Is it possible to fill a car with gas at home? Is it possible to refuel a car with household gas? How to make a gas station at home

How to independently convert a car for gas filling at home

Today we will talk about how to independently refuel cars with natural gas at home from conventional kitchen stove. We will also consider methods, technologies, instructions, drawings and descriptions of compressors and pumps for liquefying methane or propane to refuel a car with clear photos. Let's find out how to make a mini-gas car filling station at home

Due to its low cost and environmental friendliness in use, natural gas is widely used in the automotive industry. However, on the way from the main gas pipeline to the consumer's filling cylinder, natural gas goes through several more intermediate stages.

Without a doubt, running a car on natural gas is more economically profitable. And the more powerful and large-volume the engine, the faster the gas equipment pays off and the more significant the savings. At the gas filling station, gas is pumped into the vehicle's refueling cylinder. The operating pressure of the compressor is 1.6 MPa (16 atm). The gas pressure in a car cylinder depends on the temperature environment and varies widely.

Thus, at an air temperature of 0 o C, the pressure in the cylinder is 0.3 MPa (3 atm), and at a temperature of 20 o C its value increases to 1.2 MPa (12 atm). In addition to vehicles, gas filling stations refill cylinders for use liquefied gas by the population for domestic purposes and at small and medium-sized businesses.

In previous materials, we provided calculations for reducing fuel costs, and came to the conclusion that under any conditions, the cost of one kilometer is reduced on average by half. Now imagine that costs can be reduced not by half, but by 6-10 times. Do you think this is unrealistic? In fact, it is possible. We will tell you how further. 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 America, such home gas stations are increasingly gaining popularity, although there the difference in the price of gas in the kitchen and at the gas station is not at all large. It’s a different matter for us... When calculating the cost per kilometer of travel on gasoline and methane (based on the energy intensity of 1 cubic meter of methane = 1 liter of gasoline), we took the cost at specialized gas stations as a basis.

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 this, refueling your car with natural gas from a household network connected to your house or apartment will allow you to:

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 harmful products combustion into the atmosphere. When using gas as 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 several times, 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.

You can 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 on it. In reality, everything turned out to be banal simple. Anyone can buy a special pump high pressure which connects to the domestic gas pipeline low pressure and refills a vehicle equipped with HBO (methane gas).

In this case, no special permits or safety requirements are required from the owner. Let me emphasize – special! And then it’s just a fairy tale. You connect a special high-pressure hose to the charging connector of the car, and... you will have to wait a little longer than at a branded gas station.

How many? It all depends on the performance of the pump you choose. For example, the weakest one with a capacity of 3 cubic meters per hour can spend 5-6 hours to fill one cylinder, but an average capacity of 10 cubic meters per hour will only take an hour and a half. How long would you say? And you count how much time your car sits idle near your house. During this time, he can easily refuel. You are sleeping, the car is refueling. When the limit pressure is reached, the system will automatically turn off. In the morning, a car with filled cylinders awaits you. Everything is great, especially since the bills not spent on fuel continue to lie in your pocket, and not at the gas station cash register.

Household gas compressors for refueling cars and gas cylinders at home with natural gas from a low-pressure network

1. description of the type: -TypeX compressors; - Cooling - air; -Productivity: 2 Nm3/h; -Inlet gas pressure:0.017-0.035 bar -Outlet gas pressure:200 bar

2. General characteristics of XF-2/0.017-0.035-200 natural gas compressor-supercharger for refueling vehicles, cylinders with a pressure of 20Mpa. Refill time 5-6 hours, small size, light weight, excellent performance, safety, cost-effectiveness and durability.

3. Basic specifications Stroke: 14 mm Rotation speed: 1000 rpm Number of stages

4 Input temperature: Ambient temperature +10° First compression stage: pressure: 0.39 MPa Second compression stage: pressure: 1.9 MPa Third compression stage: pressure: 6.5 MPa Fourth compression stage: pressure: 20 MPa Motor power 1.1 kW Voltage: 200-240 V Frequency: 50 Hz Rated current: 6.6 A Noise level: 55 dB Weight: 105 kg Dimensions: 810 * 660 * 640 mm

Everything is good and wonderful, but we still add a fly in the ointment to this beautiful ointment. With all the visible advantages of using a home gas station, there are no less disadvantages.

