero-emission vehicle. Classification of the Californian Air Resources Board.
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