How to fill a disposable gas cartridge? Let's make a transition! How to fill a gas cylinder from household gas
To date, refueling gas cylinders is a very topical issue. Especially considering that it is much cheaper and easier to refill an old cylinder than to buy a new one. Bottled gas is often used both in everyday life and in production. Most often, gas is used for heating private houses and for domestic needs (cooking). In connection with the growing popularity of the use of gas in various fields, many people have a reasonable question where to purchase and subsequently fill gas cylinders for their household needs.
Where to fill gas cylinders? And where should it not be done?
Sale of gas for domestic cylinders is carried out at specialized filling points. Most often, such points are located at stationary automobile gas filling stations. Of course, there is an opportunity to fill cylinders with gas at many gas stations that are not even equipped with special balloon points, but experts strongly advise against buying liquefied gas on them. This comes with certain risks:
- when refueling with gas, cylinders are not checked for gas leaks;
- there is no control on the part of tankers of the terms or the period of examination of cylinders, which makes further operation of cylinders unsafe;
- the format of the car filling station does not make it possible to fill the cylinder properly. According to the approved norms, the volume of filling with gas should not exceed 85%. This allows you to create in the cylinder, the so-called "steam cap", which prevents the risk of explosion of the cylinder 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 prevent gas overflow in a timely manner. With this in mind, gas cylinders should be filled with the obligatory control of the weight of the equipment on the scales.
Refueling of gas cylinders at automobile gas stations is possible only with specialized equipment and a license.
Companies that fill any gas containers are called "gas filling stations". By the nature of their activities, they may have a different set of equipment. Often, the process of filling a cylinder can take place in three ways:
- pumping - using a pump;
- pump-compression - gas is taken by the pump and under high blood pressure, created by the compressor, is fed into the cylinder;
- pumping and evaporating - additionally introduced into the gas supply system electric heater- an evaporator that provides increased pressure.
Such a gas filling station should contain:
- exhaust and pumping units;
- gas storage tanks;
- technical tools for transportation;
- additional devices: dispensers, instrument for measuring gas density, etc.
Rules for refueling gas cylinders for summer cottages
Enough high degree explosiveness causes the presence standard requirements required for filling gas cylinders.
For example, gas filling should not be carried out if one of the following disadvantages exists:
- the equipment is faulty;
- there is no residual pressure in the cylinder;
- there are visible defects in the valves or valve;
- the surface of the cylinder is covered with rust;
- there are external signs of paint peeling;
- there are dents or damage.
In addition to the norms, cylinders are marked with the inscription "compressed gas" and a sticker is applied, signaling an explosion hazard.
Before direct filling, the vessel must be freed from condensate and gas residues. Filling the cylinder is carried out strictly on the basis of its characteristics specified in the technical passport.
Filling gas cylinders can be carried out 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 a significant time saving. Disadvantage: receiving someone else's equipment, which may have lower technical specifications;
- use of 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 its cylinders are constantly used. Minus - the cost of delivery and refueling time.
The cost of refueling gas equipment
The price of such services depends on several factors:
- level of service (mounting / dismantling);
- availability of transport services (additional transportation);
- the cost of electricity for refueling;
- the cost of the gas itself.
If the gas cylinder runs out of gas, then it is easier to buy it than to refill the used one. But for the sake of economy Money people still try to fill an empty cylinder with gas on their own, avoiding buying it. Of course, it is quite possible and easy to do this. The main thing is to follow all the rules and safety measures. You can fill a small cylinder to the country or tourist gas bottle using a large-capacity donor balloon.
A household gas cylinder can be of different capacities: from 5 to 300 liters. In order for liquid gas to flow out, turn the donor cylinder upside down, the valve must be at the bottom. For convenience, you can use any design, for example, hang on a rope or install a cylinder on a stand. You can come up with many options for mounting the cylinder upside down. The main thing is that the design is reliable. To assemble a system for filling gas into an empty cylinder, you will need: a tap, hose adapters, a threaded head, a hose high pressure. In order for the assembled casting system to be durable and serve more than once, it is better to take all of the listed items from gas equipment, preferably for liquid nitrogen. If you take ordinary plumbing equipment, the system will quickly fail. Assemble the gas filling system, carefully fasten with couplings. The gearbox is not needed, with it the refueling process will go slower.
Filling is only possible household cylinders with a valve, and not old-style cylinders with a "lamb". Always remember that gas is highly explosive and must be handled with care and caution. You can fill the cylinder at gas stations equipped with special scales and having official permission.
If you find an error in the text, select it with the mouse and press Ctrl+Enter. Thank you.
