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Tech Question
Brent Levinson, Bismarck, ND, 1968 Plymouth Barracuda, 460
I happened to re-read my Dec 2005 issue Tech Topics and came across "Gassed Up?", a question regards propane conversion. You commented "to me, the read drawback is the hazards posed by driving around with what is, basically, a bomb behind your seat".
Note, LPG and CNG have proven in may crash studies to be as safe, or safer than gasoline tanks. They are 20 times more puncture proof and when punctured/vented flame-out quickly. As opposed to gasoline which typically and rapidly involves the entire vehicle.
Thanks for a great magazine.
Brent
Brent, actually, I didn't pull that out of my butt:
http://www.rspa.dot.gov/dra/hydrogen/docs/alt_fuel.pdf
See p 3-11, etc.
I'd much rather have a visible liquid slowly evaporating - so I can see where the hell it is and go the other way. Also, I've witnessed several major car fires - one just yesterday. While I'm sure that there's plenty of cases of occupants trapped and/or unconscious and roasting in a fire, this can happen with any flammable fuel, Including modern plastic car interiors, etc. But gasoline -powered wrecks I've seen have all allowed the occupant ample time to get the hell outta there - I'm not at all sure that the same can be said for methane or propane.
Does that mean I'd never drive, or own, a car fueled by a compressed gas? No, on the contrary, even getting out of bed is a risk, we face dangers every day that we take for granted. If LNG or LPG became widespread and cheap, I'd consider it.
Still, overall, I stand by what I said.
Rick
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