Today, refilling gas cylinders is very topical issue. Especially considering that it is much cheaper and easier to refill old cylinder than buying a new one. Bottled gas is often used both at home and in production. Most often, gas is used for heating private houses and for domestic needs (cooking). Due to the growing popularity of using gas in various fields, many people have a reasonable question about where to purchase and subsequently refill gas cylinders for their household needs.
Where to refill gas cylinders? And where should you not do this?
Gas sales for household cylinders carried out at specialized refueling points. Most often, such points are located at stationary automobile gas filling stations. Of course, it is possible to refill gas cylinders at many gas stations that are not even equipped with special cylinder points, but you can purchase liquefied gas Experts strongly advise against it. This is associated with certain risks:
- when filling with gas, cylinders are not checked for gas leaks;
- there is no control on the part of the refillers regarding the timing or period of inspection of the cylinders, which makes the further operation of the cylinders unsafe;
- The format of the car gas pump does not make it possible to fill the cylinder properly. According to approved standards, the gas filling volume should not exceed 85%. This allows you to create a so-called “steam cap” in the cylinder, preventing the risk of the cylinder exploding under the influence of high temperatures(for example, the sun). In automobile gas cylinders, unlike household ones, a special cut-off device is placed to timely prevent gas overflow. Taking this into account, gas cylinders should be filled with mandatory control of the weight of the equipment on the scales.
Refilling gas cylinders at car gas stations is possible only with specialized equipment and a license.
Companies that fill any gas containers are called “gas filling stations.” Depending on the nature of their activities, they may have different equipment. Often, the process of refilling a cylinder can take place in three ways:
- pumping - using a pump;
- pump-compression - gas is taken by a pump and, under increased pressure created by the compressor, is supplied to a cylinder;
- pump-evaporation - an electric heater is additionally introduced into the gas supply system - an evaporator, which provides increased pressure.
Such a gas filling station must contain:
- exhaust and pumping units;
- gas storage tanks;
- technical tools for transportation;
- additional devices: dispensers, gas density measuring instrument, etc.
Rules for refilling gas cylinders for a summer residence
A fairly high degree of explosion hazard determines the presence standard requirements requirements for refilling gas cylinders.
For example, gas refilling should not be carried out if one of the following deficiencies exists:
- the equipment is faulty;
- there is no residual pressure in the cylinder;
- there are visible defects in valves or valves;
- the surface of the cylinder is covered with rust;
- there is availability external signs paint peeling;
- there are dents or damage.
In addition to the standards, cylinders are marked with the words “compressed gas” and a sticker is applied indicating an explosion hazard.
Before direct filling, the vessel must be freed from condensate and gas residues. The filling of the cylinder is carried out strictly on the basis of its characteristics specified in the technical data sheet.
Gas cylinders can be refilled in two ways:
- exchange - the consumer provides his cylinders and in return receives cylinders already filled with gas. The main advantage of this method can be considered significant time savings. Disadvantage: receiving someone else's equipment, which may have lower technical specifications;
- using your own cylinders - the consumer leaves the cylinders at the gas station, and after a certain time (1-2 days) picks them up. The positive aspect of this method is that you constantly use your own cylinders. The downside is delivery costs and refueling time.
Cost of refilling gas equipment
The price of such services depends on several factors:
- level of service (installation/dismantling);
- availability of transport services (additional transportation);
- electricity costs for refueling;
- the cost of the gas itself.
IN Lately A new offer has appeared on the gas cylinder and refueling equipment market - mobile (home) gas refueling. In other words, you can refuel your car at home from the domestic gas network. As you know, household gas tariffs for the population are orders of magnitude lower than the price of gas at gas stations. And this is even through the counter. If there is no meter and you pay standard (albeit inflated) tariffs, then everything is clear. Yes, it turns out that you will be refueling your car for practically nothing. By the way, in the West or in America there are such home gas stations They are increasingly gaining popularity, although there is not much difference in the price of gas in the kitchen and at the gas station. It's a different matter for us...
I think everyone understands the savings - even according to the most conservative estimates, at least more than 10 times, provided that you pay everything honestly according to the household gas meter.
In addition to that, refueling a car with natural gas from the household network, connected to your house or apartment will allow:
Let us repeat, the main thing is to reduce the cost of refueling a 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 away the oil film from the walls of the engine cylinders, 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 service life and stability of engine oil characteristics. Plus, this extends the life of the spark plugs by about a quarter. Reducing wear on engine parts increases engine life by 1.5-2 times, and the service life of 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 the engines of most foreign cars. This also applies to trucks.
