Home gas filling with propane. Is it possible to fill a car with gas at home?

How to independently convert a car for gas filling at home

Today we will talk about how to independently refuel cars with natural gas at home from conventional kitchen stove. We will also consider methods, technologies, instructions, drawings and descriptions of compressors and pumps for liquefying methane or propane to refuel a car with clear photos. Let's find out how to make a mini-gas car filling station at home

Due to its low cost and environmental friendliness in use, natural gas is widely used in the automotive industry. However, on the way from the main gas pipeline to the consumer's filling cylinder, natural gas goes through several more intermediate stages.

Without a doubt, running a car on natural gas is more economically profitable. And the more powerful and large-volume the engine, the faster the gas equipment pays off and the more significant the savings. At the gas filling station, gas is pumped into the vehicle's refueling cylinder. The operating pressure of the compressor is 1.6 MPa (16 atm). The gas pressure in a car cylinder depends on the ambient temperature and varies over a wide range.

Thus, at an air temperature of 0 o C, the pressure in the cylinder is 0.3 MPa (3 atm), and at a temperature of 20 o C its value increases to 1.2 MPa (12 atm). In addition to vehicles, gas filling stations refill cylinders for the use of liquefied gas by the population for domestic purposes and at small and medium-sized businesses.

In previous materials, we provided calculations for reducing fuel costs, and came to the conclusion that under any conditions, the cost of one kilometer is reduced on average by half. Now imagine that costs can be reduced not by half, but by 6-10 times. Do you think this is unrealistic? In fact, it is possible. We will tell you how further. You can refuel your car at home from the domestic gas network. As you know, household gas tariffs for the population are orders of magnitude lower than the price of gas at gas stations. And this is even through the counter.

If there is no meter and you pay standard (albeit inflated) tariffs, then everything is clear. Yes, it turns out that you will be refueling your car for practically nothing. By the way, in the West or America, such home gas stations are increasingly gaining popularity, although there the difference in the price of gas in the kitchen and at the gas station is not at all large. It’s a different matter for us... When calculating the cost per kilometer of travel on gasoline and methane (based on the energy intensity of 1 cubic meter of methane = 1 liter of gasoline), we took the cost at specialized gas stations as a basis.

I think everyone understands the savings - even according to the most conservative estimates, at least more than 10 times, provided that you pay everything honestly according to the household gas meter.

In addition to this, refueling your car with natural gas from a household network connected to your house or apartment will allow you to:

Let us repeat, the main thing is to reduce the cost of refueling a car. The cost of methane is several times lower than the cost of gasoline. The more intensively the car is used, the higher the economic effect.

Extend engine life. Methane gas, like propane-butane, does not wash away the oil film from the walls of the engine cylinders, which provides excellent lubrication of the piston group parts. In addition, methane, unlike gasoline, does not contain various additives that oxidize the oil itself, which has a positive effect on the service life and stability of engine oil characteristics. Plus, this extends the life of the spark plugs by about a quarter. Reducing wear on engine parts increases engine life by 1.5-2 times, and the service life of engine oil by 2-2.5 times.

The high octane number of natural gas (104-115) allows it to be used for any engines (ZAZ, LuAZ, VAZ, GAZ, Moskvich, UAZ, etc.), as well as in the engines of most foreign cars. This also applies to trucks.

Significantly reduce emissions harmful products combustion into the atmosphere. When using gas as a vehicle fuel, there are completely no emissions of harmful toxic compounds of lead and aromatic compounds, emissions of CO, CH, and nitrogen oxides are reduced significantly, and smoke from the exhaust pipe is reduced three times. Even if you are not an ardent fan of “green” cars, cars with installed methane gas equipment are exempt from environmental control when passing inspection.

You can purchase a ready-made factory mobile gas filling station. Unfortunately, the domestic industry does not produce them (that’s understandable; no one will be given permission), and there are already quite a lot of foreign samples. For example, they are mass-produced by Neuman ESSER (Germany), Maschinenfabrik (Austria), Litvin (France) and many others. The only, but very significant, disadvantage is the price. These gas stations are not cheap, especially for a person who wants to save on it. In reality, everything turned out to be banal simple. Anyone can buy a special high-pressure pump that connects to a household gas pipeline low pressure and refills a vehicle equipped with HBO (methane gas).

In this case, no special permits or safety requirements are required from the owner. Let me emphasize – special! And then it’s just a fairy tale. You connect a special high-pressure hose to the charging connector of the car, and... you will have to wait a little longer than at a branded gas station.

