Why Is Natural Gas Important in Everyday Life?
Natural gas is gas which is an odourless, colourless, and highly flammable gaseous hydrocarbon, which makes it one of the most used energy sources across the world. It is a mixture of gases (rich in hydrocarbons). Reserves for natural gases are found deep inside the surface of the earth near other solid and liquid hydrocarbon beds such as coal and crude oil. Natural gas is used for many purposes and it is a type of fossil fuel used as a source for cooking, heating, and generating electricity. Natural gas is a non-renewable fuel that can be used as fuel for vehicles. Some common examples of natural gas are methane, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, etc.
ImagewillbeUploadedSoon
ImagewillbeUploadedSoon
Natural Gas and Its Properties
Natural gas is a petroleum extract that is found deep beneath the earth's surface. They are found above the crude oil as it is lighter than the oil. It is performed by the same process in which petroleum is formed. This occurs due to high temperature and pressure which causes plant and animal fossils to get converted into petroleum and coal and they are found buried deep inside. It is often dissolved in the oil which occurs at high pressures that exist in reservoirs and above oil, it is found as a gas cap. At times, it is the natural gas pressure that lets the oil reservoir have a force to get the oil upon the surface. It is called the associated gas as the gaseous phase of crude oil has quantities of butane and propane. Some of the properties we can discuss the natural gases are as follows:
This gas has been widely used since the 19th and 20th centuries for lighting households and streets.
At present, it is widely used for wind and solar energy too and has various applications in these industries.
It is used to move the turbines so as to obtain energy from wind and sunlight.
It is used for ammonia production which can be used as fertilisers in the agriculture field.
It has domestic uses too as they are used for heaters, ovens and even boilers.
Compressed natural gas is stored at a very high pressure which is also sometimes used in households like heating and cooking food.
CNG is eco-friendly and also low-cost which can be an alternative for other fuels needed for transportation that is harmful to the environment.
Liquefied natural gas is used for powering heaving vehicles like off-road trucks and even trains.
1) Uses of natural gas at home
Residential electricity can be useful in cleaning cleaner energy.
Heating water at home as it is more economical and it heats faster than electricity.
A heating building with a controllable burner is more convenient and efficient.
Cooking on natural gas makes it more economical as it uses a lower amount of energy than an electric oven.
Drying cloth as a natural gas clothes dryer is more cost-effective as it can up to more than 50 percent energy than its electric counterpart.
2) Uses of natural gas in the industrial sector
Natural gas is used as raw material and also a heating source to produce chemicals, fertilisers, and hydrogen.
In the manufacturing industry as a heating source for glass, steel, brick, etc.
Natural gas is used in manufacturing a huge range of chemicals such as acetic acid, ammonia, methanol, butane, propane, and ethane.
Natural gas is used in making glass, steel, cement, bricks, ceramics, tile, paper, food products, and many other commodities as a heat source.
It is also used at many industrial facilities for incineration.
3) Uses of natural gas for transportation
As a vehicle fuel as it is cheaper than other such products.
Advantages of Natural Gas
Natural gas is highly flammable due to the high level of methane.
Natural gas is colourless, tasteless, and odourless.
In case of leakage, it can easily dissipate into the air as it has a lower density than that of the air.
As natural gas has high methane and low carbon composition it is less corrosive.
Natural gas is economical as it is less expensive than other burning fuels.
Safer for domestic use as natural gas has lower density therefore in case of a leakage, it quickly dissipates in the air and doesn't let the surroundings to catch fire.
The availability of natural gas is somewhat more than crude oil or other such products.
Natural gas while burning has more efficiency compared to gas like propane gas.
Natural gas can be delivered easily through a network of pipelines.
Disadvantages of Natural Gas
Limited quantities: The problem in countries like India is that they don’t have vast reserves of natural gas which means that most of the natural gas that is consumed has to be bought from other countries. Which makes it a rather expensive proposition over time.
Natural gas is highly combustible: Though natural gas is lighter than air, one cannot deny the fact that it is highly combustible. As natural gas is odourless, it is difficult to detect leakage.
Storage: Although being easier to transport, it has a volume which is four times more than that of petrol which adds up to the expense for bigger storage space.
Did you know?
Natural gas is usually found dissolved in oil at the high pressures existing during a reservoir, and it is often present as a gas cap above the oil. In many instances, it's the pressure of gas exerted upon the subterranean oil reservoir that gives the drive to force oil up to the surface. Such gas is understood as associated gas; it's often considered to be the gaseous phase of petroleum and typically contains some light liquids like propane and butane. For this reason, associated gas is usually called “wet gas.” There also are reservoirs that contain gas and no oil. This gas is termed nonassociated gas. Nonassociated gas, coming from reservoirs that aren't connected with any known source of liquid petroleum is “dry gas.”