Significantly reduce emissions of harmful combustion products into the atmosphere. When using gas as a vehicle fuel, there are completely no emissions of harmful toxic compounds of lead and aromatic compounds, emissions of CO, CH, and nitrogen oxides are reduced significantly, and smoke from the exhaust pipe is reduced three times. Even if you are not an ardent fan of “green” cars, cars with installed methane gas equipment are exempt from environmental control when passing inspection.
And the feasibility of using various “devices” to reduce vehicle fuel consumption has already been considered earlier.
Then there are two options for refueling your car with gas at home:
Purchase a ready-made factory mobile gas filling station. Unfortunately, the domestic industry does not produce them (that’s understandable; no one will be given permission), and there are already quite a lot of foreign samples. For example, they are mass-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 money on it, and therefore is definitely not an oligarch.
Do it yourself. The option is, again, tens of times cheaper, but it requires desire, time and, most importantly, “straight” hands, moreover, they must grow from the right place;).
Guide to self-manufacturing a set of gas cylinder equipment for refueling a car with household gas
At the beginning, it is necessary to clarify: there are gas equipment for compressed gas and equipment for liquefied gas. Equipment for compressed gas uses ordinary natural gas - methane, which can be taken from the residential household or industrial gas network. The only problem is how to fill this gas into a car at home.
In a regular gas pipeline supplied to a home stove, water heater or boiler, the pressure of natural gas is about 0.05 Atm., and in a gas cylinder high pressure 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 devices.
A conventional single-circuit compressor is capable of raising the pressure to a maximum of 20 -25 Atm., and to refill a gas cylinder it is necessary to reach 200 Atm. This is achieved by adding additional circuits to the system. It looks like a set of several compressors, each subsequent, of which presses the gas pre-compressed by the previous one to a higher pressure.
IN general case The high pressure compressor circuit looks like this.
Symbols on the diagram: 1 Filter for gas inlet. 2 Stage 1 inlet valve. 3 Stage 1 exhaust valve. 4 Cooling tube between 1st and 2nd stages. 5 Inlet valve 2 stages. 6 Stage 2 exhaust valve. 7 Cooling pipe between 2nd and 3rd stages. 8 Inlet valve 3 stages. 9 Exhaust valve 3 stages. 10 Cooling tubes at the last stage of gas release. 11 Pressure switch. 12 Active carbon/molecular filter. 13 Safety valve. 14 Pressure sensor. 15 Outlet fitting to hoses.
The operating principle of a compressor for filling a car with gas:
Gas from the domestic gas pipeline through the inlet filter (1) is supplied through the inlet valve (2) into the primary circuit cylinder. Compression occurs and through the exhaust valve (3) through the pipeline through the cooling radiator (4) it is supplied to the cylinder of the next circuit. Next, the gas pre-compressed in the primary circuit is pressurized to further higher pressure. All processes are repeated in the third circuit. The number of circuits can be increased to five. There are three of them in the above diagram. 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 purified in a molecular filter and, through a safety valve, is supplied to the cylinder of the car being refueled or to a reserve high-pressure cylinder. Refilling time will depend entirely on the productivity of the installation.
In order to speed up the time it takes to refuel a car, you can use additional stationary cylinders. 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, you can reduce the refueling time to 10-15 minutes.
Description of a homemade device for refueling a car with household gas.
As previously stated, this requires a high-pressure compressor (up to 200 kg/cm2). You can use compressors such as GP4, NG-2, AKG-2, but they require a powerful electric motor, which is not suitable for many. A good option- this is the use of an AK 150S aircraft compressor. It is used on modern armored vehicles and in aviation. This compressor is quite small-sized, lightweight, and 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. It often happens that they can be written off, having spent no more than 10% of their resource. Those who search will always find (sometimes for very little money or liquid barter :)).
The diagram of the filling device is shown in Fig. 2
From the household gas network through a rubber hose (possibly from a gas welding machine), gas is supplied through a valve to the gas filter (7). A pressure meter (2), connected through an adapter (3), serves to monitor the pressure in the gas network. The gas in the filter (7) is cleared of foreign impurities and supplied to the compressor (10), where it increases to 150 kg/cm2. Then the gas enters the moisture separator (18), high-pressure gas filter (19), pressure automatic (20) type ADU-2S. After this, gas is 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 meter is used with measurement limits of 0-400 mm water. Art.
Function gas filter Can perform new fine fuel filter for diesel engines. To release condensate from the moisture separator, a tap (17) is used. To control the pressure at the compressor outlet, a pressure gauge (22) (0-250) kg/cm2 is installed.
Elements 18, 19, 20 (Fig. 2) are most preferably used from air system tank. In principle, you can do without the ADU-2 pressure automatic, but then you need to constantly monitor the outlet pressure so that it does not exceed it.
In Fig. Figure 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.
Figure 3 shows a variant of the compressor drive unit.
