LPG kit design for two wheelers

We have seen cars running on LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas). But can bikes and scooters run on them? Why not, though it is not much popular there are LPG gas converter kits available everywhere. Using LPG instead of petrol is not only economical but also better for the environment. There are lots of advantages in converting your two wheeler to run on LPG, some of them are;

• The money factor – LPG is way cheaper than petrol
• Better distribution in the cylinder – Gasoline is sprayed into the engine cylinder to mix it with air. But in this case the air-gasoline mixture distribution need not be uniform simply because gasoline is liquid. LPG on the other hand can make a better uniformly distributed fuel mixture. This results in a higher thermal efficiency.
• Knock resistant
• It has a higher octane rating than petrol
• Clean – LPG is a clean gas, it doesn’t contain create carbon when it burns. In the case of gasoline each burning leaves a minute amount of carbon in your engine cylinder, overtime it can cause malfunctioning of the engine system.
• Since it is a clean gas the exhaust emissions are considerably lesser than gasoline
• LPG burns faster, so cold starting the engine will no longer a problem
• Offers better mileage than gasoline
• Reduced wear and tear – When sprayed into the engine cylinder liquid gasoline comes in contact with the cylinder wall and piston rings. This washes away the lubricating oil which is there to reduce wear and tear of the engine parts. Since LPG is injected in gaseous form this problem doesn’t exist.
• Increased life for engine and exhaust system.

From an engineers point of view this is a design project where you design the tank that carry gasoline. Unlike cars two wheelers do not boast of ample spaces for accommodating gas tanks. You need to take in to account the space required for the gas tank as well as the conversion kit. A practical option is replacing the fuel tank of the 2 wheeler but in most cases the tank is fitted visibly to the outside making the entire vehicle look real ugly. Such readymade kits are available in the market but as engineers this project should focus on designing a compact tank which can be fitted on all brands of two wheelers irrespective of their designs. For example if you design an LPG tank for Bajaj pulser it may not fit the design of a Honda CBR.

Only a “made for all” design can have any market viability, and if you can explain the scope of your design in the market this project will sound way better earning you more marks. This is one reason commercially available gas kits are fitted outside the bikes. I hope you can do a better job at this 🙂