Abstract

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) has been used to fuel taxi cabs in Indonesia particularly in Jakarta. There are many difficulties to overcome in CNG socialization, one of these may be taxi driver preference for certain CNG stations (SPBG = Stasiun Pengisian Bahan Bakar Gas) over others. Finding causes for this may help increase acceptance of CNG and enable CNG to make a better contribution to the Indonesian energy diversification policy.

The variation in intake pressures at SPBG was hypothesized to be a possible cause for preference because of the effect on gas compression and fuel value of CNG produced.

An analysis of SPBG's station inlet pressure and gas composition examined the effect of various suction pressures on compressor performance, fuel value of CNG produced, and the presence of liquid water as CNG is removed from the fuel tank.

It was found that, due to the operability limitations of the SPBG's existing compression facilities for the gas system pressure less than its inlet design pressure, the CNG produced in the fuel tank would never reach the design pressure (20,000 Kpa). The SPBG's inlet pressures which have produced lower CNG energy content per fuel tank and lower fuel value of CNG is a possible cause of taxi driver preference to certain SPBG's over others. This implies the same amount of current CNG sales unit basis, Liter Premium Equivalent (LPE) gives various fuel values of CNG. That's why, for the consumers importance of course, current CNG sales unit basis, Liter Premium Equivalent (LPE) should be changed, and corrected, to the energy sales unit basis. Therefore, in the future, the range of pressures in the gas system network which feed the SPBG should be anticipated, so that the pressure effects do not contribute to taxi driver preference for particular SPBG's.