The housing (11) is attached to the compressor flange (1) using sheet metal and studs (8) through a gasket (10). A plate (12) is welded to the bottom of the housing to secure the compressor with a lubrication unit (Fig. 5). A type 205 bearing (4) is pressed into the housing (11) (Fig. 3). A bushing (7) from a slot is pressed into the bearing, which is secured with a retaining ring (19). The splined shaft (6) of the compressor enters the bushing on one side, and on the other side a shaft (17) is pressed in, the key of which fits into the splines of the bushing (7). This is done to avoid cutting splines on the shaft (17). After pressing, the shaft (17) is carefully welded to the bushing (7).
After this, the housing (11) is closed with a cover (14) with an oil seal (13). The cover is secured with bolts (5). A drive pulley (15) with a key (16) is mounted on the other end of the shaft (17). 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 tin. The drive unit with the compressor is attached to the top of the tank. The hole (13) (Fig. 3) must coincide with the hole (11) (Fig. 5) of the tank. On top of the tank in convenient location a hole is cut to which the filler neck (3) and cap (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 wall of the reservoir with studs. Hole (4) (Fig. 5) serves to supply oil to the pump. Shafts (6) and (17) are connected using a plate (7) and a bushing (8). To secure the bearing (12), there is a housing (15) with a cover (16) and an oil seal (13). The cover is attached to the body using bolts (14). A pulley (18) with a key is put on the shaft (17). The oil pump is used from a GAZ-51, 52, 69 car, but it should be kept in mind that the pumps differ in the length of the drive shaft.
Used to monitor the oil level observation window(11) of arbitrary design. The lubrication system works like this. The torque from the electric motor pulley is transmitted through a belt drive to the pulley (16) (Fig. 2), (18) (Fig. 5) and through the shaft (17), bushing (8) and plate (7) is transmitted to the shaft (6) pump drive (1). The oil enters through the hole (4) into the pump (1) (Fig. 5), (8) (Fig. 2), passes through the adapter (3), into which the car pressure sensor (4) is screwed, and is supplied through the tube to the inlet fitting (12) oil supply to the compressor. Fitting (12) in fig. 2 is conditionally deployed. It is screwed into the hole (3) (Fig. 3). The diameter of the thread depends on the tube you have, which can be used from hydraulic system automotive and tractor units.
Next, the oil passes through the lubrication channels of the compressor (Fig. 3, Fig. 4), collects at the bottom and is discharged through the oil drain hole Fig. 4, fig. 11 (part 11) then flows through the hole (13) (Fig. 3) into the tank (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 a compressor drive gear, which must be purchased. To do this, it is necessary to grind the ring gear to the dimensions shown in Fig. 11 (part 7). You can connect a car light bulb to the pressure sensor (4) (Fig. 2). Instead of a sensor, you can connect a pressure gauge for monitoring. In order to remove the gas that has broken through the piston rings into the drive unit housing, there is a threaded hole at the top of the housing (Fig. 11), (detail 11), section A-A, into which the fitting (13) is screwed (Fig. 2). A rubber tube is put on the fitting and brought above the roof of the garage or house. 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.
The design of the compressor allows pumping gas of any pressure. But it must be remembered that when the compressor operates at a very low pressure or complete absence of gas at the inlet, with the main valve fully open, a vacuum may be created at the compressor inlet and the compressor, instead of gas, begins to draw air through leaks in the valve seals, etc. Therefore, before When filling the gas cylinder, it is necessary to let the compressor run for several minutes into the atmosphere until the air is completely removed from the filling device.
Converting a vehicle to run on natural gas.
In Fig. 1 shown diagram of gas equipment for natural gas.
First, you need to make sure that it is advisable to install HBO on your car.
The cylinders (5) containing natural gas are connected by high-pressure tubes (3) through adapters (4) screwed into the cylinders instead of valves. Through the shut-off valve (6), gas is supplied to the flow valve (9) and enters the high pressure reducer (HP) (11), where the high gas pressure (200 atmospheres) is reduced to 10 atm. During this process, the gas cools quickly and strongly, so the reducer may freeze when the gas is quickly taken in, and then the gas will stop flowing. To prevent gas freezing, a reducer heater (12) is used. Next, the gas is already through the pipeline low pressure(14), through solenoid valve(15) enters the low pressure reducer (18), where the gas pressure is reduced again and sent through the tee (20) to the carburetor (22), proportional to the engine load (depending on the pressure of the gas pedal). By transferring the voltage of switch P1 to the gas valve (15) or to the gasoline valve (23), it is possible to switch the type of fuel on the fly. Gasoline enters the carburetor (22) through the fuel pump (24) and valve (23). To start the engine on gas, a starting valve (19) is used.
