This isn't strictly maintenance but if it belongs better in general or another forum, moderators please move it because I wasn't sure.
Is there anyone here with any level of experience, suggested references, books to read and similar concerning the adding of propane or/and compressed natural gas to diesel engines, and separately for water/methanol injection, whether for the purposes of increasing power, MPG, reducing fuel costs (separate from MPG/sometimes especially for CNG it's cheaper), lowering EGT's (mostly the water/meth) and even emissions improvements?
I am interested in this both under electronic injection as well as mechanical injection. I'd like to experiment with this eventually and the two potential engine candidates are either a VW 1.9L TDI or a Cummins 12v P-pump, though it might ultimately eventually end up on a Cummins 24v as well.
My understanding is that "awhile ago" decades ago it was more common to talk of propane/CNG adding, and that it's alot less common or favored now. Whats changed to make that happen i'm not sure, other than there's alot of modern performance enhancements more widely available and people like their convenience of running on just one fuel most of the time. Also I hear mention of risks of predetonation being possible (since the fuel is in the air mixture as it's compressed) though that might be an issue of keeping fuel levels below stoichometric where the mixture may autoignite.
I have multiple reasons for wanting to play around with the alternative fuel though, starting with budget - the price of injectors and upgraded pumps get's pretty expensive so i'm curious if you want just a little beyond what your current system can fuel if it might be a better option budgetwise. The cost of CNG is notably less than diesel so if i'm blending fuel the more I could run potentially the better for the wallet it is as well. Even in just small amounts like 5% blends i'm told it increases power, economy, and improves emissions by helping avoid unburned fuel. Sounds like all wins to me, just with a little extra hassle and DIY engineering maybe depending how it's set up.
Who can set me in the right direction to learn from others who have done it, past or present, and places at least that are not negative to using it as a power adder/parallel fuel?
PS - for those curious, my primary interest is towing and having enough power to safely blend with highway traffic under full load. I need to tow heavy with both pickup and future VW sedan pulling trailers. It's also about having the torque to not have to drop too many gears in the mountains since when you drop below 40mph in 3rd or something you start becoming an obstacle to other traffic. (even more so if you may not have the perfect axle ratio or six speed trans option and cant afford to change either) I don't need to blast up every mountain pass at 75mph but reserve power increases safety and i'd like to do it on a budget.
Is there anyone here with any level of experience, suggested references, books to read and similar concerning the adding of propane or/and compressed natural gas to diesel engines, and separately for water/methanol injection, whether for the purposes of increasing power, MPG, reducing fuel costs (separate from MPG/sometimes especially for CNG it's cheaper), lowering EGT's (mostly the water/meth) and even emissions improvements?
I am interested in this both under electronic injection as well as mechanical injection. I'd like to experiment with this eventually and the two potential engine candidates are either a VW 1.9L TDI or a Cummins 12v P-pump, though it might ultimately eventually end up on a Cummins 24v as well.
My understanding is that "awhile ago" decades ago it was more common to talk of propane/CNG adding, and that it's alot less common or favored now. Whats changed to make that happen i'm not sure, other than there's alot of modern performance enhancements more widely available and people like their convenience of running on just one fuel most of the time. Also I hear mention of risks of predetonation being possible (since the fuel is in the air mixture as it's compressed) though that might be an issue of keeping fuel levels below stoichometric where the mixture may autoignite.
I have multiple reasons for wanting to play around with the alternative fuel though, starting with budget - the price of injectors and upgraded pumps get's pretty expensive so i'm curious if you want just a little beyond what your current system can fuel if it might be a better option budgetwise. The cost of CNG is notably less than diesel so if i'm blending fuel the more I could run potentially the better for the wallet it is as well. Even in just small amounts like 5% blends i'm told it increases power, economy, and improves emissions by helping avoid unburned fuel. Sounds like all wins to me, just with a little extra hassle and DIY engineering maybe depending how it's set up.
Who can set me in the right direction to learn from others who have done it, past or present, and places at least that are not negative to using it as a power adder/parallel fuel?
PS - for those curious, my primary interest is towing and having enough power to safely blend with highway traffic under full load. I need to tow heavy with both pickup and future VW sedan pulling trailers. It's also about having the torque to not have to drop too many gears in the mountains since when you drop below 40mph in 3rd or something you start becoming an obstacle to other traffic. (even more so if you may not have the perfect axle ratio or six speed trans option and cant afford to change either) I don't need to blast up every mountain pass at 75mph but reserve power increases safety and i'd like to do it on a budget.
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