Students Invent LPG Leakage Warning For Cars

[george]

Students invent LPG leakage warning for cars

KANCHANABURI: -- With more drivers converting their car’s engine to use liquefied petroleum gas or LPG instead of expensive gasoline, there is growing concern of possible leakage from cylinders and explosions. Thai students have invented a warning system against this, which is set for commercial use soon. We have more details in this report from Thai News Agency.

LPG related accidents have occurred several times in the past two years as car owners affected by the oil price crisis decided to install LPG equipment in their vehicles. Now, more people are queqing at garages to have their cars installed with LPG kits. Some have to wait for a month. But when mechanics work in a hurry to meet high demand, they might be negligent.

Students from Kanchanaburi Technical College have invented an LPG leakage warning system. The electronic device, installed in a car us linked to two censors in the engine compartment and the trunk. Fire extinguishers are put in the trunk and in the car’s passenger area. If gas leakage occurs, the warning system will work on three different levels. Firstly, an alarm sounds to warn the driver. Secondly, the car engine is shut down. And if the warning system detects a large amount of gas, fire extinguishers will automatically spray chemicals to prevent sparks.

Sitthipong Sirinoi, student in the project said “Chemicals from the fire extinguishers will prevent sparks and heat, which can cause an explosion when gas leaks. If the spark occurs in the engine area, there is less oxygen, so the fire can be easily put out.”

Suwit Rohitrattana, Director, Kanchanaburi Technical College said “Our college doesn’t focus only on providing service but we also support our students to invent new things to help society.”

The LPG leakage warning system developed by students of Kanchanaburi Technical College was awarded “ the Invention of the New Generation” this year. A patent has been applied for the warning system, which costs about 4,000 baht to produce. The college is now working with the private sector in the system’s commercial production.

-- TNA 2008-07-15

[Tony Clifton]

Car engine is shut down. When and at what speed?

[Cuban]

Does anyone have the link that was floating around a year or so ago with the Thai anti-fire ball exploding device?

The gas leak sensor is a nice idea - but could you trust such a device?

How would it respond in a filling station where you might expect to get a wiff of passing LPG during the filling process.

[stumonster]

Standard LPG

LEL 1.8%; UEL 9.5%. ( Lower Explosive Limit and Upper Explosive Limit )

Below or above these limits, the mixture is not considered flammable or explosive.

[slapout]

Ideas and equipment for this have been around for years. If installed you would want to disable while filling as vapor is normally released while filling (if you want tank filled to 95 to 100% of capacity) tank. Boys and their tinker toys, but at least someone is thinking safety. Probably the best avenue is to insure proper equipment is installed by qualified, trained people.

[astral]

How would it respond in a filling station where you might expect to get a wiff of passing LPG during the filling process.

Surely it would be disabled automatically when the engine is stopped during refuelling.....??

[Cuban]

Surely it would be disabled automatically when the engine is stopped during refuelling.....??

Depends on how they effect the engine disable feature - if it is simple one can assume that when the engine is repowered after filling and the LPG leakage sensor detects the presence of gas it could shut the engine off there and then leaving you to push the car (or the reset button) to move away from the gas pump.