Despite the significant increase in energy prices, gas is still the most common type of fuel. It is used for various purposes, including refueling cars. The installation of LPG equipment on vehicles allows you to reduce the cost of purchasing fuel.

You can purchase suitable cylinders and other equipment on the website http://safegas.com.ua/ru/gazovye-ballony/.

Necessary equipment

Gas that is supplied to residential buildings is much cheaper than liquefied gas at specialized gas stations. Therefore, filling cylinders from a stove is much more profitable. But in order to independently carry out this process, you will need special equipment.

Today there are two options available:

• mobile gas filling stations for industrial production. Such equipment is not produced in our country. Therefore, you will have to turn to foreign manufacturers. Plants for filling gas cylinders are produced in France, Austria, Germany and many other countries;
• homemade installations. In order to manufacture such equipment, you must have certain skills. It is important to understand that there is a potential for accidents in the event of a domestic gas leak.

A feature of the equipment, which allows filling cylinders with household gas, is the use of several compressors combined in different circuits. This allows for a gradual increase in gas pressure.

The principle of operation of a gas filling installation

Since the gas pressure in the gas pipeline is about 0.05 bar, it must be compressed to 200 bar before refueling. This problem is solved by the installation for filling cylinders. It can include from 3 to 5 circuits, while the principle of operation will be unchanged:

1. The gas passes the filter installed at the inlet of the system and enters the cylinder of the circuit.
2. The compressor builds up pressure and the compressed gas is fed to the cooling radiator.
3. Through the pipeline, the gas is fed to the next circuit, where it is compressed even more.

All processes are repeated in each circuit. Before filling into a high pressure cylinder, the gas is passed through a molecular filter.

The refueling process lasts from 1.5 to 2 hours. If you use reserve cylinders, into which gas will be injected in advance, then the time can be reduced to 10-15 minutes.

When using homemade gas filling equipment, you need to be extremely careful. Gas leaks can cause various accidents.

How to self-alter a car for refueling with gas at home

Today we will talk about how to independently refuel cars with natural gas at home from an ordinary stove. We will also consider the methods, technologies, instructions, drawings and descriptions of compressors and pumps for liquefying methane or propane in order to refuel a car with visual photos. We will learn how to make a mini gas car station yourself at home

Due to its low cost and environmental friendliness in use, natural gas is widely used in the automotive industry. However, on the way from the main gas pipeline to the consumer's filling cylinder, natural gas goes through several more intermediate stages.

There is no doubt that it is economically more profitable to operate a car on natural gas. And the more powerful and larger the engine, the faster the LPG pays off and the more significant the savings. At the filling station, gas is pumped into the vehicle's refueling cylinder. The operating pressure of the compressor is 1.6 MPa (16 atm). The gas pressure in the vehicle tank depends on the ambient temperature and varies within wide limits.

So, at an air temperature of 0 ° C, the pressure in the cylinder is 0.3 MPa (3 atm), and at a temperature of 20 ° C, its value increases to 1.2 MPa (12 atm). In addition to vehicles, gas filling stations are refueling cylinders for the use of liquefied gas by the population for domestic purposes and at small and medium-sized businesses.

In the previous materials, we cited calculations of reducing fuel costs, and came to the conclusion that under any conditions, the cost of one kilometer of mileage is reduced on average by half. Now imagine that costs can be reduced not by two, but by 6-10 times. Do you think this is unrealistic? In fact, it is possible. How we will tell you further. You can refuel your vehicle at home using the domestic gas network. As you know, the tariffs for household gas for the population are orders of magnitude lower than the price of gas at filling stations. And this is even through the counter.

If there is no meter and you pay at standard (albeit inflated) tariffs, then and so on. Everything is clear. Yes, it turns out that you will refuel the car for almost nothing. By the way, in the West or in America, such home gas stations are gaining more and more popularity, although there is not a big difference in the price of gas in the kitchen and at the gas station. It's another matter with us ... Calculating the cost per kilometer of run on gasoline and methane (according to the energy consumption of 1 cubic meter of methane = 1 liter of gasoline), we took the cost of specialized filling complexes as a basis.

With savings, I think, everyone understands - even by the most conservative estimates, at least more than 10 times, provided that you honestly pay for everything using the domestic gas meter.

In addition to this, refueling the car with natural gas from the household network connected to your house or apartment will allow:

Again, the main thing is to reduce the cost of refueling the car. The cost of methane is several times lower than the cost of gasoline. The more intensively the car is used, the higher the economic effect.

Extend engine life. Methane gas, like propane-butane, does not wash off the oil film from the cylinder walls of the engine, which provides excellent lubrication of the piston group parts. In addition, methane, unlike gasoline, does not contain various additives that oxidize the oil itself, which has a positive effect on the resource and stability of the characteristics of the engine oil. Plus this, by about a quarter, prolongs the life of the spark plugs. Reducing the wear of engine parts increases the service life by 1.5-2 times, and the service life of the engine oil by 2-2.5 times.

The high octane number of natural gas (104-115) allows it to be used for any engines (ZAZ, LuAZ, VAZ, GAZ, Moskvich, UAZ, etc.), as well as in engines of most foreign cars. This also applies to trucks.

Significantly reduce emissions of harmful combustion products into the atmosphere. When gas is used as a fuel for a car, emissions of harmful toxic compounds of lead and aromatic compounds are completely absent, emissions of CO, CH, nitrogen oxides are reduced by several times, the smoke from the exhaust pipe is reduced by three times. Even if you are not an ardent fan of "green" cars, cars with installed methane gas equipment are exempted from environmental control when passing through technical inspection.

