In conversations of professional drivers, the term HBO can be heard quite often. Moreover, this mysterious abbreviation is used not only by seasoned truckers or drivers of light trucks, but also the most ordinary owners of cars. We will tell you all about HBO: what it is, what types and types it happens. And also find out how it is installed, operated and maintained.
HBO: what is it and what is it for
This reduction is decrypted quite simply: gas equipment. In the time of constantly rising gasoline or diesel fuel, switching to natural gas can significantly reduce the costs of vehicle owners.
Although gas fuel equipment for a car is not cheap, and its installation is quite complicated, in the long run the use of propane-butane (less often methane) as a fuel is much cheaper. Thus, the installation of HBO on any class of car quickly pays off with interest. It is believed that for relatively inexpensive sets of gas automobile equipment, the “profitability point” comes after 10,000 kilometers traveled.
Use of propane-butane mixture
Propane-butane, used in automotive HBO of the 2nd or 4th generation, is a liquefied gas obtained in the process of oil refining. In its chemical composition, automobile propane-butane mixture is very similar to household gas, which is charged in stoves for stoves or in ordinary lighters.
There are two varieties of liquefied propane-butane:
- summer, in which the ratio of propane is 45-55%;
- winter, the proportions of propane in which can reach 95%.
Despite the fact that the consumption of propane-butane during the operation of an automobile engine exceeds the consumption of gasoline or diesel fuel by 10-15%, such fuel costs twice as much as liquid fuel.
The use of methane as a fuel
It is a natural gas, artificially compressed to a pressure of 220 atmospheres. Methane is also supplied in cylinders, which can have different volumes. One of the main advantages of gas used as fuel is its low cost. Moreover, the price of methane does not depend on the situation in the oil and gas markets.
The evolution of automotive gas equipment
The idea of using gas as fuel for internal combustion engines is by no means new. The first gas unit was invented in England in the first half of the XIX century. By the middle of the century before last, the first patents for such engines had been received. However, over a very long period of time, gas power plants were very imperfect. They did not develop the necessary power, were difficult to operate, and the safety of such engines left much to be desired. And only in the 30s of the last century the installation of HBO on cars of the most diverse classes acquired widespread mass application.
Five types of HBO
The first generation of gas systems was very complex and moody in terms of installation, adjustment and operation. Nevertheless, such systems were mounted on both carburetor and injection engines.
The second generation of automotive gas equipment included an electronic metering device and a control unit (lambda controller). This not only simplified the installation and use of such systems, but also significantly increased efficiency. Not without reason, although HBO of the 2nd generation is considered to some extent obsolete, it is quite actively used today.
The evolution of gas balloon equipment for cars did not stop there.
Later (approximately at the turn of the 80-90s of the twentieth century), third-generation units appeared, equipped with an individual fuel distribution system for cylinders. And today the most widely used are the HBO installations of the 4th generation, the fundamental difference between which and the previous versions is the ability to carry out both sequential and parallel gas injection into the engine cylinders.
In addition, 5th generation systems are actively being developed, which supply gas to the engine cylinders in a liquid state of aggregation. For this, the complex is equipped with a special gas pump.
What is a set of gas equipment for a car
Depending on the generation, cost and characteristics, the configuration of the gas system may vary slightly. Nevertheless, in most cases, it includes the following components and components:
- gas bottle with appropriate fittings;
- gearbox;
- mixer;
- dispenser;
- solenoid valves with control unit;
- high pressure unit;
- fuel type switch (gas / gasoline);
- system of pipelines, hoses, pressure gauges and instrumentation.
This design scheme is characteristic of most HBO complexes of the 2nd generation and earlier 4th, which are by far the most common. The systems of the latest, fifth generation have a more complex structural design and a wider specification. This, on the one hand, adds the capabilities of the 5th generation HBO complexes to more efficient regulation of fuel supply and significantly reduces gas consumption, on the other hand, it makes the entire structure as a whole more expensive, and also complicates its installation, adjustment and maintenance.
Features of second-generation automotive gas equipment
The main difference between second-generation gas equipment systems is the lack of fuel distribution for each cylinder separately. This slightly increases the gas consumption parameters in comparison with the HBO complexes of the 4th generation.
Nevertheless, these systems are quite popular due to the following reasons:
- lower cost;
- ease of installation and maintenance;
- high maintainability.
In addition, the adjustment of HBO of the 2nd generation requires much less deep specialized knowledge and the use of not very complex equipment and tools.
It was such systems that were installed, for example, on the popular Soviet "classic" - the VAZ-2107 and other models.
Differences HBO fourth generation
Since such systems are the most modern for a given period of time, the connection of HBO of the 4th generation allows us to solve all the main problems and eliminate the disadvantages characteristic of earlier systems.
Among the main features of modern units are the following:
- Significant reduction in fuel consumption through the use of sensors and electronic systems;
- the possibility of synchronized gas injection into each cylinder;
- compact dimensions of the installation, allowing you to place it not only in the trunk of the car, but also under the bottom or in other places;
- high safety indicators, lack of fuel leakage, compliance with environmental standards.
True, with all its obvious advantages, systems of the 3rd and 4th generation are much more expensive than their predecessors.
Installation, adjustment and maintenance of gas equipment for automobiles
It is necessary to remember, speaking of HBO, that this is a rather complex system, the installation, adjustment and operation of which require certain knowledge, skills. Such work is strongly recommended to be trusted only by highly qualified specialists who have not only deep knowledge in the field of automobile construction and safety issues, but also rich practical experience, as well as all the necessary arsenal of specialized equipment and tools.
As a rule, the installation, maintenance and tuning of gas equipment are carried out at specialized service stations and in service centers. They possess not only qualified personnel and necessary equipment, but also comply with all safety requirements when working with combustible and explosive materials.
Pros and Cons of Automotive Gas Equipment
Summarizing everything that was said above, we can highlight the main advantages of HBO systems and note their main disadvantages. Among the advantages of gas automotive equipment include the following aspects:
- The possibility of significant fuel savings.
- High environmental performance, almost complete absence of harmful emissions into the atmosphere. Also, the owners note a cleaner combustion of fuel, that is, a phenomenon such as coking of cylinders for a car with HBO is, in principle, incompatible.
- Always clean oil (again, due to the clean combustion of fuel in the chamber).
- Much less dependent on fuel weather and climatic conditions.
As for the disadvantages of HBO, the reviews of the owners of such systems allow us to conclude that their main disadvantages are the following:
- a drop in the power plant power of the car by five to ten percent;
- the wear and tear of individual parts, assemblies and assemblies increasing with the installation of gas equipment;
- quite serious problems with the search for specialized gas stations, especially in areas remote from the centers of large cities.
Thus, before deciding to convert your car to gas fuel, you must carefully and carefully weigh the pros and cons.
Bet or not
We must remember when talking about HBO that this is by no means a way to make a car better, more powerful or more fashionable. Installing this type of equipment is just one way to reduce the financial cost of operating a vehicle. At the same time, such savings most often require quite noticeable investments, which do not immediately pay off.
The installation of gas equipment can in a certain way affect the controllability of a machine, the operation of its systems and mechanisms, and engine behavior.
In addition, although modern HBO is recognized as quite safe, the risk of ignition and explosion cannot be completely excluded.
On the other hand, gas fuel can save not only the budget, but also nature. And no matter how gas prices rise, the driver can once and for all get rid of fears of an unexpected sharp jump in prices.
So, we found out what the gas balloon equipment of the car is.