Can you combust methane as a fuel in an internal combustion engine?

Question

Since methane is a hydrocarbon, and fuels used in internal combustion engines are made up of hydrocarbons, would it be possible to use methane as a fuel for an internal combustion engine? I am unsure about this, and wanted to get in touch with someone who would know about this.

Answer 1

In short, yes, probably with modification to make it safe. It be no different than running a car on natural gas or burning hydrogen or any other burning fuel - its just a mater of making the engine safe and efficient, I believe. All an engine does is converts chemical energy into mechanical energy, and the combustion of CH4 releases alot of energy.

Answer 2

Just for your interest..if you're interested...

Having worked in LNG production for many years, the Natural gas from gas wells and that separated from Crude Oil, contains a number of Hydrocarbons ranging from Methane to Pentane and heavier,
In the Initial stages, The Natural gas is compressed to 41 bar (600 psi), cooled in water cooled exchangers and enters a Treating plant where H2S, CO2, Free Water, Water vapour and Water of Solubility is extracted (they will freeze at Cryogenic Temperatures, They are corrosive to equipment and H2S is a Deadly, Toxic Gas).

Following this, the gas begins its cooling phase and everything below Ethane is condensed and separated by fractionation. Propane and Butane go on to produce LPG and the heavier components go to 'Naphtha' storage from where they will be used to produce gasolines and other products.
The remaining gas, Methane and Ethane go on to be cooled to -165°C to become LNG, then pressure reduced to near atmospheric and stored in highly insulated specially constructed tanks. The cooling to LNG is carried out using huge Multi-component refrigeration systems using a mixture of, C1, C2, C3, and C4 components. (and also contains a small %age of N2 to assist the cooling process).

Now, to answer your question, some of our product went to fuel large, V-12 gas engines driving gas compressors for other purposes. The Air/Fuel mixing system is specially designed compared to the normal car petrol/diesel engines but, used spark plugs for the ignition. LNG has now been developed to fuel vehicles).

Answer 3

Yes, this is viable, but not ideal. Methane burns much more rapidly than gasoline. This would put much greater stress on a piston engine, leading to early failure. Gasoline is better because it burns slowly (on the timescale of a piston stroke) and steadily, leading to smooth variations in pressure.

Answer 4

Yes. It is used today to power vehicles: cars, buses, trucks.


Natural gas is natural mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons found issuing from the ground or obtained from specially driven wells. The composition of natural gas varies in different localities. Its chief component, methane, usually makes up from 80% to 95%, and the balance is composed of varying amounts of ethane, propane, butane, and other hydrocarbon compounds. Some of the hydrocarbons found in gasoline also occur as vapors in natural gas; by liquefying these hydrocarbons, gasoline can be obtained.

Although commonly associated with petroleum deposits it also occurs separately in sand, sandstone, and limestone deposits. Some geologists theorize that natural gas is a byproduct of decaying vegetable matter in underground strata, while others think it may be primordial gases that rise up from the mantle. Because of its flammability and high calorific value, natural gas is used extensively as an illuminant and a fuel.

Natural gas was known to the ancients but was considered by them to be a supernatural phenomenon because, noticed only when ignited, it appeared as a mysterious fire bursting from the ground. One of the earliest attempts to harness it for economic use occurred in the early 19th cent. in Fredonia, N.Y. Toward the latter part of the 19th cent., large industrial cities began to make use of natural gas, and extensive pipeline systems have been constructed to transport gas.

Liquefied natural gas, or LNG, is natural gas that has been pressurized and cooled so as to liquefy it for convenience in shipping and storage. The boiling point of natural gas is extremely low, and only in the 1970s did cryogenic technology (see low-temperature physics) advance enough to make the production and transport of LNG commerically feasible. Some of the natural gas moved to and from the United States is carried as LNG in special tankers.

Answer 5

Yes, methane is a usable fuel, it has been done before.