Firstly, the cost of installing LPG.

Secondly - cost gas compressor.

Thirdly, the weight and dimensions of high-pressure cylinders.

Fourthly, the network of methane gas stations is not extensive enough (you have to drive not only near your home).

But there is a category of citizens for whom these disadvantages are not critical. They use a vehicle not only to move their mortal body from home to work and back, they make money from it. For those whose cars have a huge annual mileage, switching to methane and installing a gas filling station is a completely relevant solution.

We have sorted out the payback, but with the sizes of cylinders for storing methane, everything is not so simple. They are not suitable for use in small passenger cars. Their large weight and size simply do not allow them to be painlessly introduced into the design of a car. Most likely, methane gas is an excellent alternative for huge pickup trucks and American SUVs. There, in the back, a couple of large, eighty-liter cylinders will not take up much space.

You can make such a compressor yourself. The option, again tens of times cheaper, but requires desire, time and, most importantly, “straight” hands, moreover, they must grow from right place.

The following article is for those who are interested in the second method. The implementation of the first does not need much explanation.
Guide self-production set of gas cylinder equipment for refueling a car domestic 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 residential 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 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 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, the high-pressure compressor circuit looks similar.

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 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 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, a compressor forces 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 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 like GP4, NG-2, AKG-2, but they require powerful electric motor, which is not suitable for many. A good option- this is the use of an AK 150C 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. He who seeks will always find (sometimes for very little money or liquid barter

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 a new fine fuel filter 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.

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.

To monitor the oil level, a viewing window (11) of any design is used. 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.

On average, filling gas cylinders takes 1-1.5 hours. To reduce refueling time, two compressors can be paired. Owners trucks 4 compressors can be used. In Fig. 10 shows the principle electrical diagram turning on a 3-phase electric motor in single-phase network.

Voltage to the IM motor is supplied through circuit breaker Q1, magnetic switch 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 - rated current motor, U - 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,

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 is checked safety valve gearbox 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.

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 detecting gas leaks - this is odor control and washing with a 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 period must be used to warm up hot water, apply open fire Absolutely forbidden! 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 done when following conditions: refill only with the flow valve closed, do not stand near the filling hose when refilling, do not tighten the nuts when refilling under pressure, do not knock metal objects on the details of the filling 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 filling device that can be assembled in a fairly reasonable amount of time. a short time and receive moral and material pleasure from their work.

And finally, let’s please environmentalists and the Greenpeace community. An engine running on methane has much less toxic exhaust gases. The amount of toxic carbon monoxide CO is reduced by more than three times ( carbon monoxide), 1.6 times – the content of carcinogenic hydrocarbons CH, consisting of particles of unburned fuel. The concentration of nitrogen oxide NO and NO2 dioxide when the engine is running on gas is reduced by 1.2 times.

What conclusions can be drawn from this? Converting modern cars to methane, although expensive, is a simple operation. At the same time, due to the lower cost of gas, the costs are quickly recouped. If we take into account the possibility of installing a gas station at home, then this is the most cost-effective option existing on the market.

The costs of purchasing the documentation developed by us pay off almost very quickly. Your children and grandchildren will not have headaches, where can they get money to refuel their car?

Converting the engine to natural gas has the following advantages:

The activation of engine parts is reduced, the service life is increased by 1.5-2 times;

The service life of motor lubricant increases by 2-2.5 times;

There is no detonation at all, they decrease shock loads on parts of the cylinder-piston group;

The high octane number of natural gas (104-115) allows it to be used for any engines (ZAZ, LuAZ, VAZ, GAZ, Moskvich, UAZ, etc.). And also in engines of foreign cars. This also applies to trucks.

The documentation package includes the following:

Description of the filling device, gas cylinder installation, connection diagram, placement, rules of use, regulation, drawings of adapters, fittings, where to purchase components, use cases and much more.

