Is driving around with cylinders full of gas under pressure dangerous?
Thick-walled reinforced aluminum cylinders, steel cylinders or 100% composite materials are used to store compressed natural gas as a vehicle fuel. These cylinders are manufactured and tested in compliance with strict regulations, and have withstood severe abuse testing under conditions far more stringent than tanks designed for storing gasoline. Natural gas vehicles submitted to test crashes up to 52 miles per hour, which have been totally destroyed, but show little or no damage to the compressed gas cylinders. Bonfire and dynamite tests push cylinders to temperature and pressures exceeding specified limits showing that compressed natural gas cylinders are durable and safe. Of course, as with all fuel systems, these cylinders are not indestructible and should be inspected periodically to ensure that no surface damage has occurred.