How many? It all depends on the performance of the pump you choose. For example, the weakest one with a capacity of 3 cubic meters per hour can spend 5-6 hours to fill one cylinder, but an average capacity of 10 cubic meters per hour will only take an hour and a half. How long would you say? And you count how much time your car sits idle near your house. During this time, he can easily refuel. You are sleeping, the car is refueling. When the limit pressure is reached, the system will automatically turn off. In the morning, a car with filled cylinders awaits you. Everything is great, especially since the bills not spent on fuel continue to lie in your pocket, and not at the gas station cash register.

Household gas compressors for refueling cars and gas cylinders at home with natural gas from a low-pressure network

1. description of the type: -TypeX compressors; - Cooling - air; -Productivity: 2 Nm3/h; -Inlet gas pressure:0.017-0.035 bar -Outlet gas pressure:200 bar

2. General characteristics of XF-2/0.017-0.035-200 natural gas compressor-supercharger for refueling vehicles, cylinders with a pressure of 20Mpa. Refill time 5-6 hours, small size, light weight, excellent performance, safety, cost-effectiveness and durability.

3. Basic specifications Stroke: 14 mm Rotation speed: 1000 rpm Number of stages

4 Input temperature: Ambient temperature +10° First compression stage: pressure: 0.39 MPa Second compression stage: pressure: 1.9 MPa Third compression stage: pressure: 6.5 MPa Fourth compression stage: pressure: 20 MPa Motor power 1.1 kW Voltage: 200-240 V Frequency: 50 Hz Rated current: 6.6 A Noise level: 55 dB Weight: 105 kg Dimensions: 810 * 660 * 640 mm

Everything is good and wonderful, but we still add a fly in the ointment to this beautiful ointment. With all the visible advantages of using a home gas station, there are no less disadvantages.

Firstly, the cost of installing LPG.

Secondly, the cost of a gas compressor.

Thirdly, the weight and dimensions of high-pressure cylinders.

Fourthly, the network of methane gas stations is not extensive enough (you have to drive not only near your home).

But there is a category of citizens for whom these disadvantages are not critical. They use vehicle not only to move their mortal body from home to work and back, they make money from it. For those whose cars have a huge annual mileage, switching to methane and installing a gas filling station is a completely relevant solution.

We have sorted out the payback, but with the sizes of cylinders for storing methane, everything is not so simple. They are not suitable for use in small passenger cars. Their large weight and size simply do not allow them to be painlessly introduced into the design of a car. Most likely, methane gas is an excellent alternative for huge pickup trucks and American SUVs. There, in the back, a couple of large, eighty-liter cylinders will not take up much space.

You can make such a compressor yourself. The option, again tens of times cheaper, but requires desire, time and, most importantly, “straight” hands, moreover, they must grow from right place.

The following article is for those who are interested in the second method. The implementation of the first does not need much explanation.
Guide self-production a set of gas cylinder equipment for refueling a car with household gas

At the beginning, it is necessary to clarify: there are gas equipment for compressed gas and equipment for liquefied gas. Equipment for compressed gas uses ordinary natural gas - methane, which can be taken from the residential household or industrial gas network. The only problem is how to fill this gas into a car at home.

In a regular gas pipeline supplied to a home stove, water heater or boiler, the pressure of natural gas is about 0.05 Atm, and in a high-pressure gas cylinder up to 200 Atm. Therefore, a compressor is needed that will raise the gas pressure to the required value. The design of such a compressor is somewhat different from that used in conventional household devices.

A conventional single-circuit compressor is capable of raising the pressure to a maximum of 20 -25 Atm., and to refill a gas cylinder it is necessary to reach 200 Atm. This is achieved by adding additional circuits to the system. It looks like a set of several compressors, each subsequent, of which presses the gas pre-compressed by the previous one to a higher pressure.
In general, the high-pressure compressor circuit looks similar.

The operating principle of a compressor for filling a car with gas:

Gas from the domestic gas pipeline through the inlet filter (1) is supplied through the inlet valve (2) into the primary circuit cylinder. Compression occurs and through the exhaust valve (3) through the pipeline through the cooling radiator (4) it is supplied to the cylinder of the next circuit. Next, the gas pre-compressed in the primary circuit is pressurized to even higher pressure. All processes are repeated in the third circuit. The number of circuits can be increased to five. There are three of them in the above diagram. But this does not change the principle.

Compressed to required pressure natural gas (this is about 200 atm.) passes through the pressure switch (11), is purified in a molecular filter and, through a safety valve, is supplied to the cylinder of the car being refueled or to a reserve high-pressure cylinder. Refilling time will depend entirely on the productivity of the installation.

In order to speed up the time it takes to refuel a car, you can use additional stationary cylinders. Then in free time, a compressor forces gas into these stationary cylinders. And when you need to quickly refuel your car, you distill the methane directly from them. Thus, you can reduce the refueling time to 10-15 minutes.
Description homemade device for refueling a car with household gas.

