<VV> Re: Alternate fuels-corvair conversion

[FrankCB at aol.com]

        You really have to look at cost per 1000 BTUs to get a realistic 
basis for comparison of 2 different fuels.  If you can get propane at $1.59 per 
GALLON then it costs about 1.75 cents per 1000 BTU.  Gasoline at $2.50 per 
gallon costs about 2.1 cents per 1000 BTU.  So based on heating value, the cost of 
gasoline would have to be $2.08 per gallon to equal the $1.59 per gallon you 
cite for propane.  But would this justify the cost of conversion of an engine's 
fueling system from gasoline to propane?
       If you drove 15,000 miles a year and got 25 miles per gallon on 
gasoline at $2.50 per gallon the cost for a year's worth of gasoline would be $1500. 
 Using propane would give you only about 19 mpg and, at $1.59 per gallon, the 
cost would then be about $1260 for the year's fuel.  That would save you 
about $240 per year.  How many years would you have to drive to justify the cost 
of conversion?  
       Incidentally, the (R+M)/2 octane rating of propane is 108 so you could 
substantially raise the compression ratio of your engine to improve the mpg 
figure if you planned to convert to propane.  This would further increase the 
yearly saving.
       Unfortunately, most propane is produced from natural gas which has 
been increasing in price the past few years just as petroleum has.  So who is to 
say how long the price of propane will remain below that of gasoline on an 
energy content (BTU) basis.
       Frank Burkhard
         
In a message dated 8/16/05 12:59:51 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
mioanes at woh.rr.com writes:

> The only place I've seen propane is a Flying J truckstop north of Columbus 
> OH on I-71.  The exit is our usual stop on the trip to Cleveland (about 
> halfway).  Last time I was by there, maybe 3 weels ago, propane was $1.59 
> and seemed to be staying steady compared to unleaded and diesel.
> Mike Ioanes