It is possible to purchase a ready-made factory mobile gas filling station. Unfortunately, the domestic industry does not produce such (it is understandable, no one will be given permission), and there are already quite a lot of foreign samples. For example, they are serially produced by Neuman ESSER (Germany), Maschinenfabrik (Austria), Litvin (France) and many others. The only but very significant disadvantage is the price. These gas stations are not cheap, especially for a person who wants to save on this. In reality, everything turned out to be banal simple. Anyone can buy a special high-pressure pump that connects to a low-pressure domestic gas pipeline and fills a car equipped with LPG (methane gas).

At the same time, no special permits or safety requirements are required from the owner. Let me emphasize - special! And then - just a fairy tale. You connect a special high-pressure hose to the car's charging connection, and ... you will have to wait a little longer than at a proprietary filling station.

How many? It all depends on the performance of the pump you choose. For example, the weakest one with a capacity of 3 cubic meters / hour can take 5-6 hours to fill one cylinder, while an average productivity of 10 cubic meters / hour will take only one and a half hours. How long will it take? And you calculate how long your car is idle near your house. During this time, he may well refuel. You are asleep, the car is refueling. When the limit pressure is reached, the system will automatically shut down. In the morning, a car with cylinders filled to capacity is waiting for you. Everything is great, especially since the bills that were not spent on fuel continue to lie in your pocket, and not in the cash register of the gas station.

Household gas compressors for filling a car, gas cylinders at home with natural gas from a low pressure network

1. type description: -TypeX compressors; -Cooling-air; -Productivity: 2 Nm3 / h; - Inlet gas pressure: 0.017-0.035 bar - Outlet gas pressure: 200 bar

2.General characteristics of XF-2 / 0.017-0.035-200 natural gas compressor-blower for refueling vehicles, cylinders with 20Mpa pressure. Refueling time 5-6 hours, small size, light weight, excellent performance, safety, economy and durability.

3. Main technical characteristics Stroke: 14 mm Rotation speed: 1000 rpm Number of stages

4 Inlet temperature: Ambient temperature +10 ° First compression stage: pressure: 0.39 MPa Second compression stage: pressure: 1.9 MPa Third compression stage: pressure: 6.5 MPa Fourth compression stage: pressure: 20 MPa Engine power 1.1 kW Voltage: 200-240 V Frequency: 50 Hz Rated current: 6.6 A Noise level: 55 dB Weight: 105 kg Dimensions: 810 * 660 * 640 mm

All is well and beautiful, but we will put a fly in the ointment into this beautiful barrel of honey. With all the visible advantages of using a home gas station, there are no less disadvantages.

Firstly, the cost of installing HBO.

Secondly, the cost of a gas compressor.

Thirdly, the weight and dimensions of the high pressure cylinders.

Fourthly, the network of methane gas stations is not sufficiently extensive (you have to travel not only near your home).

But, there is a category of citizens for whom these disadvantages are not critical. They use a vehicle not only to move their mortal body from home to work and back, they earn money on it. For those who have cars with a huge annual mileage, switching to methane and installing a gas filling station is a very relevant solution.

We figured out the payback, but the size of the cylinders for storing methane is not so simple. They are not suitable for use in passenger cars. The large weight and size simply do not allow them to be painlessly introduced into the structure of the car. Most likely, LPG on methane is a great alternative for huge pickups and American SUVs. There, in the back, a couple of three large, eighty-liter cylinders will not take up much space.

You can make such a compressor yourself. Option, again ten times cheaper, but requires desire, time and, most importantly, "straight" arms, moreover, they must grow from the right place.

Below is an article for those who are interested in the second method. The implementation of the first, especially, does not need clarification.
Manual for self-production of a set of gas equipment for refueling a car with household gas

At the beginning, it is necessary to clarify: there is a gas apparatus for compressed gas and an apparatus for liquefied gas. Compressed gas equipment uses conventional natural gas - methane, which can be taken from a residential or industrial gas network. The only problem is how to fill this gas into the car at home.

In a conventional gas pipeline supplied to a home stove, column or boiler, the pressure of natural gas is about 0.05 atm., And in a high-pressure gas cylinder up to 200 atm. Therefore, a compressor is needed that will raise the gas pressure to the required value. The design of such a compressor is somewhat different from that used in conventional household appliances.

A conventional single-circuit compressor is capable of raising the pressure to a maximum of 20 -25 Atm., And to refuel a gas cylinder, you need to reach 200 Atm. This is achieved by adding additional circuits to the system. It looks like a set of several compressors, each subsequent one, of which compresses the gas previously compressed by the previous one to a higher pressure.
In general, a high pressure compressor circuit looks like this.

The principle of operation of a compressor for refueling a car with gas:

Gas from the domestic gas pipeline through the inlet filter (1) is fed through the inlet valve (2) to the cylinder of the primary circuit. Compression occurs and through the outlet valve (3) through the pipeline through the cooling radiator (4) it is fed to the cylinder of the next circuit. Further, the gas previously compressed in the primary circuit is compressed to an even higher pressure. All processes are repeated in the third circuit. The number of contours can be increased to five. In the above diagram, there are three of them. But this does not change the principle.

Natural gas compressed to the required pressure (this is about 200 atm.) Passes through the pressure switch (11), is cleaned in a molecular filter and through the safety valve is fed into the cylinder of the refueled car or into the reserve high-pressure cylinder. The filling time will completely depend on the productivity of the installation.

In order to speed up the refueling time of the vehicle, additional stationary cylinders can be used. Then, in free time, the compressor pumps gas into these stationary cylinders. And when you need to quickly refuel your car, you distill the methane directly from them. Thus, the refueling time can be reduced to 10-15 minutes.
Description of a home-made device for refueling a car with household gas.