As previously stated, this requires a high-pressure compressor (up to 200 kg/cm2). You can use compressors like GP4, NG-2, AKG-2, but they require powerful electric motor, which is not suitable for many. A good option- this is the use of an AK 150C aircraft compressor. It is used on modern armored vehicles and in aviation. This compressor is quite small-sized, lightweight, and requires a low-power electric motor of 1.5-3 kW, which allows it to be connected to an apartment or garage electrical network. The main question is where to get it. But believe me, this is not as difficult a task as it seems at first glance. It often happens that they can be written off, having spent no more than 10% of their resource. He who seeks will always find (sometimes for very little money or liquid barter

From the household gas network through a rubber hose (possibly from a gas welding machine), gas is supplied through a valve to the gas filter (7). A pressure meter (2), connected through an adapter (3), serves to monitor the pressure in the gas network. The gas in the filter (7) is cleared of foreign impurities and supplied to the compressor (10), where it increases to 150 kg/cm2. Then the gas enters the moisture separator (18), high-pressure gas filter (19), pressure automatic (20) type ADU-2S. After this, gas is supplied to the filling valve.

When the pressure rises above 150 kg/cm2, the ADU 2 valve opens and the gas returns through the tube (23) to the compressor inlet. The NMP 100 type pressure meter is used with measurement limits of 0-400 mm water. Art.
The function of a gas filter can be performed by a new fine fuel filter for diesel engines. To release condensate from the moisture separator, a tap (17) is used. To control the pressure at the compressor outlet, a pressure gauge (22) (0-250) kg/cm2 is installed.

The housing (11) is attached to the compressor flange (1) using sheet metal and studs (8) through a gasket (10). A plate (12) is welded to the bottom of the housing to secure the compressor with a lubrication unit (Fig. 5). A type 205 bearing (4) is pressed into the housing (11) (Fig. 3). A bushing (7) from a slot is pressed into the bearing, which is secured with a retaining ring (19). The splined shaft (6) of the compressor enters the bushing on one side, and on the other side a shaft (17) is pressed in, the key of which fits into the splines of the bushing (7). This is done to avoid cutting splines on the shaft (17). After pressing, the shaft (17) is carefully welded to the bushing (7).

After this, the housing (11) is closed with a cover (14) with an oil seal (13). The cover is secured with bolts (5). A drive pulley (15) with a key (16) is mounted on the other end of the shaft (17). The compressor lubrication unit is shown in Fig. 2 and fig. 5. The base is a tank (24) (Fig. 2), which can be made from a rectangular profile or welded from tin. The drive unit with the compressor is attached to the top of the tank. The hole (13) (Fig. 3) must coincide with the hole (11) (Fig. 5) of the tank. A hole is cut out on top of the tank in a convenient place, to which the filler neck (3) and the lid (2) are welded (Fig. 5).

A hole is drilled in the lower part of the tank for the drain plug (14) (Fig. 2). A hole is drilled in the side wall of the tank for the oil pump (1) and the pump drive shaft (17). The oil pump is attached to the wall of the reservoir with studs.

Hole (4) (Fig. 5) serves to supply oil to the pump. Shafts (6) and (17) are connected using a plate (7) and a bushing (8). To secure the bearing (12), there is a housing (15) with a cover (16) and an oil seal (13). The cover is attached to the body using bolts (14). A pulley (18) with a key is put on the shaft (17). The oil pump is used from a GAZ-51, 52, 69 car, but it should be kept in mind that the pumps differ in the length of the drive shaft.

To monitor the oil level, a viewing window (11) of any design is used. The lubrication system works like this. The torque from the electric motor pulley is transmitted through a belt drive to the pulley (16) (Fig. 2), (18) (Fig. 5) and through the shaft (17), bushing (8) and plate (7) is transmitted to the shaft (6) pump drive (1). The oil enters through the hole (4) into the pump (1) (Fig. 5), (8) (Fig. 2), passes through the adapter (3), into which the car pressure sensor (4) is screwed, and is supplied through the tube to the inlet fitting (12) oil supply to the compressor. Fitting (12) in fig. 2 is conditionally deployed. It is screwed into the hole (3) (Fig. 3). The diameter of the thread depends on the tube you have, which can be used from hydraulic system automotive and tractor units.

Next, the oil passes through the lubrication channels of the compressor (Fig. 3, Fig. 4), collects at the bottom and is discharged through the oil drain hole Fig. 4, fig. 11 (part 11) then flows through the hole (13) (Fig. 3) into the tank (24) (Fig. 2). Part of the oil passes through the bearing (4) (Fig. 3) and lubricates it. Part (7) ( Fig. 11) can be made from a compressor drive gear, which must be purchased. To do this, it is necessary to grind the ring gear to the dimensions shown in Fig. 11 (part 7). You can connect a car light bulb to the pressure sensor (4) (Fig. 2).

