Development of an innovative LPG system for ICE and Extended Range Electric Vehicles

This article describes an innovative system named JTG-HP for the direct injection of Liquid Propane Gas (LPG) in the liquid state in Internal Combustion Engines (ICE). Until recently propane vehicles have commonly used a vapor pressure system, wherein the propane would be vaporized and mixed with combustion air in the intake plenum of the engine. This leads to lower efficiency as more air, rather than fuel, is inducted into the cylinder for combustion. The developed system has been uniquely engineered and represents the latest generation in automotive LPG fuel systems. By injecting LPG into the engine as a liquid rather than a vapor, the system improves engine volumetric efficiency, producing more power from less fuel and achieving improved fuel consumption and less pollution. All the main components of the system are introduced and described as well as the most significant experimental results obtained. The system has been positively tested on various ICE vehicles and it will be also validated on two hybrid prototypes which are under development by Italian consortiums of small and medium enterprises in the framework of national R&D programs.