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 motorists, this is not enough - they invent unique ways of refueling with household gas.
Is it possible? What are the preferred methods? When should you expect cost recovery? Let's analyze these questions in detail.
Advantages and disadvantages of refueling a car with gas
In the domestic market, motorists choose between two options - equipment for methane or propane (propane-butane). These 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 has a liquid form. All that is required for the transition is to supply gas equipment.
The question is whether it's worth it.
Benefits of converting your car to gas
Availability.
The main reason why motorists are switching to gas fuel- 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 motorists when buying a new car and on it.
Increasing the resource of the motor.
Gas has an octane rating that is higher than that of gasoline, which guarantees its combustion without residue, no detonation and minimal load on the engine.
In addition, HBO guarantees a more even mixing of gas with the air flow, which prevents the lubricant from being washed off the inside of the cylinders. That's why the motor lasts longer.
Salvation for the environment.
Due to the fact that the gas is almost completely burned, the amount 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 lower by 60-65 percent, and particulate matter by 80 percent.
Multifunctionality.
The installation of HBO does not mean that the driver must give up the main fuel. Moreover, he has access to gasoline (diesel oil) 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 net that HBO explodes on impact or even spontaneously. In practice, such situations are known, but they are rare. The main thing is to entrust the installation to professionals and periodically undergo maintenance.
In addition, safety valves are provided in the HBO to prevent spontaneous explosion. But that's not all.
Cylinders are mounted in such a way as to reduce the risk of contact and explosion in case of a collision on the road with another object.
At the same time, a lot of experiments were carried out that proved the minimum risk for the car.
If a leak appears, it is easy to recognize with the help of smelling elements - mercaptans.
Disadvantages of switching to gas
Service problems.
Despite the popularity of HBO, there are not so many specialists in setting up and installing such equipment.
The reason is that the maintenance of LPG 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 looking for an intelligent master.
A small number of gas stations.
The main reason for the small number of gas filling stations is the difficulty in obtaining permits to fill cars with such fuel, as well as the high cost of equipment.
On a long trip, you have to suffer 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, it decreases maximum speed by 6-7 percent.
Problems with starting the engine at low temperatures.
When the ambient temperature drops below 10 degrees below zero, the gas passes 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.
Danger of depressurization due to rising temperatures.
Cars with HBO are afraid of engine overheating due to the risk of system depressurization. For the same reason, direct sunlight should be avoided.
Increasing the weight of the car and reducing the volume of the trunk.
It's no secret that HBO is installed 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 taken away.
There are situations when HBO is mounted directly behind the rear seats. In this case, the possibility of their folding and transportation of rangefinder cargoes is excluded.
Is it possible to fill a car with household gas: the main ways
In recent years, in the US and the EU, it has been popular natural gas methane.
In Italy, for example, almost fifty thousand cars have been converted to this type of blue fuel, and in Germany, dozens of methane gas stations open every month.
For this reason, motorists are increasingly switching to more affordable fuel.
The difficulty is that to fill the car with methane, a pressure of 210-220 atmospheres is required, which is not always possible to achieve. So, about 20-25 cubic meters can fit in a hundred-liter cylinder. meters of natural gas.
The highest pressure that cylinders can hold is 240-260 atmospheres (at a test pressure of 300 atmospheres).
In the United States, Canada and Italy, thousands of motorists fill up with gas in their garage. Gradually, this trend reaches the CIS countries. All that is required is the presence of a compressor costing 5-10 thousand dollars.
The overall performance of the devices is 20 "cubes" in 5-10 hours. By the way, the performance depends on two parameters - the inlet pressure level and the compressor itself.
But there are risks here. If a car enthusiast made a mistake with pressure or installation, then a whole area remains without gas.
In addition, the use of a compressor leads to the exhaustion of gas from the system until the hydraulic fracturing protection operates.
According to the rules, the excess pressure should be up to 2 kPa. If the gas is collected above the established rate, then the gas supply is turned off.
So, in order to fill a cylinder with 20 "cubes" of blue fuel, it is worth pumping out gas from almost one and a half kilometers of a pipe with a diameter of 140 mm.
If the gas supply is carried out with a pressure of 3-12 atmospheres (average level), then refueling a car with gas at home is real.
With this pressure, it is easier for the compressor to catch up with the level required for refueling.
Among the problems described above, it is worth noting one more - bureaucratic. To certify 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 vehicles - infantry fighting vehicles, tanks, aircraft and other equipment.
How does it work (filling station with high pressure pump)?