Instead of a sensor, you can connect a pressure gauge for monitoring. In order to remove the gas that has broken through the piston rings into the drive unit housing, there is a threaded hole at the top of the housing (Fig. 11), (detail 11), section A-A, into which the fitting (13) is screwed (Fig. 2). A rubber tube is put on the fitting and brought above the roof of the garage or house. Although the design of the filling device provides for the localization of possible gas emissions into the room, it is advisable to install it outside the room.

On average, filling gas cylinders takes 1-1.5 hours. To reduce refueling time, two compressors can be paired. Owners trucks 4 compressors can be used. In Fig. 10 shows the principle electrical diagram connecting a 3-phase electric motor to a single-phase network.

Voltage to the IM motor is supplied through circuit breaker Q1, magnetic starter MP. When you press the “start” button, relay P1 is activated, which, with its contacts P1.2, supplies voltage to the coil of the MP starter and connects the starting capacitors Sp with contacts P1,1. At the same time, the starter is triggered and connects the motor and operating capacitors Ср to the network. At the same time, the block contacts of the MP 1.1 starter close and the starter becomes self-locking.

When you release the Start button, Sp is disabled. When you press the “Stop” button or when the RT motor thermal protection relay is triggered, the circuit opens, the starter turns off, the engine turns off and the circuit returns to its original position. When connecting the motor windings with a triangle, Ср=4800 (IHOM/U), where IHOM is the rated current of the motor, U is the network voltage. Sp=(2-3)Avg.

When storing a car in a garage, a tube is put on the fitting, which is led above the roof of the garage. With this design, you will be completely guaranteed against any gas leaks. Before using cylinders, you need to check them operating pressure, volume, technical condition. The outer surface must not have dents, cracks, deep scratches and traces of corrosion. Near the neck of the HP it is indicated:
- date of test and date of next test;
- type of heat treatment (N - normalization, W - hardening and tempering);
- operating pressure;
- test hydraulic pressure (p225);
- actual weight, factory mark,

To connect gas pipelines, special adapters are used (Fig. 8), which are screwed into the cylinder instead of a valve, lubricating the threads with red lead. The tightening torque of the adapter is 45-50 kg/m (450-500) Nm. This can be checked with a special torque wrench, which can be borrowed from a car service station. When the valve or adapter is fully screwed in, there should be 2-5 turns of thread left on its threaded part. The size of the tapered thread (Fig. 8) depends on the types of cylinders.

High-pressure pipes have a non-gasket nipple connection, which, when the union nut is tightened, rests against the conical surface of the fitting and, when deformed, seals the connection. If you purchased old tubes, you need to cut off the end of the tube with the nipple and put on a new nipple, coat it with lead, and tighten union nut. After carefully tightening everything threaded connections The filling valve is opened, the filling device is connected and air is pumped to half the operating pressure, the connections are checked, and if there are no gaps, air is pumped to the full operating pressure.

Air leaks must be eliminated after the pressure has been completely relieved. If there are no gaps, then open the filling valve and completely bleed air from the system and pump gas into the cylinder. After this, open the flow valve and let gas flow to the high pressure reducer and check its operation.
To do this, use the fitting (13) (Fig. 1) to set the gas pressure at the outlet to 10 kg/cm2, then purge the low-pressure system with gas until air is completely removed, start the engine on gas and check the pressure at the outlet of the HP reducer. may fall a little. All work must be carried out outside the premises. After this, the operation of the gearbox safety valve is checked. To do this, tighten the fitting (13) (Fig. 1) smoothly and gradually increase the pressure at the outlet of the reducer until the valve operates. It should operate at a pressure of 15-17 kg/cm2.

If the valve operates at a different pressure, the locknut on the valve must be loosened and the actuation adjusted. After this, check the tightness of the main valve. To do this, completely unscrew the fitting (13), while gas should not enter the low pressure line. If the pressure slowly increases, then the valve seat in the gearbox is changed or taken to a workshop. If everything is in order, make a test drive and check the low pressure reducer.
How to do this is well described in the operating instructions for liquefied gas equipment and there is no need to describe it. It should be borne in mind that when using a low pressure reducer from a liquefied gas nozzle, your car may slightly lose dynamism. To prevent this from happening, you can drill out the jets in the gearbox by 1-2 tens, but then the mileage and efficiency will decrease. So the decision is yours.

You need to know that natural gas is lighter than air and rises, unlike liquefied gas, which spreads along the ground and fills all the cracks and basements. Therefore, during operation it is necessary to take this feature into account.

Before each departure and return to the garage, after Maintenance and repairs it is necessary to do a leak test gas system. Most available methods detecting gas leaks - this is odor control and washing with a soap solution. If you smell gas while driving, the problem must be repaired. If you cannot eliminate the malfunction, you must release the gas from the cylinders into the atmosphere (in the absence of people, open fire, or other cars nearby).