In Fig. Figure 1 shows a simplified diagram for controlling electric valves. Valves 15, 19, 23, reducer-heater 12, low pressure tubes can be used from the equipment set for liquefied gas. All this can be mounted in the engine compartment in its regular places. This can be done in a workshop that installs equipment for liquefied gas. You can also purchase these components there, install them, adjust them, and check them. You can do all this yourself, but you will still need documents for registration gas installation by car, and they can only be issued by a workshop that has a license for this. Yes and for correct adjustment gas equipment, on which both engine thrust and consumption greatly depend, it is advisable that it be performed by a qualified technician using the appropriate equipment.
You don't have to buy a balloon. A standard car will not work, because it is designed for low pressure (16 atm) and the mileage will be very short. Therefore, it is necessary to replace it with a high-pressure cylinder (Fig. 7) 200 (150) atm and add a high-pressure reducer (11) (Fig. 1) to reduce the pressure from 200 (150) atm to 10 atm. Aviation oxygen reducers that do not freeze, or a gearbox from a truck with a heater, are well suited for this.
Also, for this purpose you can use a regular oxygen reducer for gas welding work. But it needs to be slightly modified. You need to change the cover large diameter threads, at the top for a fitting and a safety valve with a fitting from a truck gearbox. The fact is that the oxygen reducer is not suitable for removing gas when activated safety valve or when the membrane ruptures. A rubber tube (10) (Fig. 1) is put on the safety valve fittings and the cover fitting (13) and taken outside the body.
In addition, for the oxygen reducer it is necessary to purchase a liquid heater (12) (Fig. 1) with a bracket. In this way you can reduce the cost of the system. It should be borne in mind that the above applies to the oxygen reducer type DKP-1-65. There is also a new type of gearbox EKO-25-2, to which the cover from the gearbox of a truck does not fit.
The high pressure gearbox is installed in the engine compartment of the car. The liquid heater is installed in the gap in the hose that goes to the stove. Copper tube from the set of liquefied gas equipment that goes into the trunk must be replaced with a high-pressure steel seamless tube from the compressed gas equipment of a truck. The operation of the high pressure gearbox is monitored using a pressure gauge (16) (0-25 kg/cm2), which is installed in place of the gearbox pressure sensor.
To determine the amount of gas filled and control the pressure in the cylinders, a high pressure manometer (1) (Fig. 1) (0-250 kg/cm2) is installed on the final cylinder. The filling valve (7) (Fig. 1) is used for filling high-pressure cylinders pressure from a home filling device, or at a filling station - CNG filling station. For this purpose, a filling fitting from a truck is used. To connect the cylinders to each other, connect the HP reducer, tees, you can use only high-pressure seamless steel tubes (3) with an outer diameter of 10 mm and an inner diameter of 6 mm.
To prevent damage from vibration and distortions, short parts of gas pipelines are bent into rings with a diameter of 100 mm. In addition, the cylinders must be installed on a common frame in slots lined with rubber tape. The entire package must be compressed with pins to prevent the cylinders from moving. Each car brand has its own layout option.
In Fig. 9 shows one of possible options. In addition, the design of a package of cylinders depends on the type of cylinders and 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 when different temperatures air, different amounts of gas enter the same volume. For orientation, you can use a simplified transition coefficient:
a) at a pressure in cylinders of 150 kg/cm2 - 1 liter of cylinder volume, equivalent to 0.3 liters of gasoline.
b) at a pressure in cylinders of 200 kg/cm2 - 1 liter of cylinder volume, equivalent to 0.4 liters of gasoline.
That is, if the average car consumption is 9 liters of gasoline per 100 km and the total volume of cylinders is 50 liters (for example), the mileage will be as follows:
a) at a pressure in the cylinders of 150 kg/cm2; 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 and the volume of the cargo compartment decreases. It is better to have a main set of cylinders for a mileage of 80-100 km and an additional set for long trips.
Specifically for passenger cars Our industry does not produce high-pressure cylinders. Therefore, we have to use them from different fields of technology,
In Fig. Figure 7 shows the dimensions of the most common types of high pressure cylinders. May be suitable for our needs oxygen cylinders non-standard reduced size. Scuba cylinders are perfect for scuba diving. Cylinders are produced from fiberglass, reinforced with coiled steel wire, and made from composite materials. They are very light and strong and are ideal for our needs, but they are in short supply.
You can also use aviation or tank high-pressure cylinders. On extreme case a cylinder of the required size can be made from ordinary oxygen by cutting out the middle part. After this, the cylinder is welded by argon-arc welding, scanned with a gamma flaw detector, and subjected to hydraulic testing in a specialized organization. In artisanal conditions, doing this is strictly prohibited.
After installing the valve cylinders, adapters, filling fitting are placed in a box (4) (Fig. 9) made of soft sheet metal, into which the fitting (3) and the service window (2) are soldered, which is installed on the seal. The design can be taken from liquefied gas cylinders. A piece of rubber tube is put on the fitting and taken out of the body through a window for refueling a gasoline tank or other place.
