The eco-friendly fuel
By H. Kishie Singh

THERE could be hope for the old generation of cars that were headed for the cremation ground.

The stringent laws that came into force on April 1, 2000, forced thousands of vehicles off the road. At the same time the government announced that liquified petroleum gas (LPG) would be permissible for use as an alternative fuel. LPG is what is readily available as cooking gas. However, this does not mean that it is legal to use the red cylinder as fuel at the moment. The cooking gas is subsidised and not meant to drive cars. The government has yet to decide how to supply LPG to the consumer. Will we have changeable cylinders or will fixed cylinders be recharged at special outlets?

The conversion kit has been available for some time, the legality of which has been suspect.

Most common brand is an Italian kit called Lovato Autogas conversion kit. This company has been making conversion kits since 1958 and have put in a lot of research into running internal combustion engines on LPG.

An imported kit costs Rs 9,500 while a kit with some Indian made components can be purchased for Rs 8,500. This is for cars with carburettors or those referred to as "naturally aspirated". For the newer generation of cars which are fuel injected, the kit costs Rs 16,000.

Either way, the kit consists of a vaporiser which is the heart of the system. The vaporiser converts the liquid gas into vapour, which is fed to the engine.

A gas solenoid and petrol solenoid are installed on the gas line and petrol line. This controls the flow of either fuel into the vaporiser and finally the engine. There is an electronic switch inside the cabin which allows the driver to select the fuel.

In additions to these kits fitted in the engine well, the cylinder is fitted in the trunk of the car. It should be firmly secured. A filter and pressure gauge assembly allow the LPG to pass into the gas fuel line going to the engine.

Lastly a heating pad is fitted to the cylinder. You may have noticed that when you open a chilled soft drink bottle, the contents tend to freeze. This is due to the fact that when pressure is released, temperature drops. As the gas is pressurised out of the cylinder, the temperature drops and this could effect the smooth flow of the LPG.

I can’t believe that a heating pad will be necessary in the next few months in India in the plains. And this raises a doubt about the safety aspect of a LPG cylinder in the trunk of your car. LPG has a high flash point and an over-heated cylinder could be a serious danger to all.

The conversion kit takes about three hours to install. Once in position, it is simple to operate. When the gas starts to run out, a red warning light shows up on the dash board. This means about 15 km of driving life left in the cylinder. The driver then switches the gas off first, then he switches on the petrol. It is a smooth switch over and no one will notice the difference in the running of the engine.

Since the price of the non-subsidised LPG for cars is not known, it is hard to say how much cheaper it will be to run on LPG. The price however, is not the main issue here. It is the cleaner environment that is important. The emission of hydrocarbons (HC) and carbon monoxide (CO) is a fraction of what comes from petrol and this is what an alternative eco friendly fuel is all about.

In the meantime, keep your car perfectly tuned and cut down on pollution.

Happy motoring!