If the gearbox freezes and the engine starts in winter period must be used to warm up hot water, the use of open fire is strictly prohibited! When gas equipment catches fire, it is necessary to close the valves and turn off the refueling system. To put out a fire, have a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher on hand. In this case, it is necessary to water the cylinders with water to prevent the pressure in them from increasing.

Once every three years, it is necessary to check high-pressure cylinders with a hydraulic test, and once a year, they must be tested. It is strictly forbidden to attach them to the surface of cylinders by welding. structural elements. When refueling a car, it is necessary to monitor the gas pressure at the inlet and outlet of the compressor, the temperature of the cylinders, and the pressure in the lubrication system. There should be no people in the vehicle during refueling.

If gas leaks are detected, refueling must be done when following conditions: refill only with the flow valve closed, do not stand near the filling hose when refilling, do not tighten the nuts when refilling under pressure, do not knock metal objects on the details of the filling system. The filling hose must only be disconnected after the filling valve has been closed. When the operating pressure in the cylinders is reached, it is necessary to turn off the compressor engine, close the filling valve, and close the valve at the compressor inlet.

In conclusion, I would like to say that the task was to give you a simplified, affordable and at the same time safe and efficient design of a refueling device, which you can assemble in a fairly short time and receive moral and material pleasure from your work.

And finally, let’s please environmentalists and the Greenpeace community. An engine running on methane has much less toxic exhaust gases. The amount of toxic carbon monoxide CO (carbon monoxide) is reduced by more than three times, and the content of carcinogenic hydrocarbons CH, consisting of particles of unburned fuel, is reduced by 1.6 times. The concentration of nitrogen oxide NO and NO2 dioxide when the engine is running on gas is reduced by 1.2 times.

What conclusions can be drawn from this? Converting modern cars to methane, although expensive, is a simple operation. At the same time, due to the lower cost of gas, the costs are quickly recouped. If we take into account the possibility of installing a gas station at home, then this is the most cost-effective option existing on the market.

In this article, I want to show one of the options for how to make an adapter for refilling disposable collet gas cartridges.

For production you will need:

- gas burner (bought in China)
- oxygen hose 1 meter
- nozzle for a large gas cylinder with left-hand thread
- two clamps
- screwdriver
- scales
- large gas cylinder

Manufacturing process

First of all, let's sort it out gas burner. It is necessary to unscrew the nozzle. It is threaded and can be easily removed. Subsequently, everything can be easily reassembled and used for its intended purpose.

Then we take the hose and put one end on the adapter for a large gas cylinder, and the other on the burner and tighten it well with clamps.

That's all, the adapter is ready. Now it can be screwed onto a gas cylinder.

Important!
It's still gas! Be careful!
This is how I refuel: first I release the remaining air from the can and put it on the scale. The weight of an empty can is 95 grams. Then I connect the can to the adapter and open the valves. The large cylinder must be placed on its side so that the liquid gas flows down to the tap. I usually pour from 150 to 180 grams, no more, for this I keep open valve approximately 10 seconds. After refueling, I put it on the scale again and look at the result.

In many country houses are used gas cylinders which need to be refilled regularly. Although they are also used in production. Refilling is much cheaper than purchasing a new cylinder. They are used for heating and household needs. When living outside the city limits, the question of where to refill a gas cylinder becomes natural. This is discussed in the article.

Pros and cons of gas cylinders

The autonomous tank is an easy-to-use item. Its advantages include:

1. Mobility. It can be rearranged and transported.
2. Unlimited shelf life. It can be used later.
3. Big choice. You can purchase a container of any size, purpose, made from various materials.

The disadvantages include:

1. Fire hazard. If the tank is located in an area of ​​fire or sudden temperature changes, this can lead to a threat to life and health, as well as property damage.
2. Presence of sediment in old tanks after prolonged use. They need to be cleaned for future use.
3. Gas leak if the equipment has been in use for a long time. You need to change the jet regularly to prevent this.
4. Danger from sudden overturning. There is a risk of pressure surge and sudden burst of flame. And it’s almost impossible to pay off everything on your own.
5. Risk of inhalation. If the equipment is faulty, people living in the house may be poisoned by carbon monoxide.

Where to contact?

Household gas cylinders are sold at specialized points. Usually there is home delivery of goods. Where to refill a gas cylinder if it becomes empty? It is in these specialized centers that the containers are filled. As a rule, these points are located at stationary automobile gas filling stations.

Other items

Where else is there propane? There are several options:

1. Factory. But this option is not very convenient, and also not cheap.
2. Companies that have received the right from Gostekhnadzor. These include cylinder exchange.

