The benefits of bi-fuel technology

In bi-fuel operation an engine uses gas and diesel at the same time, with natural gas the main fuel and diesel used for the ignition of the gas/air mixture inside the cylinder. Here, ComAp Managing Director Paul Emmerson explores the benefits of using a bi-fuel system in your applications.

Why would you recommend ComAp’s bi-fuel system to a customer?

I’d recommend ComAp’s bi-fuel system because it has proven itself to be extremely reliable and it has provided our customers with significant fuel and cost savings.

Bi-fuel systems still need diesel though don’t they?

Yes, bi-fuel systems do require a small quantity of diesel on start-up to get the gas ignited, and the engine running. Once the engine is up and running, our system automatically switches the diesel over to gas, without a loss in power output.

When you say ‘bi-fuel conversion’ does that mean the engine can only run on gas?

Not at all. The engine can still run on 100 per cent diesel if that is required. It is also possible to switch to 100 per cent diesel operation when the engine is running, without the power output dropping.

What about engine power?

Our system ensures that the power output from the engine does not change in any way after the bi-fuel conversion. All engine parameters, such as exhaust temperature, engine temperature, and all other engine behaviors remain in the same limits as they did before the conversion.

Can any diesel engine be converted?

ComAp has bi-fuel systems available for single speed engines below and above 200kW, as well as a newly released InteliBifuel Mobile application, which has been designed for variable-speed engines on mobile engines. This is especially useful for mining operations, when mine-haul trucks can be converted, leading to significant OPEX savings.

This partner content is brought to you by ComAp. For more information, visit ComAp’s website.

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