Equipment to Liquefy Natural Gas

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

Is gas used at home is subsidised by govt?

It cant be done.

Your domestic natural gas supply is fluffed up with air which make it impossible to compress it to the point of condensing using any practical means that the average home owner could work with.

Did you try to Google "Equipment to liquefy natural gas"?

There are some Asian buses that carry NG in elastomer bladders on top. CNG (compressed NG) would be simpler than LNG (liquefied NG). I don't know if any air that may be in it would present any special problems.

The problem between natural gas in vapor form Vs liquid form is that the liquid form has around 600 time greater energy density than the vapor form does.

Those Asian busses cant go very far without having to be re fueled. What I understand is that their effective range is is only several miles at most at highway speeds.

My purpose is to heat up my greenhouse in my garden. Natural gas in compressed state is still OK. Anyone has used such equipment?

To get the pressure that would liquify, you would need to get a compressor. For one rated for NG, you would have to fork over some bucks. Do a Google search on small gas compressor. I found a 10HP reciprocating one for ~$19,000. I'm sure there are smaller ones. Search around and see what you can find.

All in all, I think your best bet would be to get a container and refill it with as needed at a filling station.

Is a small air compressor is OK for natural gas (also consider the risk of explosion)? Anyone has tried it before?

"Is a small air compressor is OK for natural gas (also consider the risk of explosion)? Anyone has tried it before?"

No, don't do that. At best you will have compressed nat gas, not LNG. At worst, maybe a big Ka-boom!

Why not propane? Products of combusting propane are CO₂, water and heat. Your plants need these anyway, and propane is readily available in many storage forms.

Hire a plumber. Have him put a tee in the supply line and run it out to the garden.

DO NOT TRY TO COMPRESS THE GAS YOURSELF. You could wind up permanently dead, forever!

Eeerr isn't dead usually permanent?

Just trying to make a point. I forgot that I wasn't talking to joe.fordham, the savior of humanity.

cheerz to that man, it's always funny to think recalling that guy.

There are CNG compressors available in home sizes; some prices I saw were around US$ 4000-6000; using explosion-proof electrical design. The best scheme seems to be adsorption-type cylinders at 500 psi. They resemble SCUBA tanks, but not as heavy, because of the less pressure. This appears to be a mature technology, suggesting that the safety issues have been resolved.

Air compressors would not work.

Running a branch pipe would surely be cheaper, unless your garden is remote from the house.

There are CNG compressors available in home sizes

What search words did you use to find these? I'm having a hard time thinking of the purpose of these in a small-scale situation, as in; "What would be the source of the NG, and the reason for compressing it in cylinders." Maybe for insurance if you had an intermittent utility supply?

To Editor Crankshaft:

because of the less pressure.

"because of the lower pressure." Would be better.

Quibble, quibble; but I don't object to the change!

My second search was on "cng compressors"; I was surprised at the number of hits.

Were do you live?

I just want make sure I'm a long way from you!

You might want to look around a little more. In some areas of the world, CNG is a fuel of choice, complete with an infrastructure of filling stations, etc. I understand the safety record compares well with gasoline/petrol, one reason being that leaks dissipate upward rather than pooling on the ground. Simple vehicle conversion kits are also available.

If it's CNG (rather than LNG), BLEVEs are irrelevant.

(Nuke phobia redux?)