LPG for Diesel Engines

Comp trucks use it too, Jason Christensen runs it on his GQ Patrol, seen him blow holes in his diffs with the power that thing puts out. Gases it up before racing, but definitely shortens the life of the motor combined with high boost.

This was apparently trialled by Linfox a few years ago and was not used due to engine failure.

Cheers,

Jim.

Hi Andy,

Diesel LPG injection is quite different to CNG or LNG buses. Compressed or liquified Natural Gas engines are spark-ignition engines ('petrol' engines) which have been optimised to use natural gas as the fuel, rather than petrol of LPG. Natural gas is typically about 96% Methane with a bit a Ethane and heavier gases, IIRC. Automotive LPG is a mixture of the heavier hydrocarbon gases, Propane & Butane - don't remember the proportions just now.

I believe LPG injection has been used very sucessfully in large stationary diesels, such as big generator sets, for some time. In the right proportions, it promotes more complete combustion of the diesel fuel and therefore reduces soot and soot-related wear. For vehicle engines, it's been available in kit form in Europe for a few years now.

Like all performance improving techniques, the results can be good or disastrous depending on how well (or otherwise) it's done. Just like turbo or supercharging, if taken to extremes it will undoubtedly cause engine failure in no time.

Personally, I would not regard it as an alternative to turbocharging for a NA diesel. Pressure charging (turbo or supercharging) is a proven way to improve the volumetric efficiency of diesels, backed by solid physics and decades of experience.

I think it's place is, with a well-controlled, conservatively set injection system, as an add-on to an already well-tuned turbo-diesel engine to give occasional extra grunt and consistent clean burning. If you have the money to throw around for such things...