Technological Solutions for Urucu Natural Gas Usage in Light-Duty Vehicles

Rogério Nascimento de Carvalho; Antônio Carlos Scardini Villela; Tadeu Cavalcante Cordeiro de Melo

doi:10.4271/2008-36-0207

2008-10-07

Technological Solutions for Urucu Natural Gas Usage in Light-Duty Vehicles 2008-36-0207

In last few years, Petrobras has been working to make feasible the vehicular usage of the natural gas (NG) produced in Brazilian north region. This gas is produced in the Urucu field located at the Amazon forest. Due to its low methane and high nitrogen contents that could promote, respectively, performance losses and higher NOx emissions, Urucu's gas does not meet ANP specification for vehicular natural gas.

Previous studies performed at Petrobras Research Center (CENPES) indicated the possibility of vehicular application for Urucu's NG, attending the Brazilian emission legislation (PROCONVE). However, with new PROCONVE's phases, recent vehicles have more advanced technological levels of fuel injection and catalyst systems, which require that kits for natural gas follow this evolution, including interfacing with flexible fuel engines.

In a new research project, CENPES observed that only with fifth generation NG kits, based on electronically controlled injection of positive gas pressure, was possible to obtain a proper calibration to reach current emission limits. Urucu's NG was also assessed in an national OEM natural gas vehicle that runs with NG and liquid fuels.

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Technological Solutions for Urucu Natural Gas Usage in Light-Duty Vehicles 2008-36-0207

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