Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by TAURUS on March 5, 2011 at 13:12

I wonder what the cost is for these units? I didn't see any pricing.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Les Bamburg on March 5, 2011 at 17:15

Taurus, I saw some information that the units cost ~ $5,000.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Parkdota on March 5, 2011 at 13:36

Very cool...thanks for posting.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jeff on March 6, 2011 at 4:18

 

Les,

Have you looked at a cost comparison of filling up with gas at home vs. a cng station?  I wonder how the price would compare considering the upcharge from centerpoint that we get on our home gas.  Just curious.  I'd love to have the ability to have a cng\gasoline truck and fill at home.  Also I think conversion is the only way to get this right now.  I am hoping some of the major auto manufacturers will come in with a cng option for a full line of vehicles.  (trucks)

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by w.r. frank on March 6, 2011 at 7:04

Get your Ford truck sent from the factory straight for conversion and delivery.

 

http://www.worktruckonline.com/Channel/Green-Fleet/News/Story/2011/...

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Max on March 6, 2011 at 7:51

I searched for the maintenance of these units but could not find anything on the subject.  If you do have a unit and something breaks on it, who do you call?

 

The unit has to have a compressor and that compressor wouldn't be one that you could find at a local hardware store.  Compressing a flammable gas from 1/4 psi to 3600 psi has some risk involved.  I've serviced low pressure hydrogen compressors and had to have special training to do so.  Most of the compressors were the rotary type and one that would fit in a shoe box cost around $2000.  They had to have special seals, lubricants, purging gases, and filters. 

 

It was a lonely job doing this because most folks wouldn't come within a hundred feet when you were servicing these pumps.  If it caught on fire, the first thing you would notice is the smell of hair burning, usually the hairs in your nose, then the heat.  You couldn't see the flames.  CNG would be different, I would expect a yellow flame, but at 3600 psi it may combine with enough oxygen and produce a blue flame.  Either way, I expect the unit to come with a automatic pressure shut off valve if something goes wrong. 

 

I don't want to be negative about these units, but I know too many people who would try and repair these units on their own.  Why pay someone $$$$ when you can do it yourself.  If this does take off, I feel that there would be more government regulations put in place to protect the public from themselves.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by P.G. on March 6, 2011 at 8:03

The only compressed gas at home would be what was being compressed into you car's tank on those home compressors. The hose on those pictures looked pretty small. Perhaps they have a safety shut off or check valves if the hose broke.. My brother had a summer job after college in Florida at a dive shop where he would fill air tanks for customers. I believe he said they were compressed up to around 5000 lbs. They put them in a horse take filled with ice water.. Not much high tech stuff about it.. I wonder if CNG would work similar?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by TAURUS on March 7, 2011 at 2:41

Here is an article about combining CNG with Diesel via fumagation:

http://www.dieselpowermag.com/tech/general/0811dp_diesel_natural_ga...

 

The guy being discussed in the article reached 38mpg with his Duramax Diesel and his competitors reached 25 mpg. That sure beats the 13 mpg I get with my 6.0 in my F350. I'm seriously considering it making this modification. I can't quite tell if a guy has the option of switching back to diesel 100% in the absence of a CNG filling station or if that would require all kinds of recalibration to do so. Interesting concept though.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Les Bamburg on March 7, 2011 at 3:58

Taurus, my understanding is the guy's truck is primarily fueled by diesel with the CNG being added to increase the fuel economy.  So it probably can run on 100% diesel when needed.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by TAURUS on March 7, 2011 at 4:09

If that's the case, it would be awesome. I have to wonder why more heavy trucks aren't using this fumagation method. If you could take a big rig from say 7-9 mpg and get them up to 14-18 mpg even that would be huge in the big picture. Although, there is a cost factor for the CNG. I wonder how the math works out for this particular fella in the article at 38 mpg. That is, what is his ultimate cost per gallon when you factor in the diesel used and the CNG?

 

If one could turn it on and off, that seems to cover the question right now regarding what do you do if there's not a CNG station on your long distance travel route.

• ▶ Reply