The government will encourage private car users to use the gas fuel (BBG). This is in line with the plan to enact the restriction of distribution of subsidized gasoline fuel in the upcoming April. As a research campus, UGM already developed a prototype gas to gasoline converter for automobiles. In fact, not only converters for gasoline, but also some other types, namely converters for hydrogen, diesel engines, and motorcycles. "One of them is this converter we put on the UGM gas research car. This converter can convert gas power to gasoline," said Chairman of UGM gas car research, Dr. Jayan Sentanuhady, Monday (9/1).
Jayan said the converter prototype development had been done since 2009. The work method of the UGM automobile gas converters is quite simple, starting from a 200 bar pressurized gas cylinder placed in the backseat of a car. Furthermore, gas is supplied to the engine in front. Through the converter, the pressure can be reduced to 2-3 bar before finally entering the gas injection and manifold. "The principle is simple, because the gas power can be changed (switched) to gasoline when the car is running well at high speed," lecturer of the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering explained.
For the gas cylinders, up to this time it is still available on a limited basis in some places, such as Jakarta, Palembang, and Surabaya. Innovation to use gas converters will be environmentally friendly because the gas emission is much cleaner than gasoline. "It will be appropriate, moreover it is estimated that in the upcoming 50 years we are going to enter the era of hydrogen fuel use," said Jayan who is also chairman of UGM SEMAR car.
In addition to environmentally friendly, gas utilization in terms of price is 40-45% cheaper than gasoline. He described the price of 1 liter of gas equivalent to 1 liter of premium priced at Rp3,100. Jayan said gas converter prototype has gone through a converter kits standardization phase and treatments as well as machine endurance test. Furthermore, the prototype can be further followed up by the industry, so it can be utilized by the public. "Because it is still a prototype, the converter price is still expensive. Hopefully, after the next test phase, the industry can follow it up and it can be utilized by the community with a more affordable price," said Jayan.
As reported earlier, the government will encourage private car users to use gas fuel with the enactment of restriction of subsidized fuel distribution in April. The conversion of fuel from premium to gas will be done gradually. Two types of gas fuel that are encouraged for use are Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Liquid Gas for Vehicle (LGV). CNG use options are specific to the owners of private cars with limited income. Restrictions on the distribution of subsidized fuel will be started first in the Java-Bali areas.