As previously stated, this requires a high pressure compressor (up to 200 kg / cm2). Compressors such as GP4, NG-2, AKG-2 can be used, but they require a powerful electric motor, which is not suitable for many. A good option is to use the AK 150S air compressor. It is used on modern armored vehicles and in aviation. This compressor is quite small, lightweight, requires a low-power electric motor of 1.5-3 kW, which allows it to be connected to an apartment or garage electrical network. The main question is where to get it. But believe me, this is not as difficult a task as it seems at first glance. Often they can be written off, while using up no more than 10% of their resource. Whoever is looking will always find (sometimes for very little money or liquid barter

From a household gas network through a rubber hose (it is possible from a gas welding machine), gas is supplied through a valve to a gas filter (7). The pressure gauge (2), connected through the adapter (3), serves to control the pressure in the gas network, The gas in the filter (7) is cleaned of impurities and supplied to the compressor (10), where it rises to 150 kg / cm2. Then the gas enters a water separator (18), a high pressure gas filter (19), a pressure machine (20) of the ADU-2S type. The gas is then supplied to the filling valve.

When the pressure rises above 150 kg / cm2, the ADU 2 valve opens and the gas returns through the tube (23) to the compressor inlet. The NMP 100 type pressure gauge is used with a measurement range of 0-400 mm of water. Art.
The function of the gas filter can be performed by a new fuel filter for fine cleaning of diesel engines. A tap (17) is used to drain condensate from the water separator. To control the pressure at the compressor outlet, a pressure gauge (22) (0-250) kg / cm2 is installed.

It is fastened to the compressor flange (1) by means of sheet metal, studs in flocks (8) through the gasket (10), the housing (11). A plate (12) is welded to the bottom of the casing for fastening the compressor with a lubrication unit (Fig, 5). Bearing (4) of type 205 is pressed into the housing (11) (Fig, 3). A sleeve (7) is pressed into the bearing from the slot, which is fastened with a retaining ring (19). The spline shaft (6) of the compressor enters the bushing on one side, and on the other side the shaft (17) is pressed in, the key of which enters the splines of the bushing (7). This is done in order not to cut splines on the shaft (17). After pressing in, the shaft (17) is gently tacked to the sleeve (7) by welding.

After that, the body (11) is closed with a cover (14) with an oil seal (13). The cover is fastened with bolts (5). On the other end of the shaft (17) a drive pulley (15) with a key (16) is fitted. The compressor lubrication unit is shown in fig. 2 and fig. 5. The base is a tank (24) (Fig. 2), which can be made from a rectangular profile or welded from sheet metal. A drive unit with a compressor is attached to the top of the reservoir. Hole (13) (Fig. 3) must line up with hole (11) (Fig. 5) on the tank. A hole is cut out on top of the tank in a convenient place, to which the filler neck (3) and the lid (2) are welded (Fig. 5).

A hole is drilled in the lower part of the tank for the drain plug (14) (Fig. 2). A hole is drilled in the side wall of the tank for the oil pump (1) and the pump drive shaft (17). The oil pump is attached to the tank wall with studs.

Hole (4) (fig. 5) serves to supply oil to the pump. Shafts (6) and (17) are connected by means of plate (7) and bushing (8). For fastening the bearing (12) is a housing (15) with a cover (16), an oil seal (13). The cover is attached to the body with screws (14). A pulley (18) with a key is put on the shaft (17). The oil pump is used from the GAZ-51, 52, 69 car, but it should be borne in mind that the pumps differ in the length of the drive shaft.

The oil level is monitored by a sight glass (11) of any design. The lubrication system works as follows. The torque from the pulley of the electric motor through the belt drive is transmitted to the pulley (16) (Fig. 2), (18) (Fig. 5) and through the shaft (17), the bushing (8) and the plate (7) is transmitted to the shaft (6) pump drive (1). Oil enters through the hole (4) into the pump (1) (Fig. 5), (8) (Fig. 2), passes through the adapter (3), into which the automobile pressure sensor (4) is screwed in, and is fed through the pipe to the inlet fitting (12) oil supply to the compressor. The fitting (12) in Fig. 2 is conditionally deployed. It is screwed into the hole (3) (Fig. 3). The thread diameter depends on the tube you have, which can be used from the hydraulic system of tractor units.

Then the oil passes through the compressor lubrication channels (fig. 3, fig. 4), collects in the lower part and is thrown out through the oil drain hole fig. 4, fig. 11 (part 11) then flows through the hole (13) (Fig. 3) into the reservoir (24) (Fig. 2) Part of the oil passes through the bearing (4) (Fig. 3) and lubricates it. Part (7) ( fig. 11) can be made from the compressor drive gear, which must be purchased. To do this, it is necessary to grind off the gear ring to the dimensions shown in Fig. 11 (detail 7) .A car bulb can be connected to the pressure sensor (4) (fig. 2).

Instead of a sensor, a pressure gauge can be connected for monitoring. In order to divert the gas that has broken through the piston rings into the housing of the drive unit, there is a threaded hole at the upper part of the housing (Fig. 11), (det. 11), section A-A, into which the fitting (13) is screwed ( fig. 2). A rubber tube is put on the fitting and is displayed above the roof of the garage, at home. Although the design of the filling device provides for the localization of possible gas emissions into the room, it is advisable to install it outside the room.

On average, filling gas cylinders with gas lasts 1-1.5 hours. To reduce the filling time, two compressors can be paired. Truck owners can use 4 compressors. In fig. 10 shows a schematic electrical diagram for connecting a 3-phase electric motor to a single-phase network.