Now let's take a closer look at how the system works, what are its features. Unfortunately, for Russia it looks fantastic so far.
Everything is easy here. Each motorist has access to a high-pressure pump (HPV). It is enough to connect the device to the home gas pipeline and refuel the car.
As for some requirements, here it is worth being 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 in progress.
The system is safe, so after turning it off, you are allowed to go to bed to rest, and turn everything off in the morning.
Advantages and disadvantages of refueling gas at home
Refueling your car with gas at home has several advantages:
- Convenience. There is no need to go anywhere to fill the tank;
- Benefit. Refueling with domestic gas is cheaper.
Disadvantages:
- The high cost of installing HBO on a car;
- The cost of purchasing a gas compressor;
- High pressure cylinders are large and heavy;
- There are not so many methane gas stations, so you will rarely have to refuel (perhaps only at home);
- There is a risk of leaving the microdistrict without gas (this was discussed above).
If the mentioned disadvantages do not scare away, then you can decide on such a re-equipment.
When will everything pay off?
To understand whether it is worth spending money on re-equipping a car, we will carry out a number of simple calculations. To calculate, we take five Gazelle cars, provided that each car travels 250 kilometers per day.
The price of a filling station (with a pressure of 10 "cubes" per hour) is about $ 3,000. This amount is required to be divided by the number of cars and get the cost of one car - $ 600.
It is also worth adding the cost of HBO - 400-500 dollars. Total - 1000 US dollars per car.
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 the cost per 100 km is $4.14.
Traveling on petrol costs twice as much. One liter costs about 34 rubles - 50 cents. Accordingly, 9 dollars will be required for 100 km.
For every hundred kilometers, the savings are almost five dollars.
For the payback of the equipment, the machine must travel 20 thousand kilometers.
If we take into account that a total of five cars travel 1250 kilometers, then the costs will be recouped quickly - in 80 working days. The greater the daily mileage, the faster the payback comes.
The issue of installing a HBU 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 in 50-60 days.
Results
Transferring a car or refueling a car with gas at home should not happen with a swoop. Here it is worth carefully calculating the costs and payback.
If the vehicle travels 1-2 thousand kilometers a year, then there is no need to re-equip the car. Another thing is if the driver almost does not get out from behind the wheel. In such a situation, switching to HBO is a chance to really reduce costs and recoup them within 3-4 months.
If there is a video in the article and it does not play, select any word with the mouse, press Ctrl + Enter, enter any word in the window that appears and click "Submit". Thank you.
Gas fuel has firmly entered the life of modern man. So, gas bottle is a rather primitive device, but it also has a number of specific nuances. Next, you will be able to read about what gas cylinders are, but for now we will try to decide on the purpose of the gas itself.
There is an erroneous opinion that gas "locked" in a cylinder and gas in a pipeline are one and the same. The fact is that centralized gas supply uses methane, which is a natural gaseous substance, it is also called swamp. But gas cylinders are already filled with a mixture of propane and butane, which is also officially called SPBT. A mixture of propane-butovy technical is a by-product obtained during oil refining. In the future, he will use the wording SPBT or simply “gas” for it.
Propane-butane mixture is absolutely universal. It is widely used in petrochemical industry for the manufacture of polymers, as well as mechanical engineering and metalworking - for welding work and cutting metal surfaces. In addition, SPBT can act as a gas engine fuel.
Complete diagram of connecting a gas cylinder to a stove
In everyday life, such a gas mixture is used to implement autonomous gasification of housing and communal services. It is filled with gas tanks and various gas cylinders, in which gas is burned by the forces of domestic boilers, stoves and other household gas equipment. The products of combustion are carbon dioxide and water, for this reason, such burning is considered as safe as possible for the ecology of living space.
In cross section, a gas standard cylinder is similar to the design of a transparent gas lighter. The gas mixture in a liquefied state acts as a liquid, and the free space above it is a steam cap, which enters the boiler or stove. The balance between these media is maintained due to the pressure inside a special container.
Connecting the cylinder to consumption devices
The device must be connected via a reducer. Inside a conventional gas cylinder, the pressure is not constant and depends on the ambient temperature. It can vary from 4 to 6 atm. The reducer is able to reduce and equalize the pressure to the optimum operating level cooker.
A hose is connected to the reducer, and a plate is connected to it. The place of fixation is fixed with clamps, after which it is necessary to check the tightness of the connection with soap suds. Any foam will do. Fixation points need to be covered soapy water: If bubbles form on the surface, the connection is leaking.
