[nota]

Originally Posted by henk4

I actually read through the article and technically the system seems to work. However, some questions, if the LPG is under normal pressure, what size of storage tank would be required, because you want at least a supply that would last one fill-up of a diesel tank. How will this device be installed in the car.

Did you investigate the manufacturer's site, including their 'installation' page?

DIESEL GAS AUSTRALIA

How would it have to be refilled?

Just like any other LPG vehicle, including duel-fuel. The fill-point is usually sited inside the fuel flap adjacent to the petrol-filler

Would the car technically fall under LPG-cars, which as you may know have some accessibility problems in Europe regarding parking facilities and for instance the Channel Tunnel.

Dunno about euro regs but no oppressive restrictions here and even the cops consider it sufficiently safe to use LPG in their patrol cars

Originally Posted by culver

I've seen lots of LPG city busses. They are the ones with enormous LP tanks on the top of the vehicle.

LPG-powered trucks like concrete mixers and fast 'interstaters' used for newspaper deliveries were once quite common in Oz, but large petrol-powered commercial vehicles have long since gone the way of the Dodo here and it's all diesel-based. But some buses (and a few cars) have been converted to run on natural gas which is an abundant and apparently excellent fuel, at least environmentally and in price, for heavy vehicles. It's strange to think of LPG tanks being draped atop vehicles - in our buses these gas tanks are all situated underfloor, bringing cleaner styling + lower centre of gravity + Lotus-like handling

The problem with LPG is energy density. It's just not as compact as liquid fuel thus you need a lot of space to store the tanks. That's the tank that must resist explosive decompression in the even of a wreck...

Among other manufacturers Ford eg offer nine 'E-Gas' Falcon models (in sedan, wagon & ute) that are mono-LPG powered and their tanks are all located underfloor, or under-chassis in the latter.

Tanks are available in lots of various shapes and capacities, including compact 'torriodal' tanks which are donut shaped to fit within the spare-wheel void. I've also heard of the space-saving 'conformable' tank from New Zealand which is of oval cross-section, and at one stage was proposed to be made out of plastic!

Not sure I'd want a plastic LPG tank in my car but steel tanks seem relatively invulnerable in the field and I've seen demonstrations where high-powered bullets are fired into them for no dramatic effect. I feel sufficiently comfortable about Mrs nota's Falcon which was factory-fitted to dual-fuel (petrol & LPG) back in '93. Although an old-style installation it still doesn't take up too much space in relative terms, and by itself this modest-sized tank delivers a 450 km range (not including the original petrol tank)