The voltage to the IM motor is supplied through the Q1 circuit breaker, the magnetic starter MP. When the "start" button is pressed, relay P1 is triggered, which, with its contacts P1.2, supplies voltage to the coil of the MP starter and connects the starting capacitors Cn with contacts P1.1. In this case, the starter is triggered and connects the motor and working capacitors Cp to the network. At the same time, the auxiliary contacts of the MP 1.1 starter are closed and the starter becomes self-locking.

When the "Start" button is released, the Cn is turned off. When you press the Stop button or when the RT motor thermal protection relay is triggered, the circuit is opened, the starter is disconnected, the motor is turned off and the circuit returns to its original position. When connecting the motor windings with a triangle Cp = 4800 (IHOM / U), where IHOM is the rated current of the motor, U is the voltage in the network. Cn = (2-3) Cf.

When storing the car in the garage, a tube is put on the fitting, which is led out above the roof of the garage. With this design, you will be fully guaranteed against any gas leaks. Before using cylinders, it is necessary to check their working pressure, volume, technical condition. The outer surface must be free from dents, cracks, deep scratches and corrosion. Near the VD neck it is indicated:
- date of test and date of next test;
- type of heat treatment (N - normalization, W - hardening with tempering);
- operating pressure;
- test hydraulic pressure (p225);
- actual weight, brand of the plant,

To connect gas pipelines, special adapters are used (Fig. 8), which are screwed into the cylinder instead of the valve, lubricating the threads with lead red lead. The tightening torque of the adapter is 45-50 kg / m (450-500) Nm. This can be checked with a special torque wrench, which can be borrowed from a car service station. When the valve or adapter is fully screwed in, 2-5 threads should remain on its threaded part. The size of the tapered thread (fig. 8) depends on the types of cylinders.

High-pressure pipes have a non-gasket nipple connection, which, when the union nut is tightened, abuts against the tapered surface of the fitting and, deforming, seals the connection point. If you purchased old pipes, you need to cut off the end of the pipe with the nipple and put on a new nipple, coat it with red lead, and tighten the union nut. After carefully tightening all threaded connections, the filling valve is opened, the filling device is connected and air is pumped in to half of the working pressure, the connections are checked, and in the absence of gaps, it is pumped in to the full working pressure.

Air leaks must be eliminated after the pressure has been completely relieved. If there are no gaps, then open the filling valve and completely release the air from the system and pump gas into the cylinder. After that, the flow valve is opened and gas is introduced to the high pressure reducer, and its operation is checked.
To do this, using the fitting (13) (Fig. 1) set the gas pressure at the outlet to 10 kg / cm2, then purge the low pressure system with gas until air is completely removed, start the engine on gas and check the pressure at the outlet of the HP reducer. may fall slightly. All work must be carried out outside the premises. After that, the actuation of the safety valve of the reducer is checked. To do this, screw the fitting (13) smoothly (Fig, 1) and gradually increase the pressure at the outlet of the reducer until the valve is triggered. It should work at a pressure of 15-17 kg / cm2.

If the valve trips at a different pressure, it is necessary to loosen the locknut on the valve and adjust the tripping. After that, check the tightness of the main valve. To do this, completely unscrew the fitting (13), while the gas should not enter the low pressure line. If the pressure increases slowly, then the valve seat in the reducer is changed or taken to the workshop. If everything is in order, make a test drive and check the low pressure reducer.
How to do this is well described in the operating instructions for gas equipment on liquefied gas and there is no need to describe it.It should be borne in mind that when using a low pressure reducer from a nozzle for liquefied gas, your car may slightly lose dynamism. To prevent this from happening, you can drill the jets in the gearbox by 1-2 tens, but then the mileage and efficiency will decrease. So the decision is yours.

You need to know that natural gas is lighter than air and rises upward, unlike liquefied gas, which spreads along the ground, fills all the cracks and basements. Therefore, during operation, this feature must be taken into account.

Before each departure and return to the garage, after maintenance and repairs, it is necessary to check the tightness of the gas system. The most readily available methods for detecting gas leaks are odor control and soaping. If you smell gas while driving, you must eliminate the malfunction. If you cannot eliminate the malfunction, it is necessary to release the gas from the cylinders into the atmosphere (in the absence of people nearby, open fire, other vehicles).

If the gearbox freezes and the engine starts in winter, use hot water to warm up, use an open flame is strictly prohibited! When gas equipment lights up, it is necessary to close the valves, turn off the filling system. To extinguish a fire, you must have a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher on hand. In this case, it is necessary to water the cylinders with water in order to prevent an increase in pressure in them.

Once every three years, it is necessary to check the high-pressure cylinders by a hydraulic test, once a year - it is necessary to take it for inspection. It is strictly forbidden to attach structural elements to the surface of the cylinders by welding. When refueling a car, it is necessary to control the gas pressure at the compressor inlet and outlet, the temperature of the cylinders, and the pressure in the lubrication system. There must be no people in the vehicle while refueling.

If gas leaks are detected, refueling must be carried out under the following conditions: refuel only with the flow valve closed, when refueling, do not stand near the refueling hose, do not tighten the nuts during refueling under pressure, do not knock metal objects on the parts of the refueling system. Disconnect the filling hose only after closing the filling valve. When the working pressure in the cylinders is reached, it is necessary to turn off the compressor engine, close the filling valve, and close the valve at the compressor inlet.

In conclusion, I would like to say that the task was to give you a simplified, accessible and at the same time safe and efficient design of the filling device, which can be assembled in a fairly short time and get moral and material pleasure from your work.

And finally, let's make ecologists and the Greenpeace community happy. A methane engine has much less exhaust gas toxicity. The amount of toxic carbon monoxide CO (carbon monoxide) decreases more than three times, and the content of carcinogenic CH hydrocarbons, consisting of particles of unburned fuel, decreases 1.6 times. The concentration of nitrogen oxide NO and NO2 dioxide when the engine is running on gas is reduced by 1.2 times.