On average, filling gas cylinders takes 1-1.5 hours. To reduce refueling time, two compressors can be paired. Truck owners can use 4 compressors. In Fig. 10 shows the principle electrical diagram connecting a 3-phase electric motor to a single-phase network.
Voltage to the IM motor is supplied through circuit breaker Q1, magnetic starter MP. When you press the “start” button, relay P1 is activated, which, with its contacts P1.2, supplies voltage to the coil of the MP starter and connects the starting capacitors Sp with contacts P1,1. At the same time, the starter is triggered and connects the motor and operating capacitors Ср to the network. At the same time, the block contacts of the MP 1.1 starter close and the starter becomes self-locking. When you release the Start button, Sp is disabled. When you press the “Stop” button or when the RT motor thermal protection relay is triggered, the circuit opens, the starter turns off, the engine turns off and the circuit returns to its original position. When connecting the motor windings with a triangle, Ср=4800 (IHOM/U), where IHOM is the rated current of the motor, U is the network voltage. Sp=(2-3)Avg.
When storing a car in a garage, a tube is put on the fitting, which is led above the roof of the garage. With this design, you will be completely guaranteed against any gas leaks. Before using cylinders, it is necessary to check their operating pressure, volume, and technical condition. The outer surface must not have dents, cracks, deep scratches and traces of corrosion. Near the neck of the HP it is indicated:
- date of test and date of next test;
- type of heat treatment (N - normalization, W - hardening and tempering);
- operating pressure;
- test hydraulic pressure (p225);
- actual weight, factory mark,
To connect gas pipelines, special adapters are used (Fig. 8), which are screwed into the cylinder instead of a valve, lubricating the threads with 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, there should be 2-5 turns of thread left 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, rests against the conical surface of the fitting and, when deformed, seals the connection. If you purchased old tubes, you need to cut off the end of the tube with the nipple and put on a new nipple, coat it with lead, and tighten the union nut. After carefully tightening everything threaded connections The filling valve is opened, the filling device is connected and air is pumped to half the operating pressure, the connections are checked, and if there are no gaps, air is pumped to the full operating 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 bleed air from the system and pump gas into the cylinder. After this, open the flow valve and let gas flow to the high pressure reducer and check its operation.
To do this, use the fitting (13) (Fig. 1) to 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 a little. All work must be carried out outside the premises. After this, the operation of the gearbox safety valve is checked. To do this, tighten the fitting (13) (Fig. 1) smoothly and gradually increase the pressure at the outlet of the reducer until the valve operates. It should operate at a pressure of 15-17 kg/cm2.
If the valve operates at a different pressure, the locknut on the valve must be loosened and the actuation adjusted. After this, check the tightness of the main valve. To do this, completely unscrew the fitting (13), while gas should not enter the low pressure line. If the pressure slowly increases, then the valve seat in the gearbox is changed or taken to a 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 liquefied gas equipment and there is no need to describe it. It should be borne in mind that when using a low pressure reducer from a liquefied gas nozzle, your car may slightly lose dynamism. To prevent this from happening, you can drill out the jets in the gearbox by 1-2 tens, but then the mileage and efficiency will decrease. So the decision is yours.
Safety rules for operating a vehicle and refueling device.
You need to know that natural gas is lighter than air and rises, unlike liquefied gas, which spreads along the ground and fills all the cracks and basements. Therefore, during operation it is necessary to take this feature into account.
Before each departure and return to the garage, after Maintenance and repairs it is necessary to do a leak test gas system. Most available methods detection of gas leaks - this is odor control and soaping soap solution. If you smell gas while driving, the problem must be repaired. If you cannot eliminate the malfunction, you must release the gas from the cylinders into the atmosphere (in the absence of people, open fire, or other cars nearby).
If the gearbox freezes and the engine starts in winter, it is necessary to use hot water, the use of open fire is strictly prohibited! When gas equipment catches fire, it is necessary to close the valves and turn off the refueling system. To put out a fire, have a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher on hand. In this case, it is necessary to water the cylinders with water to prevent the pressure in them from increasing.
Once every three years, it is necessary to check high-pressure cylinders with a hydraulic test, and once a year, they must be tested. It is strictly forbidden to attach them to the surface of cylinders by welding. structural elements. When refueling a car, it is necessary to monitor the gas pressure at the inlet and outlet of the compressor, the temperature of the cylinders, and the pressure in the lubrication system. There should be no people in the vehicle during refueling.