Abroad, small-sized refueling installations of this type are mass-produced by Maschinefabrik (Austria), Neuman ESSER (Germany),

- “Litvin” (France) and many others.

1. Introduction.

As stated, natural gas can be an excellent fuel for your vehicle. A network of gas filling stations - CNG filling stations - has been created. It is necessary to clarify: there is gas equipment for compressed gas and equipment for liquefied gas. Equipment for compressed gas uses ordinary natural gas - methane, which can be taken from a residential or industrial gas network. The problem is how to fill this gas into a car at home and then use it. Find out how to do this below.

2. Conversion of a vehicle to run on natural gas:

In Fig. 1 shows a diagram gas equipment for natural gas. Natural gas is stored in cylinders (5), which are connected by high-pressure pipes (3) through adapters (4), which are screwed into the cylinder instead of valves. Through the shut-off valve (6), the gas is supplied to the flow valve (9) and enters the high-pressure reducer ( VD)(11), where the gas pressure of 200 (130) kg/cm2 (atmospheres) is reduced to 10 kg/cm2. During this process, the gas cools down greatly and the reducer may freeze if there is a large gas withdrawal, and the gas will stop flowing. To prevent this from happening, a gearbox heater (12) is used. Then the gas flows through the low pressure tube (14), through solenoid valve(15) enters the low pressure reducer (18), where the gas pressure decreases again and enters through the tee (20) into the carburetor (22) in proportion to the engine load (depending on the position of the accelerator pedal). By transferring the voltage of switch P1 to the EM gas valve (15) or to the gasoline valve (23), we can switch the type of fuel on the go. 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 liquefied gas equipment.

You can purchase these units here. install, adjust, check. You don’t need to buy a cylinder, it’s for you
will cost much less. It is not suitable for our needs, 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. To do this, you can use aviation oxygen reducers that do not freeze, or purchase a reducer from a truck with a heater. As a last resort, you can use a regular oxygen reducer for gas welding work. But it needs to be adapted to
our operating conditions. To do this, it is necessary to change the cover with a large thread diameter at the top for the fitting and the safety valve with a fitting from the truck gearbox. The fact is that the oxygen reducer is not suitable for removing gas when the safety valve is activated 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. So you
save money. 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. The liquid heater must be connected to the break in 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 high-pressure steel seamless tube from the compressed gas equipment of the Truck. The operation of the high pressure gearbox is monitored using a pressure gauge (16) (0-25 kg/cm2), which is screwed into place of the gearbox pressure sensor. To determine the amount of gas filled and control the pressure in the cylinders, a high-pressure pressure gauge (1) (Fig. 1) (0-250 kg/cm") is installed on the final cylinder.

Filling valve, (7) (Fig. 1) is used for filling high-pressure cylinders from a filling device, which will be described by N1, or at a filling station - a CNG filling station. To do this, purchase a filling fitting from a truck. Is it true. You won't be greeted there with hugs, but you can always come to an agreement. This is important if you are going on a long trip. 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 enters the same volume different quantities gas For ours
needs, you can use a simplified transition coefficient:

A) at a pressure in cylinders of 150 kg/cm" - 1 liter of cylinder volume, equivalent to 0.3 liters of gasoline.
b) at a pressure in cylinders of 200 kg/cm" - 1 liter of cylinder volume, equivalent to 0.4 liters of gasoline.

Now, with an average car consumption of 9 liters of gasoline per 100 km and a total volume of cylinders of 50 liters (for example), the mileage will be as follows:
a) at a pressure in the cylinders of 150 kg/cm";
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 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 one for long trips.

Rice. 3 Drive compressor assembly

Operating pressure:

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. E) 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. deforming, seals the joint. 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 all 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 leaks, pumped to 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 into the high pressure reducer, check its operation. To do this, use the fitting (13) (Fig. 1) to set the gas pressure at the outlet to 10 kg/cm3, then purge the low pressure system with gas until it is completely removed air, start the engine on gas and check the pressure at the outlet of the HP reducer. In this case, it may drop slightly. All work should be carried out outside the room. After this, the operation of the safety valve of the reducer is checked. To do this, tighten the fitting (13) smoothly (Fig. 1) and smoothly increase the pressure at the output of the reducer until the valve operates. It should operate at a pressure of 15-17 kg/cm-1. If the valve operates at a different pressure, it is necessary to loosen the lock nut on the valve and adjust the operation. 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 change the valve seat in the reducer or take it 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 an LPG jet, your car may slightly lose its dynamics. 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.

