According to a Ward’s Automotive Group news report, Green Fuel Systems International has introduced a new dual-phase induction system using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) it claims has helped heavy-truck operators in Australia reduce fuel consumption by up to 20% and increase horsepower and torque.
“Diesel engines are typically only 75%-80% efficient, meaning 20%-25% of diesel fuel is passed through the exhaust system unburnt,” said GFSI senior engineer Mark Kilburn. “LPG assists the diesel fuel combustion process, increasing diesel combustion efficiency to nearly 100%. This results in 20%-25% higher energy extraction and translates to a roughly similar increase in horsepower and torque.”
Kilburn said the system would save a trucker driving a B-double-trailer configuration truck that traveled approximately 156,000 miles (250,000 km) a year from $18,000 to $23,000 per year.
“We conservatively estimate net fuel cost savings of 10% across all truck applications,” he said. “However, we have some B-triples running at a 23%-24% net dollar value saving, and a client running B-doubles at a 27%-28% net saving over diesel.”
According to Phil Westlake, industry development manager for LPG Australia, exhaust emissions from diesel engines contain fine particulate matter, toxic chemicals and greenhouse gases.
“Unburnt diesel fuel, which is easily visible as black exhaust smoke, contains even more of these unhealthy and environmentally damaging pollutants,” Westlake said. “Given the enormous distances diesel-fueled heavy vehicles travel in Australia every year, an LPG Autogas system that reduces the emissions of these vehicles is of huge benefit to the environment and public heath.”
