Propane dilution

I assume you mean, "mix".

Assuming you could overcome all the technical issues involved with the storage pressure, etc. and burning the mixture, the net result would be a reduction in energy content compared to straight diesel and an increased energy content compared to straight propane.

A lotta work for nothing.

Just have an idea for dual fuel systems

Dual fuels in the same engine? Diesel and LPG? You can't be serious!

Have you considered that the two fuels use totally different fuel delivery and combustion systems? Like night and day different?

I think not.

Prove your concept!

This post contributes absolutely nothing to the topic and has received two GA's for confirming another poster who recieved none. I am curious as to why and also why this jvrj has accumulated so many GAs (at 20% of posting) for having offered so little.

Are you blind? Or are you merely a tracker, Even anonymous guests, like your wise self, can vote. Name the other poster I copied and I'll GA him, since you dont know how.But then with a name we will all see YOUR contributions. Or we'll see nothing. Enjoy!

There are a couple of systems using LPG injection in diesel engines. Have a look on the web - reasonably sure one is Australian for trucks and another English in the tri-gen multi-fuel application.

The idea of dissolving LPG in diesel is 'complicated' by the need for A. a fuel tank of far heavier construction and B. problems with establishing/maintaining the 'mix ratio'.

Neither are insurmountable - but doing it from separate supplies at induction or injection is far simpler and much more controllable.

Yes, there are a number of companies doing LPG/diesel systems in Europe, mostly for trucks and commercial vehicles, but also for cars. These are retrofitted aftermarket systems that usually require no modifications to the existing engine & systems. It is claimed that the small addition of LPG acts as a catalyst and leads to more complete combustion of the diesel fuel (from 75-80% up to almost 100%). This results in more power, better fuel economy, lower emissions & more.

However, these involve an entirely seperate tank/injection/control system, and injection of the LPG into the airstream before the turbocharger, NOT the mixing of diesel and LPG.

Here in NJ USA we have at least one power plant that uses a combination of diesel and natural gas to run diesel gen sets. Trigen in the Trenton NJ area.

Just to add, there are already many cars/vans in northern Europe in particular that have been converted to LPG. This is because it is so much cheaper than petrol (off-hand, about 60-70% of the cost of petrol, I think? I haven't looked lately.), so for high mileage users the payback period is pretty reasonable. This means that LPG fuel is already readily available at many petrol stations. So anyone installing the diesel/LPG system should also have good access to LPG. However, since the diesel and LPG systems are entirely seperate, and the engines unmodified, if they are caught short they just revert to diesel-only operation. The systems are not cheap. I seem to recall prices around £1200-£1500.

I'm wondering on it works as diesel is a compression ignition fuel and LPG is a spark ignition fuel. Do they add a spark system to the engine for the propane? And how does the compression differential come into play?

They don't convert diesel (compression ignition) engines to run entirely on LPG (you would have to change too many things) only petrol (spark ignition) engines.

When LPG injection is added to a diesel engine, it is a relatively small percentage of LPG which enters the cylinder as a gas, with the air charge, and it is ignited with the diesel fuel.

Just get a copy of Diesel Power & Diesel World magazines or go on line they are diesel magazines and there are plenty of articles and manufacturers of Propane injection and CNG injection to the air intake to clean up combustion and complete the burn. It is not new technology and has been well tested on fleets as is some Browns Gas systems. Trying to combine the two into one seems rather silly. with all the proven systems..It also appears that the savings in real $ positive but not spectacular.

back in 1976 I used propane injected into the intake of my peugeot diesel, I found a old fiat smog solenoid and piped from a small propane canister directly into the air cleaner with a piece of copper tube on the end of the hose that could be crimped to modify flow, tried propane and map gas with a microswitch on the side of the shifter, map seemed to wrk best, worked well for a boost when needed without damage to engine, this engine was balanced and ported for max horsies when I first bought it and decided I wanted to see how far I could go, the first lesson was "{don't change the configuration of the cloverleaf in the top of the pistons,} as this is the best for precombustion swirl chamber diesels,started fouling injectors with residual tars,, new set of pistons and liners later, porting theintake maninfold and very expensive cyl head for max flow and tinkering with the injection timing advance shims and injectors I finally got the top speed from 45mph in 3rd gear climbing donner pass calif to 53 mph inb 4th gear, balance was done by local machine shop that did racing work, pistons rods crank balancer flywhell clutch, many grams of imbalance.. the nice thing with the diesel is it will never backfire so no chance of blowing the air filter canister to bits when under propane injection. also had to run a jabsco water pump from coolong system through a air conditioning evaporator core set next to the french climate small radiator to keep the engine cool pulling hills in the summer, this worked well and I could close the thermostat by switching this on on level ground, the evap and pump system lasted the 13 years I owned the vehicle 165,000 miles of testing, then I got turbodiesel, best car I ever had, wish Peugeot would come back to the United States. and Citreon as well, keep the renaults though.

Sincerely
Mitch the retired peugeot mechanic