Specifically for passenger cars Our industry does not produce high-pressure cylinders. Therefore, we have to use them from different fields of technology. Figure 7 shows the dimensions of the most common types of high pressure cylinders. Oxygen cylinders of non-standard reduced size may be suitable for our needs. Scuba cylinders are perfect for scuba diving. Cylinders are produced from fiberglass 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. As a last resort, a cylinder of the required size can be made from ordinary oxygen by cutting out the middle part. After this, the cylinder is welded using argon-arc welding, and the gamma light of a specialized organization is scanned. 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 a fitting (3) and a 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 pointed outside the body through a window for refueling a gasoline tank or other place. 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 should not have dents, cracks, deep scratches or signs of corrosion. Near the neck of the HP it is indicated:

Test date and next test date;

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. E) depends on the types of cylinders. High-pressure pipes have a base-gasket nipple connection, which, when the union nut is tightened, rests against the conical surface of the fitting and, when deformed, seals the joint. 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 all 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 leaks, pumped to 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 into the high pressure reducer, check its operation. To do this, use the fitting (13) (Fig. 1) to set the gas pressure at the outlet to 10 kg/cm3, then purge the low pressure system with gas until it is completely removed air, start the engine on gas and check the pressure at the outlet of the HP reducer. In this case, it may drop slightly. All work should be carried out outside the room. After this, the operation of the safety valve of the reducer is checked. To do this, tighten the fitting (13) smoothly (Fig. 1) and smoothly increase the pressure at the output of the reducer until the valve operates. It should operate at a pressure of 15-17 kg/cm-1. If the valve operates at a different pressure, it is necessary to loosen the lock nut on the valve and adjust the operation. 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 change the valve seat in the reducer or take it 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.

Description of the filling device:

Now about the main thing - how to fill car cylinders with natural gas. This requires a high pressure compressor (up to 200 kg/cm). For this you can use compressors such as GP4, NG-2, AKG-2, but they require a powerful electric motor, which is not suitable for us. The best option- this is the use of an AK 150C aircraft compressor. It is used on modern armored vehicles and aviation. It 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 diagram of the filling device is shown in Fig. 2.

From the gas network through a rubber hose (from the gas welding machine), gas is supplied through a valve to the gas filter (7). The pressure gauge (2), connected through the adapter (3), is used 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. Next, the gas is supplied to 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.

Pressure meter type NML 100 is used with measurement limits of 0-400 mm water. Art. The gas function can be performed
new fine fuel filter for diesel engines. A tap (17) is used to release condensate from the moisture separator. To monitor the pressure at the compressor outlet, use a pressure gauge (22) (0-250) kg/cm2. Elements 18, 19, 20 (Fig. 2) are 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.

Fig.3 Drive compressor assembly
Rice. 4. Compressor lubrication unit
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.
In Fig. Figure 3 shows a variant of the compressor drive unit.

The housing (11) is attached to the compressor flange (1) using sheet metal, studs with nuts (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).

Fig.5
O - outlet for fastening
o - oil fill drain
O - oil supply outlet
n = 2000 rpm
Rrab = 150 kg/cm2
Urab =2.4m3
PM OIL = 0.5 - 2 kg/cm2

A type 205 bearing (4) is pressed into the housing (11) (Fig. 3). A sleeve (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. A hole is cut out on top of the tank in a convenient place, to which the filler neck (3) and the lid (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
cover (16), oil seal (13). The cover is attached to the body using bolts (14). A pulley (18) with
key. The oil pump is used from a GAZ-51, 52, 69 car, but you should keep in mind that the pumps are different
drive shaft length. To monitor the oil level, use an inspection window (11) of any design.

This is how the lubrication system works. 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 pipe you have, which can be used from the hydraulic system of auto-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). Some of the oil passes through the bearing (4) (Fig. 3) and lubricates it.