What conclusions can be drawn from this? The conversion of modern cars to methane, although costly, is an easy operation. At the same time, due to the lower cost of gas, the costs are quickly paid off. If you take into account the possibility of installing a gas station at home, then this is the most cost-effective option on the market.

As experts advise, in order to reduce fuel consumption, you just need to develop a so-called economical driving style. Simply put, this means that you need to handle the gas pedal with care, that is, press smoothly for acceleration and brake by the motor, at which the gasoline supply is cut off. This will really help reduce fuel consumption. But the percentage of savings will rise no more than 10%.

Some gas stations suggest simply switching to cheaper fuels that contain a higher percentage of ethanol. But this can affect the operation of the engine, as well as the fuel system. In other matters, this problem can affect only certain car brands.

Recently, the method of using the so-called "super device" has become very popular among drivers. Its principle of operation is to break up the clots of gasoline molecules through magnetic resonance, and then the combustion of gasoline occurs with less waste. So, experts strongly advise against using this method, since it is just pumping out money.

In fact, the additional installation of gas equipment in the car can be a noticeable saving. The cost of installing such a technical device can cost an average of $ 700 to $ 1,000, depending on the car brand. But this method can be beneficial only with a high mileage of the car., because in the opposite case, the installation of HBO will pay off for a very long time. It is imperative to take into account the type of engine, because not all engines function normally with gas.

The most daring way to save money is a home gas station. In appearance, it resembles a wall-mounted gas boiler, which is accessible at any time. Since the cost of natural gas for the population is about 5 rubles, and if we take into account that 1 cubic meter of gas is equal to 1 liter of gasoline, it turns out that this kind of refueling save 5-6 times.

But in all this there is a huge disadvantage. A home version of gas filling will cost about 5 thousand euros - this is the minimum, plus to this add the installation of gas equipment, which is adapted for natural gas. Compressor capacity for gas injection is not high, so refueling can take several hours. And to top it off, you must constantly carry an 80 liter gas cylinder with you in the trunk.

To speed up refueling the car, the owner can arrange a receiver station. What does it mean? First, pump gas into stationary cylinders, and then refuel the car directly from them. This procedure will be shortened to 20 minutes.

But if the driver has a small car, then the installation of a home gas station is unprofitable... It can be more cost-effective for owners of gazelles or jeeps, in which the fuel consumption coefficient is very high and can be up to 20 liters per 100 kilometers.

Gasoline prices are growing at such a rate that you can't remember them and more and more often drivers are thinking about alternative fuels. Alas, the high cost of electric vehicles does not yet allow them to massively switch to them, the same applies to hydrogen fuel. Now the most effective way to save on refueling is equipping the car with gas-cylinder equipment () and using natural gas (methane) or liquefied gas (propane, butane) as fuel. Propane is obtained in the process of oil refining, but methane is the same gas that we all use for cooking on gas stoves, it is fed through pipes to most apartments and private houses. Moreover, if we compare prices for 1 cubic meter. meter of methane at gas stations (about 15 rubles) and gas prices for the population (about 4 rubles), then a significant difference is visible. Therefore, many have a reasonable question: is it possible to refuel a car with LPG with ordinary household gas at home?

Indeed, such a possibility exists, but this does not mean that you can simply connect the hose from the gas pipe to the car and refuel it. The fact is that in the cylinders installed on the car, the gas is under a pressure of 200 atmospheres, therefore, to pump it, you need a special compressor capable of compressing the gas to the required pressure and supplying it to the cylinders. Such equipment exists, although it is mostly imported and it costs a lot - from 3000 euros. But craftsmen have learned how to adapt the AK-150S military compressor for these purposes, which is used on tanks, aircraft, infantry fighting vehicles and other military equipment. It will take 4 to 10 hours to completely fill the car with methane, depending on the type of compressor used, so this procedure is best done at night. By the way, night is the best time for refueling and for one more reason - fewer people use gas at this time, which means that the load that the compressor creates on the gas line will be less noticeable, because a 100 liter cylinder contains about 20 cubic meters of gas and to refuel it it is necessary to pump out methane from 1.3 km of the low-pressure pipeline with a diameter of 140 mm. This can trigger the operation of the protective automatics at the gas distribution substation, and the technical inspection system of the gas supply company will sooner or later reveal the cause of the excessive gas consumption.

You don't need to get any special permits for refueling with methane at home, but you shouldn't go to gas workers with questions either - they will surely find something to dig into. It is clear that such a trick will not work in an apartment; this can only be done in a private house connected to a gas pipeline. And of course, for commercial purposes (that is, to refuel anyone who wants to for money), no one will allow you to open such a gas station at home. As an option - to cooperate with neighbors in the village, buy a compressor together and refuel one by one, then the costs will pay off very quickly. You just need to remember about safety precautions. Speaking of costs, do not forget that the compressor consumes a lot of electricity, so the cost of refueling increases. However, some especially cunning fellow citizens even here manage to save money by unwinding both the electric meter and the gas meter, but this is a completely different topic. We invite you to watch a video of how home installations for filling domestic gas into a car work in Ukraine. By the way, gas prices for the population there are lower than in Russia ...

The cost of purchasing the documentation developed by us pays off almost very quickly. Your children and grandchildren will not have a headache, where to get money for refueling a car.

Converting the engine to natural gas has the following advantages:

The actuation of engine parts decreases, the motor resource increases by 1.5-2 times;

The service life of the motor lubricant is increased by 2-2.5 times;

There is no detonation at all, shock loads on the parts of the cylinder-piston group are reduced;

The high octane number of natural gas (104-115) allows it to be used for any engines (ZAZ, LuAZ, VAZ, GAZ, Moskvich, UAZ, etc.). And also in engines of foreign cars. This also applies to trucks.

