“Gasoline produces more energy than NG, but building an engine specifically designed to leverage NG might change the equation some.”
It is my understanding that gasoline offers more energy per pound than any other fuel, at least fuel that burns. Nuclear is another story altogether. If my memory is correct, then nothing’s going to change that. New designs, however, may narrow the gap, which I guess is the gist of your post.
Diesel has more energy per unit volume, more energy per unit weight, and has potential for more efficiency because of his higher compression ratio.
If you heat the fuel before you inject it, and use a supercritical injector, you can get 20% improved efficiency.
Most engines do ‘negative work’ by compressing burned fuel (injection is before top dead center). A supercritical injector can remove that negative energy. One company that developed a patented supercritical fuel injector is
Transonic Combustion. No I don’t own stock. The above information is available off its web site.