We eliminate the leak: tighten the nut even more at the junction of the fitting with the gearbox. If a leak is found in the sleeve area, then tighten the clamps. After adjustment, it is necessary to check again with soap suds to finally make sure that there is no leakage. This test is always carried out when connecting gas bottle- This Golden Rule safe use.
Correct connection of gas cylinders on the street, figure 1
Correct connection of polymer-composite gas cylinders, figure 2
IMPORTANT! You should not act like some especially “experienced” gas masters: in no case do not check the tightness with lit paper. This results in small flames at the leaks. This is strictly prohibited by safety regulations. In addition, such flames are very small and daylight can go unnoticed and lead to sad consequences.
Installation and operation of gas cylinders
The most important criterion safe operation such devices is to control possible leaks and overheating. Violation of sealing can be detected by a characteristic odor. The gas, in principle, has neither color nor smell, but a special marker is added to SPBT - a hydrocarbon-mercaptan. Due to this, a person can smell when the gas stove column is turned on or during a leak.
So, if you smell this smell, then we can conclude that the concentration of SPBT is 20 percent of the dangerous one. There is no reason to panic, that is, a reason to check the junction according to the above scheme.
Operation of gas cylinders, presented in the form of a table
When the gas cylinder is in the room itself, it should be placed at a distance of 1 meter from the stove, which in the active state is a heat source. Also, you can not place any other heating appliances: heating radiators and autonomous heaters.
An acceptable option would be a "dacha" installation method - from an external north side structures, which eliminates the possibility of overheating of the balloon by the rays of the sun. In such a situation, the sleeve must be passed through a hole in the wall, previously “treated” with a metal sleeve. The balloon is placed in special cabinet metal, equipped ventilation holes at the bottom of the walls. Since the gas is somewhat heavier than air, in the event of a leak, it will accumulate from below, where there will be ventilation holes, so a light wind can eliminate unwanted accumulation.
Why are the cylinders covered with frost?
Here you can also debunk one of the most common misconceptions. It is generally accepted that if such a device "freezes", then it becomes covered with frost. Some even argue that it is necessary to insulate such equipment with blankets, old coats and other improvised devices. So, the frost will disappear faster if the gas container is left as it is, without helping it to “thaw” with warm clothes.
The bottom of the gas cylinder, which is covered with frost
The appearance of frost can be explained by a number of physical processes that occur inside the structure when it is connected to furnaces or burners. At such moments, active fuel consumption is observed, therefore, large volumes of gaseous liquid turn into a vaporous fraction. And such a phenomenon is always accompanied by a large consumption of heat, it is for this reason that the surface of the cylinder becomes much colder than the temperature in the surrounding space. Moisture in airspace begins to appear in the form of condensate on the walls of the installation, subsequently turning into frost. This is a completely natural phenomenon, with which nothing needs to be done.
Moreover, all attempts to use artificial "insulation" violate safety standards during operation, and also affect the deterioration of the heat exchange of the device with the environment and affect the conditions of gas supply. If your burner did not please with a grandiose flame, then after your “maneuvers” with a blanket, it may stop working altogether.
Do not insulate gas cylinders with anything!
In general, when connected gas appliances with high power you need to be aware that a gas cylinder has restrictions on the speed of return. This means that the liquid fuel is converted into the steam stage gradually. For example, a 50 liter tank can provide about 500 grams of gas in 60 minutes. This is equivalent to a power of 6-7 kW. In the cold season, this figure is halved if the equipment is located outside. In summer, the situation is reversed: the maximum flow rate increases.
In any case, it can be concluded that frost is evidence that the cylinder cannot cope with high fuel consumption. This can cause a temporary drop in gas pressure and equipment failure. If this happens, it is better to stop consumption and wait until a sufficient head of steam has formed.
Why is there a "splash" of water in the container?
This can be heard in winter. Know that this is not water, but the butane component of SPBT. At the slightest frost, butane ceases to be converted into a vaporous fraction. It is she who "splashes" in the form of a liquid inside.
Butane component of SPBT in a gas cylinder
In the warm season, this problem does not arise: almost the entire propane-butane mixture is used. In order to avoid this in cold weather, it is recommended, when filling the tank, to ask the refueller about the availability of a passport for the used SPBT. This document must contain information that the mixture contains at least 80 percent propane, which passes from liquid to vapor during cold weather. If you use such a dressing, then there should be no problems.
How much gas is enough?