The documentation set includes the following:

Description of the filling device, gas cylinder installation, connection diagram, placement, rules of use, regulation, drawings of adapters, fittings, where to buy units, options for use and much more.

Abroad, small-sized filling stations of this type are serially produced by Maschinefabrik (Austria), Neuman ESSER (Germany),

- “Litvin” (France) and many others.

1. Introduction.

That being said, natural gas can be an excellent fuel for your vehicle. A network of filling stations - CNG filling stations - was created. It is necessary to clarify: there are gas equipment for compressed gas and equipment for liquefied gas. Compressed gas equipment uses conventional natural gas - methane, which can be taken from a residential or industrial gas network. The problem is how to fill this gas into the car at home and then use it. You will find out how to do this below.

2. Conversion of the vehicle to work on natural gas:

In fig. 1 shows a diagram of a gas equipment for natural gas. Natural gas is stored in cylinders (5), which are connected by high-pressure pipes (3) through adapters (4), which are screwed into the cylinder instead of valves. Through the shut-off valve (6), gas is supplied to the flow valve (9) and enters the high-pressure reducer ( VD) (11), where the gas pressure 200 (130) kg / cm2 (atmospheres) decreases to 10 kg / cm2. During this process, the gas is greatly cooled and the reducer with a large gas extraction can freeze, the gas stops flowing. To prevent this from happening, a gearbox heater (12) is used. Further, the gas through the low pressure pipe (14), through the solenoid valve (15) enters the low pressure reducer (18), where the gas pressure decreases again and enters the carburetor (22) through the tee (20) in proportion to the engine load (depending on accelerator pedal position). By transferring the voltage of the P1 switch to the EV gas valve (15) or to the petrol valve (23), we can switch the type of fuel on the fly. Gasoline enters the carburetor (22) through the fuel pump (24), valve (23). A start valve (19) is used to start the engine on gas. In fig. 1 shows a simplified diagram of EM valve control. Valves 15, 19, 23, reducer-heater 12, low pressure pipes can be used from the set of equipment for liquefied gas. All this can be mounted in the engine compartment in its original places. This can be done at a liquefied gas installation workshop.

You can also purchase these nodes here. install, adjust, check. You do not need to buy a balloon, this is for you
will cost significantly less. It is not suitable for our needs, because it is designed for low pressure (16 atm) and the mileage will be very low. Therefore, it must be replaced with a high pressure cylinder (Fig. 7) 200 (150) atm and a high pressure reducer (11) (Fig. 1) must be added to reduce the pressure from 200 (150) atm to 10 atm. To do this, you can use aviation oxygen gearboxes that do not freeze, or purchase a gearbox from a truck with a heater. In extreme cases, you can use a conventional oxygen reducer for gas welding. But it needs to be adjusted to
our operating conditions. To do this, it is necessary to change the cover with a large thread diameter, at the upper part for the union and the safety valve with the union from the truck gearbox. The fact is that the oxygen reducer is not suitable for venting gas when a safety valve is triggered or when a diaphragm ruptures. A rubber tube (10) (Fig. 1) is put on the union of the safety valve and the union of the cover (13) and is led out of the body. In addition, a liquid heater (12) (Fig. 1) with a bracket must be purchased for the oxygen reducer. So you
save money. It should be borne in mind that the above refers to the oxygen reducer type DKP-1-65. There is also a gearbox of a new type EKO-25-2, to which the cover from the gearbox of a truck does not fit.

The HP reducer is installed in the engine compartment. The liquid heater must be included in the rupture of the hose that goes to the stove. The copper tubing from the LPG equipment set that goes into the trunk must be replaced with a seamless high pressure steel tubing from the compressed gas equipment of the Truck. Control over the operation of the HP reducer is carried out using a pressure gauge (16) (0-25 kg / cm2), which is screwed into place of the reducer pressure sensor. To determine the amount of gas charged and control the pressure in the cylinders, a high pressure manometer (1) (Fig. 1) (0-250 kg / cm "") is installed on the final cylinder.

Filling valve, (7) (Fig. 1) serves for refueling high-pressure cylinders from a refueling device, which will be described by H1, or at a refueling station - AGNKS. To do this, purchase a filler fitting from a truck. Truth. You will not be welcomed there, but you can always negotiate. This is important if you are traveling on a long trip. To connect the cylinders to each other, to connect the high pressure reducer, tees, only seamless steel high pressure tubes (3) with an outer diameter of 10 mm and an inner diameter of 6 mm can be used. In order to prevent damage from vibration and distortions, short parts of gas pipelines are bent in the form of rings with a diameter of 100 mm.

In addition, the cylinders must be installed on a common frame in sockets lined with rubber bands. The entire package must be compressed with pins to prevent movement of the cylinders. Each car brand has its own layout option. In fig. 9 shows one of the possible options. In addition, the design of a package of cylinders depends on the type of cylinders, their number, which ultimately determines the mileage. The mileage depends on the amount of gas in the cylinders, the determination of which is made difficult by the fact that at different air temperatures a different amount of gas enters the same volume. For ours
needs, you can use a simplified conversion factor:

A) at a pressure in the cylinders of 150 kg / cm "" - 1 liter of cylinder volume, equivalent to 0.3 liters of gasoline.
b) at a pressure in the cylinders of 200 kg / cm "" - 1 liter of the volume of the cylinder, equivalent to 0.4 liters of gasoline.

