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Compressed Natural Gas Powered Truck Explodes
Horse Plains Drifter
Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 39,405 ***** Forums Admin
The fire and ensuing explosion injures nine firefighters.
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I pray those firefighters injuries were not serious.
that is my only fear of these vehicles. otherwise conversion is faily simple to most existing engine technology and most engines allready in service if need be. Just a little leary of those tanks in a crash/fire......
When I was driving the big rig I saw installations for natural gas pumps put in at 4 or 5 big truck stops, Flying J. There was one in Laredo, one near Mobile, another at Montgomery Alabama. I saw at least five being built, and it must have been at a cost of several millions. However, these natural gas pumps never opened up. Never pumped a gallon.
Obviously Flying J was anticipating, ten years ago, a big move to natural gas powered big rigs.
Back in the '60's I visited a pal in the Miami area. He had a Chevy El camino that was an ex-Miami utilities vehicle. It had a LPG tank secured in the front of the bed. I agree, the thought of compressed gas would worry me but not as much as compressed hydrogen.
Brandon does not like gas stoves and he also does not want to export natural gas to foreign countries. Seems Brandon wants us to be safe and go to electric stoves and EV's.
I'm suspect of his reasoning, but again I'm a paranoid type of guy constantly watching behind and in front of me. (for last few years or so) Seems them politicians ideas always shrinks my pocket book. (when they promise it's for my own good)
had a house in the middle of annarbor mi explode yesterday nothing left
Terrorists? Or lack or maintenance?
Back in the 1980's......my older uncle converted a few of his pickups to run "farm" propane. They ran pretty well.......with the "untaxed" fuel.
I was working at a hot air balloon manufacturing shop in Atlanta. The balloons run on propane. In each corner of the gondola is a ten gallon propane tank, four tanks total.
We had a big Ford pickup that we used to "chase." That is, I drove the truck to where the balloon landed, and we loaded the balloon and gondola up in the truck.
The boss bought a conversion kit, and one day I rigged up the F150 to where it would run on gasoline, or propane. We strapped a 10 gallon propane tank into the corner of the truck. It ran well on propane, though it had a little less power than gasoline.
Back on the farm, all 3 of the tractors ran on LP (never did get comfortable around them when fueling). Sometime in the 70's Dad had the early 50's vintage Model G Moline overhauled. The mechanic went on and on about how clean inside that engine was. Like mentioned above, a lot of the neighboring farmers who ran their tractors on LP also ran their pickups on it.
So Brandon is afraid of gas stoves? I'll bet he doesn't eat beans either.😉
With all this talk about farm tractors, have any of you know anything about old tractors that would start and warmup of gas then switch to diesel?
Right tnranger, I've see torn down engines that have run on propane - amazing.
I recall a friend talking about those, but my memory is as good as my spelling, but I think they were Fords........
@cbxjeff : Are you sure you are not thinking of "tractor fuel" instead of diesel? Tractor fuel was, I believe, kerosene. Some of the old 2-cylinder John Deeres as well as other makes ran on that stuff. There was a fuel switch and the main tank held kerosene with a small tank holding gas. You would start the tractor on gas and, when warm, switch to the main tank. BUT, you had to remember to switch back to gas before you shut it down. I'm sure you would only forget once, since those old JD's had to be started by turning the exterior flywheel by hand!
I had an old Fordson built around 1925. It was strictly a gas version, but they did make a special carburetor and fuel tank that would accommodate gas and diesel.
The only propane driven machine I ever piloted was a HI-LO that worked indoors and outdoors a lot. I will never forget the smell of the exhaust that thing put out!