How to independently convert a car for gas filling at home

Today we will talk about how to refuel your cars with natural gas at home from a regular kitchen stove. We will also consider methods, technologies, instructions, drawings and descriptions of compressors and pumps for liquefying methane or propane to refuel a car with visual photos. Let's find out how to make a mini-gas car filling station at home

Thus, at an air temperature of 0 o C, the pressure in the cylinder is 0.3 MPa (3 atm), and at a temperature of 20 o C its value increases to 1.2 MPa (12 atm). In addition to vehicles, gas filling stations refill cylinders for the use of liquefied gas by the population for domestic purposes and at small and medium-sized businesses.

In addition to this, refueling your car with natural gas from a household network connected to your house or apartment will allow you to:

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.

You can 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 on it. In reality, everything turned out to be banal simple. Anyone can buy a special high-pressure pump, which connects to a low-pressure household gas pipeline and refueles a car equipped with LPG (methane gas).

Household gas compressors for refueling cars and gas cylinders at home with natural gas from a low-pressure network

1. description of the type: -TypeX compressors; - Cooling - air; -Productivity: 2 Nm3/h; -Inlet gas pressure:0.017-0.035 bar -Outlet gas pressure:200 bar

3. Main technical characteristics Stroke: 14 mm Rotation speed: 1000 rpm Number of stages

Everything is good and wonderful, but we still add a fly in the ointment to this beautiful ointment. With all the visible advantages of using a home gas station, there are no less disadvantages.

Firstly, the cost of installing LPG.

Secondly, the cost of a gas compressor.

Thirdly, the weight and dimensions of high-pressure cylinders.

Fourthly, the network of methane gas stations is not extensive enough (you have to drive not only near your home).

You can make such a compressor 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.

The following article is for those who are interested in the second method. The implementation of the first does not need much explanation.
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.

The operating principle of a compressor for filling a car with gas:

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 is to use an AK 150C 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. He who seeks will always find (sometimes for very little money or liquid barter

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.
The function of a gas filter can be performed by a 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.

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. A hole is cut out on top of the tank in a convenient place, to which the filler neck (3) and the lid (2) are welded (Fig. 5).

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 housing of the drive unit, there is a threaded hole at the top of the housing (Fig. 11), (part 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.

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. Figure 10 shows a schematic diagram of connecting a 3-phase electric motor to a single-phase network.

Voltage is supplied to the IM motor through the circuit breaker Q1, the 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 should not have dents, cracks, deep scratches or signs 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,

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 all 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 leaks, pumped to 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.

Before each departure and return to the garage, after maintenance and repairs, it is necessary to check the tightness of the gas system. The most accessible methods for detecting gas leaks are odor control and washing with a 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 to warm up; 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 structural elements to the surface of the cylinders by welding. 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.

And finally, let’s please environmentalists and the Greenpeace community. An engine running on methane has much less toxic exhaust gases. The amount of toxic carbon monoxide CO (carbon monoxide) is reduced by more than three times, and the content of carcinogenic hydrocarbons CH, consisting of particles of unburned fuel, is reduced by 1.6 times. The concentration of nitrogen oxide NO and NO2 dioxide when the engine is running on gas is reduced by 1.2 times.

As experts advise, in order to reduce fuel consumption, you just need to develop a so-called economical driving style. Simply put, this means that you need to handle the gas pedal carefully, that is, press smoothly to accelerate and brake using the engine, at which the gasoline supply is shut off. This will really help reduce fuel consumption. But the savings percentage will not rise above 10%.

Some gas stations offer to simply switch to cheaper types of fuel, which contain a higher percentage of ethanol. But this can affect the operation of the engine, as well as the fuel system. However, this problem can only affect certain brands of cars.

IN Lately The method of using the so-called “super device” has become very popular among drivers. Its operating principle is to break up clumps of gasoline molecules due to magnetic resonance, and then the combustion of gasoline occurs with less waste. So, experts categorically do not advise using this method, since it is just pumping out money.