Now, with an average consumption of a car - 9 liters of gasoline per 100 km and a total volume of cylinders - 50 liters (for example), the mileage will be as follows:
a) at a pressure in the cylinders of 150 kg / cm "";
50 * 0.3 = 15 liters of gasoline (15 * 100): 9 = 167 km

Now knowing this, you can choose the type and number of cylinders depending on the required mileage. You should not chase high mileage, because the weight increases, the volume of the cargo compartment decreases.It is better to have a basic set of cylinders for a mileage of 80-100 km and an additional one for long trips.

Rice. 3 Drive compressor assembly

Aviation or tank high pressure cylinders can also be used. In extreme cases, a cylinder of the required size can be made from ordinary oxygen by cutting out the middle part. After that, the cylinder is cooked by argon-arc welding, the brand of a specialized organization is visible through. It is strictly forbidden to do this in artisanal conditions.

Operating pressure:

To connect gas pipelines, special adapters are used (Fig. 8), which are screwed into the cylinder instead of the valve, lubricating the threads with lead red lead. The tightening torque of the adapter is 45-50 kg / m (450-500) Nm. This can be checked with a special torque wrench, which can be borrowed from a car service station.

When the valve or adapter is fully screwed in, 2-5 threads should remain on its threaded part. The tapered thread size (fig. E) depends on the types of cylinders. High-pressure pipes have a gasket-free nipple connection, which, when the union nut is tightened, abuts against the tapered surface of the fitting and. deforming, seals the junction. If you have purchased old pipes, you need to cut off the end of the pipe with the nipple and put on a new nipple, coat it with red lead, and tighten the union nut.

After carefully tightening all threaded connections, the filling valve is opened, the filling device is connected and air is pumped in to half of the working pressure, the connections are checked, and in the absence of gaps, it is pumped in to the full working pressure. Air leaks must be eliminated after the pressure has been completely relieved. If there are no gaps, then open the filling valve and completely release the air from the system and pump gas into the cylinder. After that, open the flow valve and let the gas into the high pressure reducer, check its operation. air, start the engine on gas and check the pressure at the outlet of the high pressure reducer. It may drop slightly. All work must be carried out outside the room. After that, the actuation of the safety valve of the reducer is checked. smoothly increase the pressure at the outlet of the reducer until the valve is triggered. It should operate at a pressure of 15-17 kg / cm-1. unscrew the union (13), while the gas should not enter the low pressure line.If the pressure slowly increases, then in red the valve seat is changed or handed over to the workshop. If everything is in order, make a test drive and check the low pressure reducer. How to do this is well described in the operating instructions for gas equipment using liquefied gas and there is no need to describe it.

Please note that using a LPG low pressure reducer may cause your vehicle to lose some of its dynamic performance. To prevent this from happening, you can drill the jets in the gearbox by 1-2 tens, but then the mileage and efficiency will decrease. So the decision is yours.

Our industry does not produce high-pressure cylinders specifically for passenger cars. Therefore, you have to use them from different areas of technology. Figure 7 shows the dimensions of the most common types of HP cylinders. Oxygen cylinders of non-standard reduced size may be suitable for our needs. Scuba tanks are perfect for scuba diving. Cylinders are produced from fiberglass materials. They are very light and sturdy and are perfect for our needs, but in short supply.

Aviation or tank high pressure cylinders can also be used. In extreme cases, a cylinder of the required size can be made from ordinary oxygen by cutting out the middle part. After that, the cylinder is cooked by argon-arc welding, and the gamma-de of a specialized organization is translucent. It is strictly forbidden to do this in artisanal conditions.
After installing the valve cylinders, the adapters, the filling connection are placed in a box (4) (Fig. 9) made of soft sheet, into which the connection (3) and the service window (2) are soldered, which is installed on the seal. The design can be taken from LPG cylinders. A piece of rubber tube is put on the fitting and is guided outside the body through a window for refueling a gas tank or other place. When storing the car in the garage, a tube is put on the fitting, which is led out above the roof of the garage. With this design, you will be fully guaranteed against any gas leaks. Before using cylinders, it is necessary to check their working pressure, volume, technical condition. The outer surface must be free from dents, cracks, deep scratches and corrosion. Near the VD neck it is indicated:

Date of test and date of next test;

Heat treatment type (N - normalization, W - quenching with tempering);

Operating pressure:

Test hydraulic pressure (p225);

Actual weight, brand of the plant.

To connect gas pipelines, special adapters are used (Fig. 8), which are screwed into the cylinder instead of the valve, lubricating the threads with lead red lead. The tightening torque of the adapter is 45-50 kg / m (450-500) Nm. This can be checked with a special torque wrench, which can be borrowed from a car service station. When the valve or adapter is fully screwed in, 2-5 threads should remain on its threaded part. The tapered thread size (fig. E) depends on the types of cylinders. High-pressure pipes have a base gasket nipple connection, which, when the union nut is tightened, abuts against the tapered surface of the fitting and, deforming, seals the connection point. If you have purchased old pipes, you need to cut off the end of the pipe with the nipple and put on a new nipple, coat it with red lead, and tighten the union nut. After carefully tightening all threaded connections, the filling valve is opened, the filling device is connected and air is pumped in to half of the working pressure, the connections are checked, and in the absence of gaps, it is pumped in to the full working pressure. Air leaks must be eliminated after the pressure has been completely relieved. If there are no gaps, then open the filling valve and completely release the air from the system and pump gas into the cylinder.