Factories and companies must have special premises that meet the requirements, as well as the equipment needed for such work. Where to refill gas This work is performed by the same specialized points.

Where should you not go?

Although this procedure can be performed at almost every gas station, where there are not even special cylinder points, it is not worth buying liquefied gas there. This is quite risky because:

1. After this procedure there is no check for gas leaks.
2. There is no control over refuellers, which is why the use of such gas equipment will be unsafe.
3. Due to the format of the filling column, the cylinder cannot be filled efficiently.

According to the standards, the filling volume should not be higher than 85%. This creates a “steam cap” in the cylinder, which protects against the risk of the cylinder exploding due to high temperatures. In car cylinders, compared to household ones, there is a cut-off valve that allows you to prevent gas overflow. Therefore, equipment must be checked on scales. Where is the best place to refill a gas cylinder? You can also contact car gas stations, unless there is special equipment and a license.

Refueling process

The centers that perform refueling are called gas filling stations. They may have different equipment configurations. Typically the procedure is performed in 3 ways:

1. Pumped: a pump is used.
2. Pump-compression: gas is taken out using a pump and, under high pressure from a compressor, enters a cylinder.
3. Pump-evaporation: the gas supply system has a heater-evaporator that provides increased pressure.

All refueling methods are safe as long as the rules and regulations are followed.

Station requirements

If you are interested in where you can refill a gas cylinder, you should check the station for the presence of:

1. Exhaust and pumping units.
2. Gas tanks.
3. Technical tools for transportation.
4. Additional devices - dispensers, devices for measuring the density of a substance.

Where are household gas cylinders refilled in cities? This is usually done by gas services that connect and maintain this equipment. They deliver containers with the substance according to a specific schedule. Gas equipment is also delivered to villages, delivered in special vehicles.

The procedure is carried out according to standard requirements. They must be observed as there is a risk of explosion. For example, the procedure is not performed if there is one of the shortcomings:

• the equipment is faulty;
• there is no required pressure in the cylinder;
• there are valve or valve deficiencies;
• rust is visible on the surface;
• paint peels off;
• there is damage.

Therefore, you need to check compliance with these regulations regarding where you can refill the gas cylinder. They should be labeled “compressed gas.” A sticker indicating an explosion hazard is also attached. Only in this case everything complies with safety standards, so refueling at such a company can be carried out.

Refueling rules

Before the procedure, the balloon is emptied of condensate and remaining gas. Filling is carried out on the basis of the characteristics indicated in the data sheet, so that the equipment will operate safely. During the procedure, there should be no fire, sparks, coals or other hazardous substances nearby. The work can be done in 2 ways:

1. Exchange. A person gives away his tanks, and he is provided with filled ones. This saves time. But the disadvantage is getting other equipment, which may not have the best quality parameters.
2. Own cylinders. A person leaves his tanks for refueling and picks them up after a while. Then only your own equipment will be used. But you will have to spend money on delivery and wait some time.

After refueling, the equipment must be used correctly. It should not be affected by precipitation or sunlight. Cylinders should be stored in an upright position. It is necessary to regularly check the equipment for serviceability. It is better to eliminate any defects immediately, without waiting for adverse consequences.

What does the price depend on?

It is important to know not only where to refill a gas cylinder, but also the price of these services. The cost depends on:

• service level;
• availability of transport services;
• electricity costs;
• gas prices.

If refueling procedures are violated, companies are held accountable. If they do not comply with the rules and regulations, then for these cases it is applied. Therefore, if you need to refill a gas cylinder (50 liters or other volume), you should contact specialized companies that operate on the basis of a legally issued permit. Then the procedures for filling cylinders are carried out correctly, which is safe for the life and health of people.

Gas fuel has come into life reliably modern man. So, gas cylinder is a rather primitive device, but it also has a number of specific nuances. Next you will be able to read about what gas cylinders are, but for now we will try to determine the purpose of the gas itself.

There is a misconception that gas “locked” in a cylinder and gas in a pipeline are the same thing. The fact is that centralized gas supply uses methane, which is natural gaseous substance, it is also called swamp. But gas cylinders are already filled with a mixture of propane and butane, which is also officially called SPBT. The technical propane-butane mixture is a by-product obtained during oil refining. In the future, the wording SPBT or simply “gas” will be used for it.

The propane-butane mixture is absolutely universal. It is widely used in the petrochemical industry for the production of polymers, as well as in mechanical engineering and metalworking for welding work and cutting metal surfaces. In addition, SPBT can act as a gas engine fuel.

Complete diagram of connecting a gas cylinder to a stove

In everyday life, such a gas mixture is used to implement autonomous gasification of housing and communal services. It is used to fill gas tanks and various gas cylinders in which gas is burned by in-house boilers, kitchen stoves and other household gas equipment. Combustion products are carbon dioxide and water, for this reason such combustion is considered as safe as possible for the ecology of the living space.

