Five Tips to Think About This Summer

The dog days of summer are upon us. And ROUSH CleanTech’s Field Service Team wants to provide you some tips for operating your propane autogas vehicles in the hotter temperatures.

During the summer months or in warm weather climates, propane autogas vehicles typically exhibit higher tank temperatures. This, in turn, increases the pressures inside the tank. Autogas vehicles build pressure in the tank while the vehicles are in use due to hot fuel returning from the engine.

Combine this with high ambient temperatures, heat from the roadway and long hours of operation, and fleet operators may notice a difference in the time it takes to fill their tanks.

When this happens, it means the output and differential pressure settings of the infrastructure are not sufficient enough to overcome the pressure inside the vehicle fuel tank.

Here are five useful tips to help you identify if your longer fill times are related to infrastructure:

1. Verify that the vehicle is level at the fueling station.
2. Check that the refueling infrastructure has a 5 hp pump at minimum. High differential autogas pumps are recommended.
3. Confirm that vehicle tank pressures are within spec based on the ambient temperature chart in the ROUSH CleanTech service manual.
4. Assess that the fuel station differential pressure is 125 to 150 psi and nozzle output pressure is 50 psi over tank pressure during the time of fill.  
5. Identify that the OPD (overfill protection device) is oriented properly within the tank shell.

Propane autogas refueling stations should be equipped properly to ensure complete and timely fills of a ROUSH CleanTech propane autogas fuel system. For additional information regarding fill times, contact us at 800.59.ROUSH, prompt No. 2.

Thanks for partnering with ROUSH CleanTech, and stay cool!