Here you can use primitive mathematical rules. If we start from the power of the stove, where 4 burners work at once, then 8 kWh of energy is used in 60 minutes. If you burn 1 kg of gas, you can get 12.8 kWh of energy. The first result must be divided by the second figure, resulting in the amount of "liquid" fuel necessary for the full operation of the stove for an hour. This figure is 0.625 kilograms of gas. Therefore, a 50 liter container with 21 kilograms of gas will be used to run the stove for 33.6 hours. If the power in kg of fuel burned is indicated in the passport of your equipment, then the calculations are greatly simplified.
In the future, everything depends on the intensity of use of the plate. If you often cook jelly, then the degree of consumption will be the same if you are content with just cooking morning coffee, then another. Based practical experience, we can say that 12 liters of gas, which will be used by a small family on weekends in the country, will be enough for the whole summer. More detailed information about autonomous gasification you will find in this section.
How to fill a gas bottle?
Refuel such devices on the territory of special points, which can be located autonomously and enter the gas station. In the conditions of the latter, it is possible to refuel with gas motor fuel.
The most important nuance in this process is the fact that you need to refuel not by volume, but by weight. As a safety precaution, gas containers should be filled to a maximum of 85 percent of the total volume, in order to avoid excessive pressure.
In order to follow safety precautions and its standards, such a device with any volume is marked with a number with a maximum allowable weight, corresponding to the same allowable 85 percent. The tanks are placed on the scales, including fuel injection. The process stops after reaching the required weight.
But even when refueling relative to the mass, overflows are not excluded, which is especially important for small-volume containers - by 5 or 12. They should be refueled by 2 and 6 kilograms, respectively. High speed refueling sometimes does not allow you to see the achievement of the limit rate. If this happened to you, be sure to ask for the excess gas to be drained. In the future, it is better to choose another place for refueling.
In general, the basic criterion for choosing a tanker is the availability of license documents for the use of fire and explosive objects. If the documents are present, then we can conclude that you are served by qualified specialists who annually undergo special certification.
In other cases, you take responsibility for the operation of the refilled container. And you risk not only your money, but also the safety of your home and life. In addition, an unlicensed gas station is a violation of the law and may entail not only administrative, but also criminal liability regarding the article on illegal entrepreneurial activity.
The information provided in the review does not claim to be accurate encyclopedic data and is largely dictated by our experience. But we are sure that it can help you save a lot of time and money.
Recently, a new offer has appeared on the market of gas-balloon and filling equipment - mobile (home) gas filling. In other words, you can fill up your car at home from the domestic gas network. As you know, domestic gas tariffs for the population are orders of magnitude lower than gas prices at gas stations. And this is even through the counter. If there is no meter and you pay at standard (albeit overpriced) rates - then everything is clear. Yes, it turns out that you will fill the car almost for nothing. By the way, in the West or in America such homemade gas stations are gaining more and more popularity, although there the difference in the price of gas in the kitchen and at the gas station is not at all big. We have another thing...
With savings, I think everyone understands - even according to the most conservative estimates, at least more than 10 times, provided that you honestly pay everything according to the domestic gas meter.
In addition to that, refueling a car with natural gas from a household network, brought 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 operated, the higher the economic effect.
Extend engine life. Methane gas, like propane-butane, does not wash off the oil film from the engine cylinder walls, which provides excellent lubrication of 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 engine oil characteristics. Plus, this, by about a quarter, extends the life of spark plugs. Reducing the wear of engine parts increases the 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 car fuel, there are no emissions of harmful toxic compounds of lead and aromatic compounds, emissions of CO, CH, nitrogen oxides are reduced by several times, smoke from the exhaust pipe is reduced three times. Even if you are not an ardent admirer of "green", cars with methane LPG installed are exempted from environmental control during technical inspection.
And the expediency of using various "devices" to reduce the fuel consumption of a car has already been considered earlier.
Further, there are two options for refueling a car with gas at home:
Purchase a ready-made factory mobile gas filling station. Unfortunately, the domestic industry does not produce such ones (it is understandable, no one will be given permission), and there are already quite a few foreign samples. For example, Neuman ESSER (Germany), Maschinenfabrik (Austria), Litvin (France) and many others are mass-produced. 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, and therefore, definitely not an oligarch.
Do it yourself. The option, again, is ten times cheaper, but it requires desire, time and, most importantly, "straight" hands, besides, they must grow from the right place;).
Guide for self-production of a set of gas-cylinder equipment for refueling a car with household gas
At the beginning it is necessary to clarify: there is gas equipment for compressed gas and equipment for liquefied gas. Compressed gas equipment uses ordinary natural gas - methane, which can be taken from an apartment household or industrial gas network. The only problem is how to fill this gas into a car at home.