If gas leaks are detected, refueling must be performed under the following conditions: refuel only with the flow valve closed, do not stand near the refueling hose when refueling, do not tighten the nuts while refueling under pressure, and do not knock with metal objects on the parts of the refueling system. The filling hose must only be disconnected after the filling valve has been closed. When the operating 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, affordable and at the same time safe and efficient design of a refueling device, which you can assemble in a fairly short time and receive moral and material pleasure from your work. At the same time, the article is educational in nature and the site is not responsible for possible consequences use of materials.
Despite significant increases in energy prices, gas is still the most common type of fuel. It is used for various purposes, including refueling cars. Installing gas equipment on cars 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 supplied to residential buildings is much cheaper than liquefied gas at specialized gas stations. Therefore, refill cylinders from kitchen stove much more profitable. But in order to carry out this process yourself, you will need special equipment.
Currently there are two available options:
- industrial mobile gas filling stations. Such equipment is not produced in our country. Therefore, you will have to turn to foreign manufacturers. Installations for filling cylinders with household gas 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 accidents can occur when household gas leaks.
A feature of the equipment that allows you to fill cylinders with household gas is the use of several compressors combined into different circuits. This allows for a gradual increase in gas pressure.
Operating principle of a gas filling plant
Since the gas pressure in the gas pipeline is approximately 0.05 Atm, it must be compressed to 200 Atm before refueling. This problem is solved by the installation for refilling cylinders. It can include from 3 to 5 circuits, while the operating principle will remain unchanged:
- The gas passes through a filter installed at the inlet of the system and enters the circuit cylinder.
- The compressor builds up pressure and the compressed gas is supplied to the cooling radiator.
- The gas is supplied through the pipeline to the next circuit, where even greater compression occurs.
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 pumped in advance, the time can be reduced to 10-15 minutes.
When using homemade gas filling equipment, you must be extremely careful. Gas leaks can cause various accidents.
Accidents at gas filling stations, despite the high safety of modern gas equipment, unfortunately do happen. And sometimes the fault is not even the car owner’s negligent attitude towards the refueling process, or the violation of safety regulations by a gas station employee. The reason for emergencies at gas filling stations is most often banal awareness; people simply don’t know how to behave correctly at gas filling stations. No, I don’t want to say that emergencies don’t happen at ordinary gas stations, it’s just gas fuel differs from classic gasoline and diesel fuel. We are talking about a completely different refueling technology and a completely different state of these types of fuel, not to mention flammability...
In this article I want to talk about safety rules at gas stations, as well as how to fill a car with gas correctly independently, if the need arises.
First, about what not to do at a gas station
At gas stations it is prohibited:
- Well, first of all, of course, smoking or using open fire sources. I think there is no need to explain here, we all know what gas is and what happens if you suddenly set it on fire a large number of gas There is an explosion of unprecedented proportions, so in no case, under any circumstances, do not violate this rule “No. 1”.
- Refuel the car with the engine running. When the engine is running, the fuel line is functioning, so there is a high probability of a sharp increase in pressure in the fuel line, which can damage the valves and many others no less important nodes gas equipment.
- Refill a faulty LPG. Before you fill your car with gas, make sure that the valves and VSU are in order. has no damage, but itself gas equipment works properly and has no leaks.
- Start refueling without permission from the gas station operator.
- Carry out refueling with the “gun” installed incorrectly.
How to properly refill a gas cylinder in a car with LPG?
First of all, you must remember one thing - refuel your car if there is an operator or a gas station attendant - prohibited! For such a violation, the employee may be punished or even fired, and you, at a minimum, will receive a warning or possibly even a fine! All you need to do is tell the employee the location of the remote refueling device.
There are, however, exceptions when there is no refueler or the refueling station itself provides for the possibility of refueling yourself, in which case the tips below will help you correctly fill up with gas at a gas station.
From personal experience. For example, I once witnessed a simply blatant case of violation of safety rules by an employee of a gas filling station. The gas station operator, in a state of severe alcoholic intoxication, tried to connect the pistol and could not, let alone connect it to the VZU, he could barely stand on his feet. The worst thing was that a few minutes after his unsuccessful attempts, the gas station attendant decided “out of grief” to light a cigarette, while holding the pistol in his hands. I’ll tell you honestly, I’ve never seen people get into cars so quickly and drive off in all directions... 🙂 Laugh with laughter, but everything could have ended in tears...
1. The first thing to do is drive up to the pump and turn off the engine.
2. Perform a visual check to ensure that it is working properly, although it is best to do this before you go to the gas station.
3. Connect the adapter, if it is provided for in the design of your gas equipment, and install the gun into the VSU.
4. Turn on the gas supply and monitor the filling of the gas cylinder. Here it is necessary to remember that only the amount of gas that can physically fit into the cylinder can fit into it; you should not shake the car or stagger in order to pump more gas into your cylinder. I wrote about this in more detail in my previous article: .