After that, open the flow valve and let the gas into the high pressure reducer, check its operation. air, start the engine on gas and check the pressure at the outlet of the high pressure reducer. It may drop slightly. All work must be carried out outside the room. After that, the actuation of the safety valve of the reducer is checked. smoothly increase the pressure at the outlet of the reducer until the valve is triggered. It should operate at a pressure of 15-17 kg / cm-1. unscrew the union (13), while the gas should not enter the low pressure line.If the pressure slowly increases, then in red the valve seat is changed or handed over to the workshop. If everything is in order, make a test drive and check the low pressure reducer. How to do this is well described in the instruction manual for the operation of gas equipment on liquefied gas and there is no need to describe it.It should be kept in mind that when using a low pressure reducer from a nozzle for liquefied gas, your car may slightly lose dynamism. To prevent this from happening, you can drill the jets in the gearbox by 1-2 tens, but then the mileage and efficiency will decrease. So the decision is yours.

Description of the filling device:

Now about the main thing - how to fill the car's cylinders with natural gas. This requires a high pressure compressor (up to 200 kg / cm). For this, compressors such as GP4, NG-2, AKG-2 can be used, but they require a powerful electric motor, which does not suit us. The best option is to use the AK 150S air compressor. It is used on modern armored vehicles and in aviation. It is quite small, lightweight, and requires a low-power 1.5-3 kW electric motor. which allows it to be connected to an apartment or garage electrical network.

A schematic of the filling device is shown in Fig. 2.

From the gas network through a rubber hose (from the gas welding machine), gas is supplied through the valve to the gas filter (7). The pressure gauge (2), connected through the adapter (3), serves to monitor the pressure in the gas network. The gas in the filter (7) is cleaned of impurities and supplied to the compressor (10), where it rises to 150 kg / cm2. Then the gas is fed to a water separator (18), a high pressure gas filter (19), a pressure machine (20) of the ADU-2S type. The gas is then supplied to the filling valve. When the pressure rises above 150 kg / cm2, the ADU 2 valve opens and the gas returns through the pipe (23) to the compressor inlet.

The NML 100 type pressure gauge is used with a measurement range of 0-400 mm of water. Art. The function of a gas can be performed
new fuel filter for fine cleaning of diesel engines. A tap (17) is used to drain condensate from the moisture separator. A pressure gauge (22) (0-250) kg / cm2 is used to control the pressure at the compressor outlet. Elements 18, 19, 20 (Fig. 2) are used from the tank's air system. In principle, you can do without the ADU-2 pressure machine, but then you need to constantly monitor the outlet pressure so that it does not exceed it.

Fig. 3 Drive Compressor Assembly
Rice. 4. Compressor lubrication unit
In fig. 4 shows the layout of the holes and the main parameters of the compressor. The compressor does not have its own drive unit and lubrication system.
In fig. 3 shows an embodiment of the compressor drive unit.

It is fastened to the compressor flange (1) by means of sheet metal, studs with nuts (8) through the gasket (10), the housing (11). A plate (12) is welded to the bottom of the casing for fastening the compressor with a lubrication unit (Fig. 5).

Fig. 5
О - branch for fastening
o - drainage of the oil fill
O- oil supply outlet
n = 2000 rpm
Prab = 150 kg / cm2
Urab = 2.4m3
PMASLA = 0.5 - 2 kg / cm2

Bearing (4) type 205 is pressed into the housing (11) (Fig. 3). A sleeve (7) is pressed into the bearing from the slot, which is fastened with a retaining ring (19). The spline shaft (6) of the compressor enters the bushing on one side, and on the other side the shaft (17) is pressed in, the key of which enters the splines of the bushing (7). This is done in order not to cut splines on the shaft (17). After pressing in, the shaft (17) is gently tacked to the sleeve (7) by welding. After that, the body (11) is closed with a cover (14) with an oil seal (13). The cover is fastened with bolts (5). On the other end of the shaft (17) a drive pulley (15) with a key (16) is fitted.

The compressor lubrication unit is shown in fig. 2 and fig. 5. The base is a tank (24) (Fig. 2), which can be made from a rectangular profile or welded from sheet metal. A drive unit with a compressor is attached to the top of the reservoir. Hole (13) (Fig. 3) must line up with hole (11) (Fig. 5) on the tank. A hole is cut out on top of the tank in a convenient place, to which the filler neck (3) and the lid (2) are welded (Fig. 5). A hole is drilled in the lower part of the tank for the drain plug (14) (Fig. 2). A hole is drilled in the side wall of the tank for the oil pump (1) and the pump drive shaft (17). The oil pump is attached to the tank wall with studs. Hole (4) (fig. 5) serves to supply oil to the pump.

Shafts (6) and (17) are connected by means of plate (7) and bushing (8). The bearing (12) is supported by a housing (15) with
cover (16), gland (13). The cover is attached to the body with screws (14). A pulley (18) is put on the shaft (17) with
dowel. The oil pump is used from the GAZ-51, 52, 69 car, but it should be borne in mind that the pumps are different
drive shaft length. The oil level is monitored by a sight glass (11) of any design.

The lubrication system works like this. The torque from the pulley of the electric motor through the belt drive is transmitted to the pulley (16) (Fig. 2), (18) (Fig. 5) and through the shaft (17), the bushing (8) and the plate (7) is transmitted to the shaft (6) pump drive (1). Oil enters through the hole (4) into the pump (1) (Fig. 5), (8) (Fig. 2), passes through the adapter (3), into which the automobile pressure sensor (4) is screwed in, and is fed through the pipe to the inlet fitting (12) oil supply to the compressor. The fitting (12) in Fig. 2 is conditionally deployed. It is screwed into hole (3) (fig. 3). The diameter of the thread depends on the tube you have, which can be used from the hydraulic system of the tractor units. Then the oil passes through the compressor lubrication channels (fig. 3, fig. 4), collects in the lower part and is thrown out through the oil drain hole fig. 4, fig. 11 (det. 11) then flows through the hole (13) (fig. 3) into the reservoir (24) (fig. 2) Part of the oil passes through the bearing (4) (fig. 3) and lubricates it.