In a conventional gas pipeline supplied to 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 home appliances.
An ordinary single-circuit compressor is capable of raising the pressure to a maximum of 20 -25 atm., And to fill 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 one, of which pressurizes the gas previously compressed by the previous one to a higher pressure.
In general, the high pressure compressor circuit looks like this.
Designations on the diagram: 1 Gas filter at the inlet. 2 Stage 1 inlet valve. 3 Stage 1 exhaust valve. 4 Cooling tube between 1st and 2nd stages. 5 Inlet valve stage 2. 6 Exhaust valve 2 stages. 7 Cooling tube between 2nd and 3rd stages. 8 3rd stage inlet valve. 9 Exhaust valve 3rd stage. 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 principle of operation of the compressor for refueling cars with gas:
Gas from the domestic domestic gas pipeline through the inlet filter (1) is supplied through the inlet valve (2) to the primary circuit cylinder. Compression occurs and through the exhaust valve (3) through the pipeline through the cooling radiator (4) is fed to the cylinder of the next circuit. Further, the gas pre-compressed in the primary circuit is compressed to an even 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 diagram above. But this does not change the principle.
Compressed to the required pressure, natural gas (about 200 atm.) Passes through the pressure switch (11), is cleaned in a molecular filter and fed through the safety valve into the tank of the fueled car or into the reserve high pressure tank. The refueling time will depend entirely on the productivity of the plant.
In order to speed up the refueling time of the car, you can use additional stationary cylinders. Then, in his spare time, the compressor pumps gas into these stationary cylinders. And when you need to quickly fill up your car, you distill methane directly from them. Thus, it is possible to reduce the refueling time to 10-15 minutes.
Description of a home-made device for filling a car with domestic 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 air compressor AK 150C. It is used on modern armored vehicles and in aviation. This compressor is rather 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 such a difficult task as it seems at first glance. It often happens that they can be written off, while using up no more than 10% of their resource. Whoever seeks - he will always find (sometimes for very little money or liquid barter :)).
The scheme of the filling device is shown in fig. 2
From the domestic household gas network to rubber hose(possible from a gas welding machine), gas is supplied through the valve to the gas filter (7). The pressure meter (2), connected through an adapter (3), serves to control the pressure in the gas network. The gas in the filter (7) is cleaned of impurities and fed to the compressor (10), where it rises to 150 kg/cm2. Then the gas enters the dehumidifier (18), the high pressure gas filter (19), the automatic pressure switch (20) of the ADU-2S type. After that, the 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 pressure gauge of the NMP 100 type is used with measurement limits of 0-400 mm of water. Art.
Function gas filter can carry out a new fuel fine filter for diesel engines. A valve (17) is used to drain the condensate from the water separator. A manometer (22) (0-250) kg/cm2 is installed to control the pressure at the compressor outlet.
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 device, but then you need to constantly monitor the outlet pressure so that it is not exceeded.
On 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.
Figure 3 shows a variant of the compressor drive assembly.
It is attached to the compressor flange (1) with the help of tin, studs in flocks (8) through the gasket (10) housing (11). From below, a plate (12) is welded to the body for mounting the compressor with a lubrication unit (Fig. 5). A bearing (4) of type 205 is pressed into the housing (11) (Fig. 3). A bushing (7) from a slot is pressed into the bearing, which is fastened with a retaining ring (19). On the one hand, the splined shaft (6) of the compressor enters the sleeve, and on the other hand, the shaft (17) is pressed in, the key of which enters the splines of the sleeve (7). This is to avoid splines on the shaft (17). After pressing, the shaft (17) is carefully attached 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 fixed with bolts (5). A drive pulley (15) with a key (16) is pushed onto the other end of the shaft (17). The compressor lubrication unit is shown in fig. 2 and fig. 5. The tank (24) (Fig. 2) serves as the base, which can be made from a rectangular profile or welded from tin. A drive unit with a compressor is attached to the top of the tank. The hole (13) (fig. 3) must match the hole (11) (fig. 5) of the tank. On top of the tank convenient location a hole is cut out, to which the filler neck (3) and the cover (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. The hole (4) (Fig. 5) serves to supply oil to the pump. Shafts (6) and (17) are connected with plate (7) and bushing (8). The bearing (12) is fastened with a housing (15) with a cover (16) and an oil seal (13). The cover is attached to the body with 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 borne in mind that the pumps differ in the length of the drive shaft.
To control the oil level, a viewing window (11) of an arbitrary design is used. The lubrication system works like this. The torque from the electric motor pulley through a belt drive is transmitted 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 automotive sensor pressure (4) and is fed through the tube to the inlet fitting (12) for supplying oil 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 the hydraulic system of autotractor units.
