Methane powered diesel possible?

DamageFactor · 09-17-2007, 10:14 PM

I've been doing research on Methane Digesters, however I am having trouble finding a way to burn it in a smaller generator.

I know Methane is equivilant to natural gas, small units aren't baseload capable and I don't have enough cow dung for a large farm sized unit.

I know some large units are Diesels, and I am looking for a small multifuel Diesel as the base to my project. The only question is what it would take to run Methane? Any mechanics here?

damage855 · 09-20-2007, 10:29 AM

Not sure on methane however diesels and gas engines can easily be modified for propane. I think methane may be a little to reactive for safe use in a diesel engine but i could be wrong.

just_a_car · 09-20-2007, 08:45 PM

Not sure if it's possible to convert to methane, but I know that there are farm vehicles that run off of methane that is produced from the animal waste, thus saving on fuel costs. So, it's definitely possible to run a vehicle on it, I'm just not sure if you can convert an existing diesel to run it.

ezearln · 09-20-2007, 10:50 PM

many autos during WWII were converted to run on methane, you may want to refer to the Foxfire series of books or perhaps historical text about continental europe under the Nazi occupation. Diesels can run on methane but efficiency is awful as I recall

09-17-2007, 10:14 PM	#1
DamageFactor Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 5	Methane powered diesel possible? I've been doing research on Methane Digesters, however I am having trouble finding a way to burn it in a smaller generator. I know Methane is equivilant to natural gas, small units aren't baseload capable and I don't have enough cow dung for a large farm sized unit. I know some large units are Diesels, and I am looking for a small multifuel Diesel as the base to my project. The only question is what it would take to run Methane? Any mechanics here?

09-20-2007, 10:29 AM	#2
damage855 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: North Carolina / Lake Norman Posts: 942 Blog Entries: 1	Not sure on methane however diesels and gas engines can easily be modified for propane. I think methane may be a little to reactive for safe use in a diesel engine but i could be wrong. __________________ If total goverment control will make us all safer, then why are prisons so dangerous?

09-20-2007, 08:45 PM	#3
just_a_car Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Edmonds, WA Posts: 3,639	Not sure if it's possible to convert to methane, but I know that there are farm vehicles that run off of methane that is produced from the animal waste, thus saving on fuel costs. So, it's definitely possible to run a vehicle on it, I'm just not sure if you can convert an existing diesel to run it. __________________

09-20-2007, 10:50 PM	#4
ezearln Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Texas Hill Country Posts: 3,175	many autos during WWII were converted to run on methane, you may want to refer to the Foxfire series of books or perhaps historical text about continental europe under the Nazi occupation. Diesels can run on methane but efficiency is awful as I recall __________________ "You can have my Freedom when I'm done with it!"