In cross section, a standard gas cylinder is similar in design to a transparent gas lighter. The liquid is a gas mixture in a liquefied state, and the free space above it is a steam cap that enters the boiler or stove. The balance between these environments is maintained due to the pressure inside a special container.

Connecting the cylinder to consumption devices

The device must be connected through a gearbox. Inside a conventional gas cylinder, the pressure is variable and depends on the ambient temperature. It can vary from 4 to 6 atm. The reducer is able to reduce and equalize the pressure to the optimal operating level of the stove.

A hose is connected to the reducer, and a plate is connected to it. The fixation point is secured with clamps, after which it is necessary to check the tightness of the connection with soap foam. Absolutely any foam will do. The fixation points must be covered with a soap solution: if bubbles form on the surface, then the connection is not airtight.

To eliminate the leak: further tighten the nut at the junction of the fitting with the gearbox. If a leak is detected in the sleeve area, then tighten the clamps. After adjustment, you need to check again with soap foam to finally make sure there is no leakage. This check is always carried out when connecting gas cylinder- This Golden Rule safe use.

Correct connection of gas cylinders on the street, Figure 1

Correct connection of polymer-composite gas cylinders, Figure 2

IMPORTANT! You should not act like some particularly “experienced” gas technicians: under no circumstances check the tightness using lit paper. The result of this is small flames at the leak points. This is strictly prohibited by safety regulations. In addition, such flames are very small and in daylight can go unnoticed and lead to dire consequences.

Installation and operation of gas cylinders

The most important criterion for the safe operation of such devices is control over possible leaks and overheating. A seal failure can be detected by a characteristic odor. The gas, in principle, has neither color nor odor, but a special marker is added to SPBT - a mercaptan hydrocarbon. Thanks to this, a person can smell the smell when turning on the column of a gas stove or during a leak.

So, if you smell this smell, then you can conclude that the concentration of SPBT is 20 percent of the dangerous level. There is no reason to panic, that is, there is a reason to check the connection location according to the diagram described above.

Operation of gas cylinders, presented in table form

When the gas cylinder is in the room itself, it should be placed at a distance of 1 meter from the stove, which, when active, represents a source of heat. Also, you cannot place any other heating devices: heating radiators and autonomous heaters.

An acceptable option would be the “country” installation method - on the outer northern side of the structure, which eliminates the possibility of the cylinder overheating by the sun’s rays. In such a situation, the sleeve must be passed through a hole in the wall, previously “treated” with a metal sleeve. The cylinder is placed in a special metal cabinet equipped with ventilation holes at the bottom of the walls. Since the gas is somewhat heavier than air, in the event of a leak, it will accumulate from below, where there will be ventilation holes, so a light wind can eliminate the unwanted accumulation.

Why do cylinders become covered with frost?

Here you can also debunk one of the most common misconceptions. It is generally accepted that if such a device “freezes,” it becomes covered with frost. Some even argue that such equipment should be insulated with blankets, old coats and other improvised items. So, the frost will disappear faster if you leave the gas container as is, without helping it “thaw” with warm things.

The bottom of a gas cylinder that is covered with frost

The appearance of frost can be explained by a number of physical processes that occur inside the structure when it is connected to stoves or burners. At such moments, active fuel consumption is observed, therefore, large volumes gas liquid turns into a vapor fraction. And this phenomenon is always accompanied by high heat consumption, which is why the surface of the cylinder becomes much colder than the temperature in the surrounding space. Moisture in the air space begins to appear in the form of condensation on the walls of the installation, subsequently turning into frost. This is an absolutely natural phenomenon that you don’t need to do anything about.

Moreover, all attempts to use artificial “insulation” violate safety standards during operation, and also affect the deterioration of heat exchange between the device and environment and affect the gas supply conditions. If your burner did not delight you with a grandiose flame, then after your “maneuvers” with the blanket, it may stop working altogether.

Do not insulate gas cylinders with anything!

In general, when connected gas devices With high power, you need to be aware that the gas cylinder has limitations on the speed of return. This means that the liquid fuel turns into the vapor stage gradually. For example, a 50-liter cylinder can provide about 500 grams of gas in 60 minutes. This is equivalent to a power of 6-7 kW. In the cold season, this figure is halved if the equipment is located outside. In summer the situation is reversed: maximum speed consumption increases.

In any case, we can conclude that frost is evidence that the cylinder cannot cope with high fuel consumption. This may cause a temporary drop in gas pressure and equipment failure. If this happens, it is better to stop consumption and wait until there is a sufficient vapor cap.

Why is there a “splash” of water in the container?

This can be heard in winter. Please know that this is not water, but the butane component of SPBT. At the slightest frost, butane stops being converted into a vapor fraction. It is this that “splashes” in the form of liquid inside.