Natural gas is processed and converted into cleaner fuel for consumption and is not used in its purest form. Propane, ethane, butane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen,etc. are some of the by-products which are extracted while processing natural gas and can be used further.
FAQs on Natural Gas Uses: Home, Industry, and Transport
1. What is natural gas and what is it primarily composed of?
Natural gas is a naturally occurring fossil fuel found deep beneath the earth's surface. It is formed from the decomposed remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago. Its primary component is methane (CH₄), but it also contains smaller amounts of other hydrocarbon gases like ethane, propane, and butane, as well as non-hydrocarbon gases like carbon dioxide and water vapour.
2. What are the main uses of natural gas in our daily lives and in industries?
Natural gas is a versatile fuel with several important uses across different sectors. Key examples include:
- Residential Use: It is widely used in homes for cooking food on gas stoves, heating water, and running appliances like clothes dryers and fireplaces.
- Industrial Use: It serves as a crucial energy source for generating electricity in power plants. It is also a raw material (feedstock) for producing fertilisers, plastics, and various industrial chemicals.
- Transportation: In its compressed form, known as Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), it is used as a cleaner alternative to petrol and diesel for powering vehicles.
- Commercial Use: Businesses like hotels and restaurants use it for heating, cooking, and powering combined heat and power systems.
3. What are the key physical and chemical properties of natural gas?
Natural gas has several distinct properties that define its behaviour and applications:
- It is a colourless, tasteless, and odourless gas in its natural state.
- It has a very high calorific value, meaning it releases a large amount of energy when burned.
- It is lighter than air, so if it leaks, it tends to rise and disperse quickly.
- It is considered non-toxic.
- Its primary chemical property is its high flammability, undergoing combustion to produce carbon dioxide, water, and heat.
4. What are the major advantages of using natural gas over other fossil fuels like coal and petrol?
Natural gas offers several advantages, making it a preferred fuel in many applications:
- Cleaner Combustion: It burns more cleanly, producing significantly lower levels of air pollutants like sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter compared to coal and oil.
- Higher Efficiency: It is an efficient fuel, generating more energy for the amount of carbon dioxide it emits.
- Infrastructure: It can be conveniently and safely transported over long distances through an established network of pipelines directly to consumers.
- No Ash Production: Unlike coal, the combustion of natural gas leaves no ash or solid waste, simplifying disposal and reducing environmental impact.
5. Why is natural gas often called a 'cleaner fuel' even though it is a fossil fuel?
The term 'cleaner fuel' is used in a relative sense. While natural gas is a fossil fuel and does release carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) when burned, its environmental impact is significantly less than that of other fossil fuels. Upon combustion, it primarily releases CO₂ and water vapour, with minimal amounts of harmful pollutants like sulphur dioxide (which causes acid rain) and particulate matter (soot). This makes the air quality in areas where natural gas is used much better compared to areas reliant on coal or diesel.
6. How is Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) different from Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)?
While both are used as fuels, CNG and LPG have key differences:
- Composition: CNG is mainly methane (CH₄), whereas LPG is a mixture of propane and butane.
- State and Storage: CNG is stored as a gas at very high pressure. LPG is stored as a liquid under moderate pressure, making it denser.
- Source: CNG is simply compressed natural gas. LPG is typically a by-product of petroleum refining or natural gas processing.
- Safety (Density): CNG is lighter than air and disperses upward in case of a leak. LPG is heavier than air and can settle in low-lying areas, increasing the risk of ignition.
7. Since natural gas is odourless, how are leaks detected to ensure safety?
To ensure safety, utility companies add a strong-smelling chemical called an odorant to the natural gas before it is distributed to consumers. The most common odorant used is mercaptan, which has a very distinct smell similar to rotten eggs or sulphur. This potent smell makes it easy for anyone to detect even a very small gas leak, providing a crucial early warning to prevent accidents.
8. What are the environmental and practical disadvantages of relying on natural gas?
Despite its advantages, natural gas has significant drawbacks:
- Non-Renewable Resource: It is a finite fossil fuel, meaning its supply is limited and will eventually be depleted.
- Greenhouse Gas Emissions: While cleaner than coal, its combustion still produces carbon dioxide. Furthermore, leaks during extraction and transport release methane, which is a much more potent greenhouse gas than CO₂.
- Extraction Impact: Methods like hydraulic fracturing (fracking) used to extract natural gas can have significant environmental consequences, including water contamination and seismic activity.
- High Combustibility: Being highly flammable, it requires careful handling and robust infrastructure to prevent dangerous leaks and explosions.
