SA E TECHNICAL PA PER SERIES New Perspectives on Auto Propane as a Mass-Scale Motor Vehicle Fuel Reginald F. Webb and Paul J. Delmas R.F. Webb Corp. Ottawa, Canada Reprinted from: Alternative Fuels in the Nineties (SP-876) The Engineering Society *A =For Advancing Mobility --Land Sea Air and Spacem Future Transportation Technology Conference and Exposition Portland, Oregon August 5-7,1991 400 COMMONWEALTH DRIVE, WARRENDALE, PA 15096-0001 U.S.A. Downloaded from SAE International by University of New South Wales, Sunday, August 19, 2018The pslpnr Indudod h lhlr durn am &IrBded and Indexed In the SAE Okbel MobJly mabase. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, in an electronic retrieval system or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. ISSN 01 48-71 91 Copyright 1991 Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc. Positions and opinions advanced in this paper are Persons wishing to submit papers to be considered for those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of presentation or publication through SAE should send SAE. The author is solely responsible for the content of the manuscript or a 300 word abstract of a proposed the paper. A process is available by which discussions manuscript to: Secretary, Engineering Activity Board, will be printed with the paper if it is published in SAE SAE. Transactions. For permission to publish this paper in full or in part, contact the SAE Publications Division. Printed in U.S.A. Downloaded from SAE International by University of New South Wales, Sunday, August 19, 2018New Perspectives on Auto Propane as a Mass- - Scale Motor Vehicle Fuel Reginald F. Webb and Paul J. Delmas R.F. Webb Corp. Ottawa, Canada ABSTRACT While today propane is the most widely used alternative to gasoline and diesel fuel as a transportation fuel, it is not being adequately considered as a mass- scale alternative transportation fuel (ATF) for the future by policy makers and engine manufacturers. Recent data and interpretations of the comparative supply, performance and cost of propane and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) relative to other transportation fuels support the view that propane is a practical ATF option. Data is provided on new sources of LPG supply; evaporative, tailpipe and greenhouse gas emissions; new LPG engine technologies including flexible fuel, liquid injection and emission control systems; new equipment to facilitate self-service retailing and to improve propane safety. The early adoption of propane and natural gas as alternative transportation fuels will minimize the long range cost of conversion of the U.S. transportation system to the ultimate clean motor vehicle fuel of the future - hydrogen. The thesis is advanced that the long range goals for air quality and energy security established by recent U.S. legislation can best be achieved by large scale use of a triad of gaseous fuels - natural gas, propane and hydrogen. PROPANE MOTOR FUEL PENETRATION Propane is already established as the most widely used alternative motor fuel. The propane* vehicle population now exceeds 3 million vehicles worldwide, while that in the U.S. has plateaued at about 330,000 - equivalent to annual fuel propane sales of about 500 million gallons. The U.S. market for auto propane is equivalent to 0.5% penetration of the 1 10 billion gallon per year U.S. gasoline market and 3.6% of the 14-1 5 billion gallon per year U.S. merchant sales market for LPG. The largest U.S. markets for auto propane are in California, Illinois, Florida, Michigan, Washington and Texas: State Auto Propane Sales millions gallonslyear California 73 Illinois 33 Florida 25 Michigan 25 Washington 22 Texas 18 All Other States 304 Total 50 States 500 * Outside N. America LPG (liquefied petroleum gas, a mixture of propane and butane) is used as a motor vehicle fuel. The performance of LPG and propane vehicles are simil