Butane component of SPBT in a gas cylinder

In the warm season, this problem does not arise: almost all of the propane-butane mixture is used. In order to avoid this in cold weather, it is recommended that when filling the container, ask the gas station attendant about the availability of a passport for the SPBT used. This document must contain information that the mixture contains at least 80 percent propane, which changes from liquid to vapor in cold weather. If you use such a gas station, then there should be no problems.

How much gas is enough?

Here you can use primitive mathematical rules. If we take into account the power of a kitchen stove, where 4 burners work at once, then 8 kWh of energy is used in 60 minutes. If you burn 1 kg of gas, you can get 12.8 kWh of energy. The first result must be divided by the second digit, resulting in the amount of “liquid” fuel required for full-fledged work stove for an hour. This figure is 0.625 kilograms of gas. Therefore, a 50 liter container with 21 kilograms of gas will be used to operate the cooker for 33.6 hours. If the passport of your equipment indicates the power in kg of fuel burned, then the calculations are greatly simplified.

In the future, everything greatly depends on the intensity of use of the stove. If you often cook jellied meat, then the level of consumption will be one, if you are content with only brewing morning coffee, then another. Based on practical experience, we can say that 12 liters of gas that will be used small family on weekends at the dacha, enough for the whole summer. More detailed information You will find information about autonomous gasification in this section.

How to refill a gas cylinder?

Such devices are refueled at special points, which can be located autonomously and be part of a gas station. In the latter conditions, it is possible to refuel with gas engine fuel.

The most important nuance in this process is the fact that you need to refuel not by volume, but by weight. If you are guided by safety precautions, gas containers should be filled to a maximum of 85 percent of the total volume to avoid excessive pressure.

In order to follow safety precautions and its standards, such a device with any volume is marked with a number with a maximum permissible weight, thereby corresponding to the permissible 85 percent. The containers are placed on the scales, including fuel injection. The process stops after reaching the required mass.

But even when filling relative to the mass, overflows are not excluded, which is especially important for small-volume containers - 5 or 12. They should be filled with 2 and 6 kilograms, respectively. A high filling speed sometimes makes it impossible to see that the maximum limit has been reached. If this happens to you, be sure to ask for the excess gas to be drained. In the future, it is better to choose another place for refueling.

In general, the basic criterion for choosing a tanker is whether it has licensing documents for the use of fire and explosive objects. If the documents are present, then we can conclude that you are being served by qualified specialists who undergo special certification annually.

In other cases, you take responsibility for the operation of the refilled container. And you risk not only your money, but also the safety of your home and life. In addition, an unlicensed gas station is a violation of the law and may entail not only administrative, but also criminal liability under the article on illegal business activity.

The information provided in the review does not claim to be accurate encyclopedic data and is largely dictated by our experience. But we are confident that it can help you save a lot of time and money.

Despite significant increases in energy prices, gas is still the most common type of fuel. It is used for various purposes, including refueling cars. Installing gas equipment on cars allows you to reduce the cost of purchasing fuel.

You can purchase suitable cylinders and other equipment on the website http://safegas.com.ua/ru/gazovye-ballony/.

Necessary equipment

Gas supplied to residential buildings is much cheaper than liquefied gas at specialized gas stations. Therefore, refilling cylinders from a stove is much more profitable. But in order to carry out this process yourself, you will need special equipment.

Currently there are two available options:

• mobile gas filling stations industrial manufacturing. Such equipment is not produced in our country. Therefore, you will have to turn to foreign manufacturers. Installations for filling cylinders with household gas are produced in France, Austria, Germany and many other countries;
• homemade installations. In order to manufacture such equipment, you must have certain skills. It is important to understand that accidents can occur when household gas leaks.

A feature of the equipment that allows you to fill cylinders with household gas is the use of several compressors combined into different circuits. This allows for a gradual increase in gas pressure.

Operating principle of a gas filling plant

Since the gas pressure in the gas pipeline is approximately 0.05 Atm, it must be compressed to 200 Atm before refueling. This problem is solved by the installation for refilling cylinders. It can include from 3 to 5 circuits, while the operating principle will remain unchanged:

1. The gas passes through a filter installed at the inlet of the system and enters the circuit cylinder.
2. The compressor builds up pressure and the compressed gas is supplied to the cooling radiator.
3. The gas is supplied through the pipeline to the next circuit, where even greater compression occurs.

All processes are repeated in each circuit. Before filling into a high-pressure cylinder, the gas is passed through a molecular filter.

The refueling process lasts from 1.5 to 2 hours. If you use reserve cylinders into which gas will be pumped in advance, the time can be reduced to 10-15 minutes.

When using homemade gas filling equipment, you must be extremely careful. Gas leaks can cause various accidents.