IOC ready to supply LPG to motor vehicles

By Anil Sastry

BANGALORE, APRIL 5. The Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Karnataka, is ready to supply Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) through LPG dispensation units in Bangalore and other major cities in the State to motor vehicles which will come with in-built LPG tanks.

The first LPG dispensation unit is being set up at the IOC retail outlet -- Kaveri -- in Koramangala in the City, which would become the first of such units in South India after its commissioning. The first unit in India was set up and commissioned by IOC in Delhi -- Queen's Road Service Station --and is now operational on experimental basis.

The proposed system would be entirely different from the present system of running vehicles on LPG. While the present system involves replaceable LPG cylinders and conversion kits, the proposed system would have an in-built LPG tank along with the petrol tank in motor vehicles. Various car companies have agreed to manufacture vehicles to run on LPG.

Termed as an environment-friendly move initiated by the Union Government, the new method has already been adopted in several developed countries, namely the U.S., Australia etc. To facilitate use of LPG as an alternative to conventional fuel, the Union Government has amended the relevant provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, the Static and Mobile Pressure Vessels Rules, 1981 and the Gas Cylinder Rules, 1981. The LPG Control Regulation is yet to be amended and the Ministry of Surface Transport has to issue Code of Practice for using LPG in motor vehicles.

An LPG retail outlet comprises a storage tank called ``Bullet,'' a submersible pump and one or more dispensation units. The standard ``Bullet'' with a capacity of 10,000 litres is made of SA 516, Grade 70 Carbon Steel of Boiler quality and is kept underground. It's neck has majority of the control devices and the pump chamber. The ``Bullet'' has four connections -- two for filling the empty ``Bullet'' with LPG which would be brought in tankers, one towards the dispensation unit to fill LPG to motor vehicle tank and the other to redirect the vapour in the LPG to the ``Bullet.''

LPG is kept at minus 10 degree Celsius in the ``Bullet'' and any variation in its temperature or pressure would automatically shutdown the system to avoid any mishap. There would be three other emergency valves, one each near the ``Bullet,'' Dispensation Unit and the Control Room, through which the system could be shutdown manually in the event of failure of the automatic safety system.

The installation of LPG dispensation unit and the LPG storage tank at Koramangala is being undertaken by Larsen & Toubro Ltd., which has successfully commissioned a similar unit in Delhi. While the submersible pump has been manufactured by an Australian company, Ebgray, the safety valves have been manufactured by a company from the U.S., Rego, and the dispensation unit has been manufactured by another Australian company, DJ Batchen.

The engineers on the site told The Hindu that internationally accepted and practiced safety norms were being implemented in the project. The ``Bullet'' too had been provided Cathode protection so as to protect against corrosion due to the soil condition and to provide it a life of at least 30 years.

When contacted, the Executive Director, IOC, Karnataka, Mr. S.J.Anantraj, said that the corporation was waiting for the Code of Practice to be issued by the Ministry of Surface Transport for commissioning the project. He noted that the Ministry had been observing the performance of a few vehicles running on LPG in Delhi before issuing the Code.

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