Isn driving around with a tank of compressed gas dangerous?
On the contrary; I feel safer with a CNG tank than I do carrying around a tank full of gasoline. First of all, natural gas is lighter than air and will therefore dissipate into the atmosphere should a leak develop. Gasoline vapors aren’t as well behaved. Also, it’s a lot harder to get natural gas to ignite; the temperature at which natural gas spontaneously ignites is 842 degrees F, vs. 572 degrees for gasoline and 446 degrees for diesel. Natural gas cylinders are much thicker and stronger than gasoline or diesel tanks. Industry standards require them to withstand 11,250 fill cycles, and endure far beyond normal environmental and service damage risks. Cylinders must even withstand a bonfire test and penetration by a 30 caliber bullet without rupture! In general, natural gas vehicles have an excellent safety record for two primary reasons: the properties of the fuel itself and the integrity of the natural gas vehicle and its fuel delivery system.