In fact, noticeable savings can be additional installation gas equipment in the car. The cost of installing such a technical device can cost on average from $700 to $1000, depending on the make of the car. But this method can only be beneficial if the car has high mileage., because otherwise the installation of gas equipment will pay off for a very long time. It is imperative to take into account the type of engine, because not all engines operate normally with gas.

The most daring way to save money is home gas filling. In appearance, it resembles a wall-mounted gas boiler, which can be accessed at any time. Since the cost of natural gas for the population is approximately 5 rubles and if we take into account that 1 cubic meter of gas is equal to 1 liter of gasoline, it turns out that this kind of gas station provide savings of 5-6 times.

But there is a huge minus in all this. Home option gas filling will cost about 5 thousand euros - this is the minimum, plus add to this the installation of gas cylinder equipment, which is adapted for natural gas. The compressor power for pumping gas is not high, so refueling can take several hours. And to top it off, you must always carry an 80-liter gas cylinder with you in the trunk.

To speed up the refueling of the car, the owner can install a receiver station. What does it mean? First, pump gas into stationary cylinders, and then refuel the car directly from them. This procedure will be shortened to 20 minutes.

But if the driver has a small car, then installing a home gas station is unprofitable. It may be more cost-effective for owners of gazelles or jeeps, in which very high coefficient fuel consumption and can be up to 20 liters per 100 kilometers.

Gasoline prices are rising at such a pace that you don’t have time to remember them, and more and more often drivers are thinking about alternative types of fuel. Alas, but high price electric vehicles do not yet allow for a massive transition to them, the same applies to hydrogen fuel. Now the most effective way Savings on refueling are provided by equipping the car with gas cylinder equipment () and using natural gas (methane) or liquefied gas (propane, butane) as fuel. Propane is obtained during oil refining, but methane is the same gas that we all use for cooking. gas stoves, it is supplied through pipes to most apartments and private houses. Moreover, if you compare prices for 1 cubic meter. meter of methane at gas stations (about 15 rubles) and gas prices for the population (about 4 rubles), then a significant difference is visible. Therefore, many people have a reasonable question: is it possible to refuel a car with LPG with regular household gas at home?

Indeed, such a possibility exists, but this does not mean that you can simply connect the hose from gas pipe to the car and refuel it. The fact is that in the cylinders installed on the car, the gas is under a pressure of 200 atmospheres, so to pump it you need a special compressor capable of compressing the gas to the required pressure and supplying it to the cylinders. Such equipment exists, although it is mostly imported and it is not cheap - from 3,000 euros. But craftsmen learned to adapt the AK-150S military compressor for these purposes, which is used on tanks, airplanes, infantry fighting vehicles and other military equipment. To completely fill a car with methane, depending on the type of compressor used, it will take from 4 to 10 hours, so it is better to perform this procedure at night. By the way, it's night best time for refueling and for one more reason - fewer people use gas at this time, which means the load that the compressor creates on the gas main will be less noticeable, because a 100-liter cylinder contains approximately 20 cubic meters of gas and in order to fill it you need to pump out methane from 1 .3 km of low pressure network pipeline with a diameter of 140 mm. This may trigger the automatic protection system at the gas distribution substation, and the technical inspection system of the gas supply company will sooner or later identify the cause of excess gas consumption.

You don’t need to obtain any special permits to refuel with methane at home, but you also shouldn’t bother asking gas workers again - they’ll probably find something to dig into. It is clear that such a trick will not work in an apartment; this can only be done in a private house connected to a gas pipeline. And of course, for commercial purposes (i.e., to refuel anyone who wants it for money), no one will allow you to open such a gas station at home. An alternative is to cooperate with your neighbors in the village, buy a compressor together and take turns refueling, then the costs will pay off very quickly. You just need to remember about safety precautions. Speaking of costs, don’t forget that the compressor consumes a lot of electricity, so the cost of refueling increases. However, some particularly cunning fellow citizens manage to save money here too, rewinding and electric meter and gas, but that’s a completely different topic. We invite you to watch a video showing how home installations for filling household gas into a car work in Ukraine. By the way, gas prices for the population there are lower than in Russia...