5. After the cylinder is filled, the automatic gas station will shut off the gas supply. You will notice this by the fact that the numbers in the “liters” and “rubles” fields will stop. Although if you don't need a full tank, you can stop refilling at any time.
6. All that remains is to disconnect the “gun” and remove the adapter, if you installed one.
After completing the refueling, do not forget to pay the bill. That’s actually the whole procedure, as you can see, it’s not complicated, the most important thing is to try to do it yourself several times.
Finally a video about How to fill your car with gas yourself:
Thank you all for your attention, I hope the article was useful to you!?
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The desire of motorists to switch to gas from the usual gasoline is easy to explain. In this way, it is possible to reduce fuel costs and even extend the life of the car’s power unit.
But for some car enthusiasts this is not enough - they invent unique ways Domestic gas refills.
Is it possible? Which methods are most preferable? When should you expect cost recovery? Let's look at these questions in detail.
Advantages and disadvantages of filling a car with gas
On domestic market car enthusiasts choose between two options - equipment running on methane or propane (propane-butane). The above technologies have a lot of fundamental differences.
In the first case, the fuel is cheaper and is in the form of gas. In the case of propane, the cost of fuel is higher and the gas itself is liquid. All that is required for the transition is to supply gas equipment.
The question is whether it's worth doing.
Advantages of converting your car to gas
Availability.
The main reason why motorists switch to gas fuel is the desire to save money.
On average, the cost of gas is two times lower, which guarantees the benefits and payback of the system in case of long trips.
The price of equipment installation may vary and ranges from 15-50 thousand rubles.
Many experts have calculated and come to the conclusion that after 15-20 thousand kilometers, equipment in the middle price category pays for itself.
In practice, 9 out of 10 car enthusiasts buy a new car and use it.
Increasing engine life.
Gas has an octane number that is higher than that of gasoline, which guarantees its combustion without residue, absence of detonation and minimal load on the engine.
In addition, HBO guarantees more uniform mixing of gas with the air flow, which prevents the lubricant from being washed off from the inside of the cylinders. This is why the motor lasts longer.
Salvation for the environment.
Due to the fact that the gas burns almost completely, the volume of harmful vapors in the exhaust is minimal. If we draw parallels with “diesel” gases from the exhaust pipe, then the level of nitrogen oxide is 60-65 percent lower, and particulate matter is 80 percent lower.
Multifunctionality.
Installing LPG does not mean that the driver must give up the main fuel. Moreover, he has access to gasoline (diesel) or gas at any time. All that is required is to move a special toggle switch to the desired position.
Safety for life.
There are many stereotypes on the Internet that gas equipment explodes during a collision or even spontaneously. In practice, such situations are known, but they are rare. The main thing is to entrust the installation to professionals and undergo periodic maintenance.
In addition, the gas equipment is equipped with safety valves that prevent spontaneous explosion. But that's not all.
Cylinders are installed in such a way as to reduce the risk of contact and explosion in the event of a collision with another object on the road.
At the same time, a lot of experiments were carried out that proved minimal risk to the car.
If a leak occurs, it is easy to recognize with the help of odorous elements - mercaptans.
Disadvantages of switching to gas
Maintenance problems.
Despite the popularity of gas equipment, there are not many specialists in setting up and installing such equipment.
The reason is that servicing gas equipment requires expensive equipment, which not all stations are ready to purchase.
When problems arise with the system, you have to spend a lot of time searching for a competent technician.
A small number of gas stations.
The main reason for the small number of gas stations is the difficulty of obtaining permits to refuel vehicles with such fuel, as well as the high cost of equipment.
On a long trip you have to struggle to find a suitable gas station. The only thing that saves is the ability to quickly switch to gasoline.
Reduced power and dynamics.
The results of the experiments showed that after refueling the car with gas (methane or propane), the power drops by 12-15 percent. Accordingly, the maximum speed is reduced by 6-7 percent.
Problems with starting the engine in low temperatures.
When the ambient temperature drops below 10 degrees below zero, the gas turns into a liquid state and does not enter the system.
In addition, the ignition temperature also increases, which leads to a number of starting problems.
In such a situation, the only solution is to start on gasoline and then switch to gas.
Risk of depressurization when temperature rises.
Cars with HBO are afraid of engine overheating due to the risk of depressurization of the system. For the same reason, you should avoid exposure to direct sunlight.
Increase in vehicle weight and decrease in trunk volume.
It is no secret that installation of gas equipment is carried out in the luggage compartment, which often leads to a lack of space when loading.
On average, 65-70 kilograms are added to the weight of the car and 40 liters of luggage compartment are subtracted.
There are situations when HBO is mounted directly behind the rear seats. In this case, the possibility of folding them and transporting rangefinder loads is excluded.
Is it possible to refuel a car with household gas: basic methods
In recent years, natural gas methane has become popular in the US and EU.
