Lp tractors on compressed natural gas

This might be a really dumb question but I was wondering if the old lp tractors can run on compressed natural gas? If so what if any modifications would be needed?

You would need a new fuel tank that will stand the 5000 psi normally pumped into CNG tanks to get any range out of the machine. Other than that,High pressure CNG regulators and whatever changes to the fuel metering system to get the fuel / air ratio right.

The big problem with CNG is that your tanks need to be about 3,000 PSI- big and heavy. CNG cars have no usable trunk- the tank fills it up. With the equivalent range of about 8 gallons of gasoline.

And failures of 3,000 PSI tanks tend to be spectacular, and catastrophic. Have your kid filming each time you fill, so the family can maybe get by on royalties from Youtube viral video if something goes sideways.

And the stations are not easy to find. And you would have to take the tractor to the station, because its not feasible (or even legal?) to have home storage for CNG.

On second thought, just get a gas JD A, and some plastic jerry cans. Life will be so much easier.

Natural gas has to be metered at a higher flow rate than LP. Fewer btu's per cuft.

Somebody else probably knows for sure, but I thought natural gas is low octane. Propane is very high octane, so high compression ratio may not let it work.

(quoted from post at 19:50:26 01/02/12) Somebody else probably knows for sure, but I thought natural gas is low octane. Propane is very high octane, so high compression ratio may not let it work.

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Very high octane, like 120 If memory serves. There is no practical, portable. storage of it that I have seen.

Compressor stations run $3K and up.

The only catastrophic failures of inspected tanks I have seen have involved fire.

Lots of people may be surprised at how far and how fast the technology for using CNG as a transportation fuel is moving along. Even more people in this country would be surprised to know just how much recoverable natural gas this North American continent contains. The big shale fields-Marcellus, Haynesville, Barnett, etc., are now accessible through directional drilling, and the amount of gas each well produces is astounding. Where I live in north Louisiana there at least 50 rigs drilling at any given moment. The wells are expensive, but there are no dry holes---every well is a producer.
This has all happened pretty much overnight, so most of America doesn’t realize that we now have an incredible energy source we didn’t know we had just four or five years ago. I hear the smart guys on TV and radio discussing the move to new energy sources and they don’t even mention natural gas .
In my area there is a lot of effort to usher in CNG as the new alternative energy source for our cars and trucks. The cities and counties are in the process of converting their bus and truck fleets and installing CNG filling facilities for both public and private users. A lot of progress has been made in making vehicles that can run on either gasoline or CNG, and the on-board storage problems are being solved. Sure there will be some trade-offs, but we won’t have to give up our beloved internal combustion engines; we won’t have to rely on imports from some hostile foreign country ; we won’t have to build any smelly refineries---most of us live within a few feet or a few miles from a pipeline that flows natural gas every day.
If not natural gas, what? Can you guys grow enough corn to replace $200 per barrel oil? It just seems to me to be a natural, logical progression as we look for new fuel sources. This one’s right under our noses, big-time. In order for this to happen several things will have to occur: a widespread realization that it’s a practical idea and a determination to put it into effect; the conversion of the over-the-road truck fleet to CNG, with requisite filling capability at truck stops, which can serve automobiles as well (remember when diesel autos had to re-fill at truck stops? ), and the provision of CNG-ready vehicles from the automakers.
I think it’s worth a serious look.

here in nm we use propane and also natural gas irrigation engines.cost is a factor because propane is 1.80 a gallon,natural gas is .60 per100 cft my propane guy says propane is 96000 btu and ng is billed at 100000 btu.I have tried for years to figure it out,but ng is cheaper to run than propane.

did you hear about the guy that traveled from ny to ca in an electric car.it cost 20 cents for electricity.but 4000 dollars for the extension cord

The reason I was asking is that I have 3 gas wells on my farm here in ohio and I was wondering if it might be practical,or even legal for that matter, to buy a pump and run my tractors and farm trucks off of CNG. I have to admit I know nothing about the practicality or safety of such an undertaking. Just wondered what others thought.

I am old enuff to remember when Caterpillar made stationary engines that ran on natural gas , not CNG . I mite have that litature yet . clint

I spent 6 months in Peru in 2011 and in The capitol Lima all of the taxis run on CNG. there are filling stations all over the city. Talked to a gentleman from Ok. while filling my truch last week and he had his van set up for CNG and it also ran on Gasoline. He said there were filling stations in Ok. but not meny in the Houston Tx. area.

As other have said hi-pressure. Standard fill pressure is 3600psi. Tank has to be inspected every 36K miles. Hi-pressure stainless line. A regulator that is supplied with engine coolant, to keep from icing. Oh, and filling stations that are few and far between.

There are home filling stations you can buy, but they are slow. Since line pressure in natural gas supply is relatively low. Commerical areas have a "fast fill" stations, with compressors and storage tanks. The reall cost is in the tank, assuming you can find a place to fill.

So yes you can do it, but not easily or cheap.

Lp is "low" at 108, won 't run in stock diesels. Natural gas will run in a diesel with detonation with its 120 octane.just use the factory diesel injection system at slow idle flow. Add natural gas to the intake flow to control rpm & power. No need to hack up the engine with low comp pistons ' spark plugs. Allows dual fuel use in emergencies too

(quoted from post at 18:58:58 01/02/12) The reason I was asking is that I have 3 gas wells on my farm here in ohio and I was wondering if it might be practical,or even legal for that matter, to buy a pump and run my tractors and farm trucks off of CNG. I have to admit I know nothing about the practicality or safety of such an undertaking. Just wondered what others thought.

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It's not as simple as buying a pump and hooking the hose to the LP tank on your tractor.

CNG is stored at much higher pressures so you need a different tank.

CNG has a different energy content from LP, so you need a different regulator.

These guys who keep doubting if it's even legal... They don't have a clue.

I can't remember the magazine that I read it in but there was a story about a trucking firm in California, L.A. I believe, that was running all trucks on natural gas. I'm sure they got a Gov. pay out. But they have been trying to get truck stops to get set up to fuel big rigs. Some engine builders have converted the big diesels to natural gas but it's a ways off for sure.

Jim

Jim I am with you I am from NY and have 5 wells on the farm I have been doing research here and there one thing I remember is a guy in Ohio (Deluca? is the guys name maybee)but he has some neat systems that work by feeding CNG into air intake with a valve that doesent open until the "vacuume" opens it something to look at

Some natural gas straight from the well can be "dirty". Moisture, H2S gas, CO2, sulfur to name a few contaminants.