Then the oil passes through the lubrication channels of the compressor (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 tank (24) (fig. 2) Part of the oil passes through the bearing (4) (fig. 3) and lubricates it. Detail (7) ( Fig. 11) can be made from a compressor drive gear, which must be purchased. To do this, grind the ring gear to the dimensions shown in Fig. 11 (det. 7). An automobile bulb can be connected to the pressure sensor (4) (Fig. 2). Instead of a sensor, you can connect a pressure gauge for control. In order to divert the gas that has broken through the piston rings into the body of the drive unit, there is a threaded hole at the top of the body (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 brought out 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 desirable to install it outside the room.
The design of the compressor allows you to pump gas of any pressure. But it must be remembered that when the compressor is operating at a very low pressure or the 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 gas into a 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.
Re-equipment of the car to run on natural gas.
On fig. 1 pictured scheme of gas equipment for natural gas.
First you need to make sure that it is appropriate to install HBO on your car.
Cylinders (5) containing natural gas are connected by high pressure pipes (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 rapidly and strongly, so the reducer can freeze during a fast gas intake, then the gas will stop flowing. To prevent freezing of the gas, a reducer heater (12) is used. Further, the gas, already through the low pressure pipeline (14), through the solenoid valve (15) enters the low pressure reducer (18), where the gas pressure decreases again and is sent through the tee (20) to the car carburetor (22), in proportion to the engine load ( depending on the pressure on the gas pedal). By transferring the voltage of switch P1 to the EM gas valve (15) or to the gasoline valve (23), it is possible to switch the type of fuel on the go. Gasoline enters the carburetor (22) through the fuel pump (24), valve (23). The start valve (19) is used to start the engine on gas.
On fig. 1 shows a simplified diagram of the control of EM valves. 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 their regular places. This can be done in a workshop for installing liquefied gas equipment. You can also purchase these units there, install, adjust, and check. You can do all this on your own, but you still need documents for registration gas installation by car, and they can only be issued by a licensed workshop. Yes, and for the correct adjustment of gas equipment, on which both engine thrust and consumption greatly depend, it is desirable that a qualified craftsman would perform 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 small. 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. Aviation oxygen reducers that do not freeze well, or a reducer from a truck with a heater, are well suited for this.
Also, for this purpose, you can use a conventional oxygen reducer for gas welding works. But it needs to be modified a bit. It is necessary to change the cover with a large thread diameter, at the top for a fitting and a safety valve with a fitting from the gearbox of a truck. The fact is that the oxygen reducer is not adapted to vent gas when triggered. safety valve or when the membrane ruptures. A rubber tube (10) (Fig. 1) is put on the safety valve fitting and the cover fitting (13) and is led out of 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, which does not fit the cover from the gearbox of a truck.
The HP reducer is installed in the engine compartment of the vehicle. The liquid heater is installed in the rupture of the hose that goes to the stove. copper tube from the set of equipment for liquefied gas, which goes into the trunk, must be replaced with a steel seamless high-pressure tube from the compressed gas equipment of a truck. Control over the operation of the HP reducer is carried out by the pressure gauge (16) (0-25 kg/cm2), which is installed in place of the reducer pressure sensor.
To determine the amount of filled gas and control the pressure in the cylinders, a high pressure gauge (1) (Fig. 1) (0-250 kg/cm2) is installed on the final cylinder. pressure from a home refueling device, or at a gas station - CNG filling station. For this, a filling fitting from a truck is used. To connect the cylinders to each other, connect the HP reducer, tees, only high-pressure seamless steel tubes (3) with an outer diameter of 10 mm and an inner diameter of 6 mm can be used.
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 nests lined with rubber bands. The entire package must be pinned together to prevent cylinders from moving. Each brand of car has its own layout option.
On fig. 9 shows one of 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 difficult because at different air temperatures the same volume includes different amount gas. For orientation, you can use a simplified conversion factor:
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 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 a high mileage, because the weight increases, the volume decreases cargo compartment. It is better to have a basic set of cylinders for a run of 80-100 km and an additional one for long trips.
Specifically for cars our industry does not produce high-pressure cylinders. Therefore, it is necessary to use them from different fields of technology,
On fig. 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 great for scuba diving. Fiberglass cylinders are produced, reinforced with a coil of steel wire, from composite materials. They are very light and strong and perfect for our needs, but scarce.