In Italy, almost fifty thousand cars have been converted to this type of blue fuel, and in Germany, dozens of methane gas stations are opened every month.
For this reason, motorists are increasingly switching to more affordable fuel.
The difficulty is that refueling a car with methane requires a pressure of 210-220 atmospheres, which is not always possible to achieve. So, a hundred-liter cylinder holds about 20-25 cubic meters. meter of natural gas.
The highest pressure that the cylinders can hold is 240-260 atmospheres (with a test pressure of 300 atmospheres).
In the United States, Canada and Italy, thousands of motorists fill up with gas in the garage. Gradually, this trend is reaching the CIS countries. All that is required is a compressor costing 5-10 thousand dollars.
The total productivity of the devices is 20 “cubes” in 5-10 hours. By the way, performance depends on two parameters - the level of inlet pressure and the compressor itself.
But there are risks here. If a car owner makes a mistake with the pressure or installation, then the whole area is left without gas.
In addition, the use of a compressor leads to gas being sucked out of the system until the protection at the hydraulic fracturing operation is activated.
According to the rules, the excess pressure should be up to 2 kPa. If gas is collected above the established norm, the gas supply is turned off.
So, in order to fill a cylinder with 20 “cubes” of blue fuel, it is necessary to pump out gas from almost one and a half kilometers of pipe having a diameter of 140 mm.
If the gas supply is carried out at a pressure of 3-12 atmospheres (average level), then refueling a car with gas at home is possible.
With this pressure, it is easier for the compressor to reach the level required for refueling.
Among the problems described above, it is worth noting one more - bureaucratic. Certifying such equipment in the CIS countries is akin to science fiction.
One of the alternatives is the use of the AK-150S compressor, which is used in the military industry and is mounted on various devices - infantry fighting vehicles, tanks, aircraft and other equipment.
How does it all work (gas station with high pressure pump)?
Now let’s take a closer look at the principle on which the system works and what its features are. Unfortunately, for Russia it still looks fantastic.
Everything is easy here. Every car enthusiast has access to a high pressure pump (HP). Simply connect the device to your home gas pipeline and refuel your car.
As for any requirements, you should be guided by the current safety rules regarding gas supply systems. It is also worth noting that the device is connected to electricity, so grounding is required.
If the compressor capacity is 9-10 “cubes” of gas per hour, then full charging is achieved in 1-1.5 hours. In this case, it is not necessary to stand near the car while refueling is taking place.
The system is safe, so after shutting down you can go to bed to rest, and turn everything off in the morning.
Advantages and disadvantages of filling gas at home
Filling your car with gas at home has a number of advantages:
- Convenience. There is no need to go anywhere to fill the tank;
- Benefit. Refilling with household gas is cheaper.
Flaws:
- High cost of installing gas equipment on a car;
- Costs for purchasing a gas compressor;
- High pressure cylinders are large in size and weight;
- There are not many methane gas stations, so you will have to refuel rarely (perhaps only at home);
- There is a risk of leaving the neighborhood without gas (this was discussed above).
If the mentioned disadvantages do not deter you, then you can decide on such a conversion.
When will everything pay off?
To understand whether it is worth spending money on re-equipping a car, we will carry out a series of simple calculations. To calculate, we take five Gazelle cars, provided that each car travels 250 kilometers per day.
The price of a refueling station (with a pressure of 10 “cubes” per hour) is about $3,000. This amount needs to be divided by the number of cars and the cost per car is $600.
It is also worth adding the cost of HBO - 400-500 dollars. Total - 1000 US dollars per car.
A gazelle consumes an average of 18 liters per hundred. As for blue fuel, the consumption here is almost the same.
One “cube” of methane in Russia costs 15 rubles, or about 23 cents. It turns out that per 100 km of travel the costs are $4.14.
If you travel on gasoline, the costs are twice as high. One liter costs about 34 rubles - 50 cents. Accordingly, 100 km will require 9 dollars.
For every hundred kilometers, the savings amount to almost five dollars.
To pay for the equipment, the machine must travel 20 thousand kilometers.
If we consider that a total of five cars travel 1,250 kilometers, then the costs will be recouped quickly - in 80 working days. The greater the daily mileage, the faster the payback occurs.
The issue of installing a gas unit is especially acute if the car’s consumption is 25-30 liters per “hundred”. In such a situation, the cost of equipment will pay off within 50-60 days.
Results
Transferring a car or refueling a car with gas at home should not happen in a hurry. Here it is worth carefully calculating costs and payback.
If vehicle If it travels 1-2 thousand kilometers a year, there is no need to re-equip the car. It’s another matter if the driver almost never leaves the wheel. In such a situation, switching to LPG is a chance to really reduce costs and recoup them within 3-4 months.
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