RUNNING ON NATURAL GAS
Blackburn Council is to date the only legal operator of natural-gas powered vehicles in Great Britain. At present Blackburn has nine gas powered vehicles: two Freight-Rover 3.5-tonne tippers, two Freight Rover vans, and five Bedford Astra vans. These vehicles were converted from petrol-engined vehicles to dual-fuel vehicles. Stop-start and cold-start operations with gas show less engine wear, no sludge formation and no dilution of oil on cylinder bores, so oil-drain periods can be extended. Spark-plug life is estimated at 250,000 miles, and exhaust systems last indefinitely because of the cleaner emissions with negligible acids formation. A gas conversion kit can be transferred from vehicle to vehicle, the initial cost being in the region of 1,000 pounds Sterling. Ultimately, the whole-life cost, including fitting, seems likely to be well within 400 to 500 pounds Sterling per vehicle--cheaper than a catalytic converter.
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Availability:
- Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00203122
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Corporate Authors:
Institute of Road Transport Engineeers
1 Cromwell Place
London SW1 25F, England -
Authors:
- Leeming, D
- Publication Date: 1989-9
Media Info
- Pagination: p. 33, 35
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Serial:
- TRANSPORT ENGINEER
- Publisher: Institute of Road Transport Engineeers
- ISSN: 0020-3122
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Cost effectiveness; Costs; Exhaust gases; Natural gas; Performance evaluations; Trucks; Vans
- Uncontrolled Terms: Conversion
- Old TRIS Terms: Dual fueling
- Subject Areas: Finance; Highways; Motor Carriers;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00488562
- Record Type: Publication
- Files: TRIS
- Created Date: Oct 31 1989 12:00AM