Retrofitting Diesel to Natural Gas or Propane
09 September 2004
After 10 years and $20 million dollars of research, IMPCO Technologies is making a push to commercialize its conversion system that allows diesel engines to burn natural gas and propane.
The Eclipse Heavy Duty Management System requires taking the cylinder head off the engine, removing the injectors and electronic control unit, machining the head for a spark plug, machining the piston in situ, then reassembling the engine and adding the Eclipse system. A close-coupled oxidation catalyst is added to the exhaust. The entire process typically takes about 75 hours.
The company originally developed the technology in a project with vehicle and engine manufacturer Scania UK.
“They were responding to their customers in the U.K. that had an interest in low-emission natural gas trucks, but didn’t want to spend the high premium to purchase a new NGV,” [Lorne] Gettel [technical director of corporate business development for IMPCO] says. “To service this market Scania came up with an approach to supply re-engineered natural gas heavy-duty trucks based on three- or four-year-old diesel trucks coming in off lease.”
IMPCO converted 200 of the trucks for Safeway, which operates them 450 to 600 miles a day hauling produce to grocery stores. Safeway’s testing indicates NOx emissions of around one gram per brake horsepower hour, meeting the stiff Euro V standard. The low emissions enabled Safeway to get a government grant covering 75 percent of the trucks’ differential cost. That combined with fuel cost savings of more than 40 percent allowed the fleet operator to recover the entire differential in less than one year. Safeway continues to operate the trucks, which typically travel more than 100,000 miles per year. San Joaquin Valley Clean Cities Coalition site.
IMPCO’s tests show that the Eclipse system reduces NOx, hydrocarbons and carbon monoxides by more than 85% over diesel powered engines and that PM was virtually eliminated.
Mike Laplante, IMPCO Director of Sales/Marketing said, “field testing on a fleet of over 150 Eclipse equipped, heavy duty trucks has accumulated 5 million miles and has shown the same fuel economy with equivalent power as compared to running the same fleet of trucks on diesel fuel." Mr. Laplante further added that, "each truck saved over $28,000 per year in fuel costs by using natural gas." Natural gas worldwide is 40-60% less than diesel fuel.
Retrofitting could be a big business. The EPA estimates that there are 11 million in-use diesels that will either need to be retrofitted or replaced during the next ten years to meet emissions standards. The question will be: retrofitted to or replaced with what.
I WANT TO PUT ONE WORK SHOP TO INSTALL AND CONVERT CARS AND TRUCKS TO GAS PROPANE SYSTEM
PLEASE SEND ME INFORMATION AND PRICES OF THE SYSTEMS
THANKS
Posted by: EDUARDO DABOUB | 18 September 2005 at 05:31 PM
I neeed more information over changing gasoline cars to a propane gas, specialy 6 cilinders cars....
Posted by: Francisco Mancia | 09 October 2005 at 08:30 AM
I neeed more information over changing gasoline cars to a propane gas, specialy 6 cilinders cars....
Posted by: Francisco Mancia | 09 October 2005 at 08:35 AM
I am in Colorado, and I have been concidering on starting a business on converting auto's and big trucks to propane. I want to do the multi-fuel process just incase the customer runs out of propane they can switch to gas or diesel.
Do you know who supplies products for all makes and models?
Posted by: Brent | 15 October 2005 at 11:48 AM
I need information about converting diesel engines to propane. Specifially Ford F-550 & F-650 models.
Posted by: LN | 28 October 2005 at 12:09 PM
I need information about converting diesel engines to propane. Specifically Ford F-550 & F-650 models.
Posted by: LN | 28 October 2005 at 12:11 PM
I am interested in converting a 2000CD diesel Nissan 1998 Serena into gas. Need information on gas systems and adaptations in fuel injection or others if needed.
Posted by: Jorge Jolay | 14 November 2005 at 05:59 AM
I own and manage an automotive repair center in Massachusetts and am interested in marketing and installing proven alternative fuel systems in gasoline passenger cars and light trucks.
Posted by: Tom Elliott | 26 February 2006 at 08:18 AM
I am considering to start a business on converting auto´s and trucks to propane, I want to do the multi-fuel process making possible to the customer to change from propane to gasoline or diesel.
Do you know where can I find detailed information of the retrofit process and suppliers for the requiered equipments?
Posted by: Omar Checo | 05 March 2006 at 02:15 PM
I am interested in converting a Nissan Serena,1992 benzin engine into Diesel one but I do not know which one is better to convert 1.6 D, 2.0 D or 2.3 D
What other changes need to be done?
