Any Propane Tow Vehicle Interest?

AirConditioner · 07-29-2007, 11:55 AM

Is anyone using a propane tug now, or are you considering it? .

Any experience or comments (neg and pos) are welcome

We are considering conducting a test of a propane tow vehicle built by Ford and adapted by Roush engineering. It's an F-150 bifuel conversion.
propanetruck.us - Home

bobfowler · 07-29-2007, 01:10 PM

Though there is more of a viable infrastructure in place for propane, but I'd rather wait until a non-petrolium based alternative fuel (such as hydrogen) becomes a reality.

Silvertwinkie · 07-29-2007, 01:25 PM

I think a couple of diesel folks here tow with propane injection. Not sure how it works, but I am with Bob, I'd love to see a non-fossil fuel solution, but doubt we'll see one in trucks or TVs anytime soon.

vswingfield · 07-29-2007, 02:39 PM

I agree that filling up remains the largest problem. I wonder what the compression ratio is for these engines. Propane has an effective octane rating of about 114, much higher than premium gasoline. The higher compression ratio would certainly help power. Ak Miller recommended switching to propane when installing his turbo kits.

Vaughan

thecatsandi · 07-29-2007, 05:22 PM

Unfortunately the current method for get hyrogen is electrolysis of water. That takes a lot of energy (electricity). Unless we get it from the sun it uses more fossil fuel that it saves. Conservation and Solar is the best way to go in my opinion.

**Pick** · 07-29-2007, 05:39 PM

I think propane is a wonderful fuel. A lot less hassle than gasoline, for sure. But, it is way overpriced here in Florida. It retails for $3 a gallon and up in this state. This is really unfair as the wholesale price usually is around $1 a gallon. Gasoline is over $2 wholesale and retails in the $2.90's now.

Hydrogen? Doubtful most of us will see it as a widespread motor fuel in our lifetime. Unless there is some big breakthrough in solar cell technology, with a corresponding price drop, using solar to make hydrogen will not happen on a large scale.

We have 50-100 years of oil left, so running out is not much of an issue, just the price is, as we all know very well.

remcolent · 07-30-2007, 05:43 AM

I use propane now for about 15 years.
Untill now I used a impco setup for gasious propane .
Now I'm working on a Liqued propane injection system for a supercharged 392 hemi.
With a impco setup and no other engine mod's you will loose a lot of engine power.
And the engine will run hotter , hardened valve seats are recomended.

Remco

Denis4x4 · 07-31-2007, 07:35 AM

I had a small Bobcat gas/propane unit that switched fuel with the twist of a knob. The engine was a Briggs & Stratton OHV twin. Quite frankly, the propane didn't offer enough power (read torque) when I had heavy loads in the bucket. Traded it in for a Kabota diesel.

Bruce Crower did a lot of R&D for San Diego Gas & Electric cars and trucks running LNG back in the seventies. At that time, it was actually against the law to dispense LNG or propane within the San Diego city limits! Since changed.

Pschoerrn · 08-06-2007, 11:16 AM

We run Propane on Stefanies Car, which is a Skoda Fabia (a bit smaller than a VW Passat). It now has really more power and makes less noise. The fuel consumption increased by about 10%, but as Propane/LPG is less than halfprice of "normal" gas it is a real bargain to our wallet. Instalation for the System was around 2500,- Euro for the 4-cylinders. My inlaw has an Audi A6 with the 6-cylinder engine and paid around 2700,- Euros...

If you have the chance to go for LPG - do it!!

Greets

Bjoern

Minnie's Mate · 08-06-2007, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thecatsandi

Unfortunately the current method for get hyrogen is electrolysis of water. That takes a lot of energy (electricity). Unless we get it from the sun it uses more fossil fuel that it saves. Conservation and Solar is the best way to go in my opinion.

I don't know if we will ever see fuel cells in mass production automobiles. I wish we would, but there are environmental issues even with them. However, I recently read an article that a scientist at Purdue accidentally discovered that pouring plain old H2O onto, get this, aluminum coated in gallium will give off Hydrogen. He has patented the process in the name of Purdue and the hope is that the process will be commercially implemented locally so the hydrogen won't have to be transported in bulk and you might even be able to mix the ingredients in your "tank" making it a truly portable fuel source.

I'm sure this is something that is decades away, but maybe we'll see those fuel cell automobiles that President Bush envisioned when he made that speech a few years back.