How Do We Use Natural Gas to Meet Our Energy Needs?

Natural Gas

• Natural gas is primarily composed of methane and is approximately twice as clean as coal. Lesser components of natural gas include ethane and small amounts of butane and propane. It exists naturally in the ground, typically adjacent to petroleum beds. Before natural gas is used, it is cleaned, or refined, a process that removes unnecessary propane and butane. Other components, such as hydrogen sulfide, must be removed from natural gas before it can be used. Some utility companies will also add certain components to natural gas to improve its smell.

Natural Gas Electricity

• Once natural gas is refined and is optimal for consumption, it is frequently used for energy generation. Primarily, natural gas is used to create energy in one of three ways. One method generates steam in a boiler, which then turns a turbine, generating energy. Another method burns natural gas directly in a combustion turbine. Energizing the combustion turbine creates electricity. A third method, known as combined cycle, uses the heat from combusted natural gas to turn a combustion turbine. The heat from the combustion turbine is then used to heat steam, which then turns a steam turbine, creating electricity. Nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide are the two must common by-products of natural gas combustion in electricity. Still, natural gas combustion emits much lower concentrations of nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide than coal or oil combustion.

Residential Uses

• Typically, natural gas is the cheapest way to heat a home. Natural gas costs approximately $23.13 less per Btu than electricity heating as of 2011. 23 percent of consumed natural gas in the United States is used to heat homes. Natural gas is frequently used in stoves as well. Temperature control is much easier in natural gas stoves than electric stoves. On average, gas stoves cost half as much to operate as electric stoves.

Natural Gas Vehicles

• As of 2013, just 112,000 vehicles in the United States are powered with natural gas. This number pales in comparison to the 14.8 million natural gas automobiles used worldwide. Generally, there are three different types of natural gas vehicles. The first type, dedicated natural gas vehicles, operates exclusively with natural gas. Bi-fuel natural gas vehicles, on the other hand, have two types of fueling systems. One runs exclusively on gasoline, while the other only uses natural gas. The final type of natural gas vehicle is dual-fuel. Dual-fuel natural gas vehicles are generally large and run on natural gas, but they use diesel fuel to ignite it.