Public transportation operators fret over CNG change
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Demands for public transportation operators to switch to compressed natural gas (CNG) have mounted following the fuel price hikes and a corresponding rise fares.
However, converting vehicles to CNG is not easy as it may sound.
PT Api Biru staffer Eko Maryono told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday that conversion would require a lot of work, including the fitting of high pressure cylinders and a converter kit.
PT Api Biru on Jl. Mampang Prapatan 60, South Jakarta is the only official workshop offering the fitting and maintenance of cylinders and conversion kits in the city. The company, owned by the Blue Bird Group, also operates a CNG station.
State-owned oil company PT Pertamina says that two other workshops, located on Jl. Cempaka Putih Dalam and Jl. Gunung Sahari in Central Jakarta, also offers the service, but local residents told the Post on Wednesday that they have either closed down or moved.
Eko said that less and less vehicle owners were using CNG as the government had stopped promoting CNG use.
According to Eko, last year his workshop only installed six cylinders and converter kits, while only around five vehicle owners showed up for maintenance work each month.
"But we still have hundreds of ready-stock cylinders and converter kits here," he said, adding that his workshop was ready to install cylinders and converter kits as well as maintain equipment that had already been installed.
He stressed, however, that his company would only check cylinders and conversion kits that had been installed by PT Api Biru.
"Many car owners ask us to replace parts here so that they can undergo maintenance," he explained.
He said that the cost of installing cylinders and converter kits ranged from Rp 7 million (US$777) to Rp 9 million for cars, depending on their respective CCs, and around Rp 20 million for buses, trucks and other large vehicles.
To buy and install a converter kit on its own without a high pressure cylinder, the cost was around Rp 3 million for a car, said Eko.
For the sake of safety, Eko gave the following advice. First, do not make any alteration to a converter kit. Second, have the cylinder checked at least once in five years. Third, tune up the engine regularly. Fourth, clean the filter after each 2,500 kilometers.
He said that using CNG was safe as long as car owners complied with all the safety requirements.
"Don't worry about the safety aspects. Gas is safer than petrol if it is treated properly," he stressed.
Basic components of CNG converter kit
1. Pressure regulator: It provides the system with fuel at a consistent operating pressure.
2. Mixer: Mechanical device that uses the venturi principle to ensure correct air/fuel mixing in both stationary and dynamic conditions.
3. High pressure solenoid: It allows gas to flow through only when the engine is running and the switch is in the "gas" position
4. Petrol Solenoid valve: It cuts off the flow of petrol to the engine during gas operation.
5. Filling valve: This device is installed in the engine compartment between the storage cylinder and the regulator, and includes a connection to the refueling system and manual ball device to open/shutoff gas in case of an emergency or for maintenance.
6. Pressure indicator: Displays the level of natural gas remaining in the storage cylinder.
7. Change over switch: an electronic control module whose function is to allow the user to select the desired fuel (gas/petrol) at any time.
8. High pressure piling: the gas from the cylinder goes to the engine compartment through a pressure pipe which is also connected with the refueling system.
Source: WWW://CNG.com