You can also use high-pressure aviation or tank cylinders. As a last resort, the balloon required dimensions can be made from ordinary oxygen by cutting out the middle part. After that, the cylinder is welded by argon-arc welding, translucent with a gamma flaw detector, and subjected to a hydraulic test in a specialized organization. In artisanal conditions, it is strictly forbidden to do this.
After installing the valve cylinders, adapters, filling fitting are placed in a box (4) (fig. 9) made of soft tin, into which the fitting (3) and the service window (2) are soldered, which is installed on the seal. The design can be taken from cylinders for liquefied gas. A piece is put on the fitting rubber tube and is brought out of the body through the window for refueling the gasoline tank or another 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. On fig. 10 shows the principal circuit diagram inclusion of a 3-phase electric motor in a single-phase network.
Voltage is supplied to the IM motor through circuit breaker Q1, magnetic starter MP. When the "start" button is pressed, the relay P1 is activated, which, with its contacts P1.2, supplies voltage to the MP starter coil and connects the starting capacitors Sp with contacts P1.1. In this case, the starter is activated and connects the motor and working capacitors Ср to the network. At the same time, the auxiliary contacts of the starter MP 1.1 are closed and the starter becomes self-locking. When the Start button is released, Sp is turned off. When the “Stop” button is pressed or when the motor thermal protection relay RT is activated, 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 mains voltage. Sp \u003d (2-3) Wed.
When storing the car in a garage, a tube is put on the fitting, which is brought out above the roof of the garage. With this design, you will be fully guaranteed against any gas leaks. Cylinders must be checked before use. operating pressure, volume, technical condition. External surface should not have dents, cracks, deep scratches and traces of corrosion. Near the neck of the VD is indicated:
- the date of the test and the date of the next test;
- type of heat treatment (N - normalization, W - hardening with tempering);
- operating pressure;
- trial hydraulic pressure(p225);
- actual weight, factory stamp,
To connect gas pipelines, special adapters are used (Fig. 8), which are screwed into the cylinder instead of a valve, having lubricated the thread with red lead. Adapter tightening torque -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 taper thread(fig. 8) depends on the types of cylinders.
High-pressure pipes have a gasketless nipple connection, which, when the union nut is tightened, abuts against the conical surface of the fitting and, when deformed, seals the junction. If you purchased old tubes, you need to cut off the end of the tube with the nipple and put on a new nipple, smearing it with red lead, and tighten the union nut. After carefully tightening all threaded connections the filling valve opens, the filling device is connected and air is pumped in to half the working pressure, the connections are checked, and if there are no gaps, they are pumped up to full working pressure.
Air leaks must be eliminated after the pressure has been completely bled off. If there are no gaps, then the filling valve is opened and the air is completely released from the system and gas is pumped into the cylinder. After that, the flow valve is opened and gas is released to the HP reducer, 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 the 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 that, the operation of the safety valve of the gearbox is checked. To do this, smoothly tighten the fitting (13) (Fig. 1) and gradually increase the pressure at the outlet of the reducer until the valve operates. It should work at a pressure of 15-17 kg / cm2.
If the valve operates at a different pressure, loosen the locknut on the valve and adjust the response. After that, the tightness of the main valve is checked. To do this, the fitting (13) is completely unscrewed, while the gas must not enter the low pressure line. If the pressure slowly increases, then the valve seat is changed in the gearbox 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 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 an liquefied gas jet, 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.
Safety regulations for the operation of the vehicle and filling device.
You need to know that natural gas is lighter than air and rises, unlike liquefied gas, which spreads along the ground, fills all the cracks and cellars. 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 do a leak test gas system. Most available ways detection of gas leaks - this is odor control and washing with soapy water. If you smell gas while driving, you need to fix the problem. 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 flames, other vehicles).
When the gearbox freezes and the engine starts in winter period hot water must be used for heating open fire Absolutely forbidden! If the gas-balloon equipment catches fire, it is necessary to close the valves, turn off the filling system. To put out a fire, you need to 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.
High pressure cylinders should be checked every three years hydraulic test once a year - must be checked. 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 inlet and outlet of the compressor, the temperature of the cylinders, and the pressure in the lubrication system. There must be no people in the car during refueling.
If gas leaks are detected, refueling must be carried out at following conditions: refuel only with the filling valve closed, do not stand near the filling hose when refueling, do not tighten the nuts during refueling under pressure, do not knock metal objects on the details of the filling 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, 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 workable design of the filling device, which can be assembled for a fairly a short time and receive moral and material pleasure from their work. At the same time, the article is educational in nature and the site is not responsible for possible consequences use of materials.