Many thanks,
Shukri
Posted by: Shukri | 26 March 2006 at 10:45 AM
I am interested in converting a 2000 impala to propane
Posted by: Ronald Fisher | 21 August 2006 at 05:01 PM
why not just run bio-diesel ??????
Posted by: Luke stearns | 12 September 2006 at 04:03 AM
I am interested in modifying a fleet of 505 diesel peugeot taxi cabs to work on propane
Posted by: Saburo | 07 December 2006 at 07:48 PM
NEED INFO ON INSTALLING PROPANE IN A 1998 DODGE 1500 TRUCK
COST AND PROFORMACE AND WHERE I CAN GET THE CONVERSION DONE
PLEASE WENDELL
Posted by: WENDELL H. FRAZIER | 17 May 2007 at 08:48 PM
I have a '92 Ford Tempo 4 dr. that was converted to propane (single fuel). I got it at an auto auction in 2003 and found it was a Boulder, Colorado city propane fleet car. I've been fairly happy except for the lack of manuals for propane tuning and service availible. I have been on several long trips each year and drive it daily. Nice never worrying about a bad fuel pump, etc. I also get to use HOV lanes anywhere legally.
Nothing was done to the engine block or heads and so the efficency could be improved since 12:1 compression would be much better for power and MPG. A diesel engine short block saves alot of trouble there but you may still need the spark plug hole cut into the head.
For the guy asking about BIO-DIESEL: I applaud bio-diesel for improving a bad fuel considerably. However, propane is an even better fuel. Let's hit a few points.... BD isn't and likely will never be availible as easily as propane this lifetime (every ounce of fry oil in the U.S. will not equal a month's production of propane, the 3rd most availible fuel in the nation). BD can't compete with propane on an emissions basis. BD requires oil changes more often than GAS engines (but less than reg. diesel) and propane oil changes can be twice as long as gas. Propane likewise always leaves a clean combustion chamber and has no valve deposit build-up. The fuel system of propane engines is simple mechanically... all diesel fuel systems are very expensive and complicated and prone to longterm build-up. Propane engines are as loud or quiet as any gas engine can be. All diesels rattle. Propane engines are ready to drive when the oil pressure is up (unless the temp is below 0 far/-15 cel, when a warmup is recommended). Diesels are notoriously cold-blooded all the time. Want me to go on?
Posted by: Jo Power | 21 October 2007 at 12:47 AM
I neeed more information over changing gasoline cars to a propane gas, specialy 6 cilinders cars....
Posted by: alex Lotfi | 27 January 2008 at 04:55 PM
Please let me know what kits are available to convert Diesel engine to propane. Is the standard comression rate on a Diessel engine adecuate to burn prpane?
What is the adeal compression rate to a propane engine?
Regards
Arturo
Posted by: Arturo Moises | 10 April 2008 at 03:32 AM
I gorgot Please write to me to:
[email protected],do
Thank you
Arturo Moises
Posted by: Arturo Moises | 10 April 2008 at 03:42 AM
i want to run my 2005 VW golf tdi on propane and diesel.Please ,recomend me a tech or shop in Connecticut.USA Also need price on installetion and kit price . Thank you
Posted by: Sergei | 14 April 2008 at 09:49 PM
I need information on changing gasoline trucks over to propane. Ford, Chevy, Dodge. also if there are regulations for propane tanks on site.
Posted by: Mike Stearman` | 14 May 2008 at 07:29 AM
I have a propane small truck and the power does not compare to a gas unit, but it has other assets. ? If you convert diesel to propane how can you mainrain the torque that a truck needs to due the job. Please let me know, I have several vehicles that may need changing. Stephen
Posted by: stephen sherry | 17 May 2008 at 05:51 PM
I would like to convert our diesel enging on a Ford F-350 to natural gas or propane. Is there a way to do this without compromising the torque as I have a large trailer to pull.
Posted by: Bill K | 25 May 2008 at 07:40 AM
I would like to convert a diesel engine to propane, truck and tractor, and even a jet engine. Is there a place that i can look at kits or any info thanks Walter.
Posted by: Walter Malott | 01 June 2008 at 07:53 PM
I JUST WANT TO INSTAL LP SYSTEM TO MY HONDA CIVIC HOW DO I NEED AND WHERE CAN I GET ALL I NEED? THANKS, PEDRO
Posted by: pedro | 14 June 2008 at 03:11 PM
I would like to change my 86 ford 6.9 liter diesel to propaine. I would allso like to change my 1976 millitary serplus aquired duce and a half with its herkulees multy fuel inline sixcylender to propaine
Posted by: robby | 22 June 2008 at 10:31 AM