Fiat Ducato 2009 User Manual
FIATDUCATO
NATURAL POWER
The Fiat Ducato Natural Power PetrolMethane version is dealt with in this appendix.
For anything not included in this supplement, please refer to the Fiat
Ducato Owner’s Manual.
FIAT DUCATO NATURAL POWER
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 3
FUNCTIONAL SYSTEM DIAGRAM ............................................................................ 5
CANISTERS ....................................................................................................................... 6
SOLENOID VALVES/SAFETY DEVICES ...................................................................... 7
PIPING ................................................................................................................................. 8
PRESSURE REGULATOR/REDUCTION UNIT ....................................................... 8
METHANE INJECTORS ................................................................................................. 8
OIL SEPARATOR FILTER................................................................................................. 8
STARTING THE ENGINE ............................................................................................. 9
PROTECTIVE FUSES......................................................................................................... 9
FUEL SWITCHING LOGICS ........................................................................................ 10
LIMITATIONS OF USE ..................................................................................................... 11
SYSTEM FAILURE SIGNALLING .................................................................................. 11
AT THE PETROL STATION ......................................................................................... 12
IDENTIFICATION DATA .............................................................................................. 13
MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE ...................................................................................... 14
VEHICLE RAISING POINTS ........................................................................................... 16
ENGINE ............................................................................................................................... 17
ENGINE CODES - BODYWORK VERSIONS............................................................ 18
PERFORMANCE ............................................................................................................... 19
WEIGHTS ........................................................................................................................... 20
CAPACITIES ....................................................................................................................... 21
ENGINE OIL........................................................................................................................ 21
EMISSIONS ............................................................................................................... 21
CO
2
FUEL CONSUMPTION ................................................................................................... 22
2
INTRODUCTION
The Fiat Ducato Natural Power version
features two fuel systems, a primary one
for natural gas (methane) and an emergency petrol alternative.
The methane multipoint
injection system
This is an original product from Fiat’s research in the field of alternative fuels that
comes from close co-operation with important suppliers in the methane sector.
By adapting the sophisticated electronic
control technology of petrol engines to
meet the specifications of methane, it has
been possible to achieve important results
in terms of driveability, exhaust emissions
and consumption.
Using the methane multipoint injection
system the engine offers the same driving
conditions as running on petrol.
Fiat Ducato Natural Power has been designed to run on methane. Petrol functioning is restricted to situations where
the user has not managed to fill up on
methane prior to having entirely run out.
Engine performance has been optimised to run on methane. When
running on petrol, performance is
limited to guaranteeing the reaching
of the nearest petrol station.
Selecting the type of fuel supply
The Fiat Ducato Natural Power version is
configured to normally run on methane.
When the methane is running out and the
pressure in the canister is close to the correct operating limit, the system automatically switches to petrol operation.
Fiat Ducato Natural Power is not
equipped with a manual METHANE/
PETROL switch selector, and as such the
change between the two fuel types is only made by the engine control ECU, in a
fully automatic manner.
For this reason there always needs
to be petrol in the tank.
FIAT DUCATO NATURAL POWER
3
Passive safety
The Fiat Ducato Natural Power version
has the same passive safety features as the
other versions.
In particular, the location and mountings
of the canisters have been designed to
pass the impact tests in accordance with
Fiat safety standards. The flow of methane
coming out of the canisters is governed by
a solenoid valve that is only open during
methane operation.
The solenoid valve unit includes protection against excess flows (if the high pressure system breaks, the flow of methane
is restricted to values that are not dangerous), overheating (fuse pad that allows
the methane to drain off if the temperature exceeds 110 °C) and a pressure calibration device that intervenes if the pressure goes above 300 bar ensuring the
methane escapes in a controlled manner
FIAT DUCATO NATURAL POWER
and as quickly as possible.
The solenoid valve is connected to the
Fire Protection System (inertia switch or
fuel cut off switch).
Active safety
The Fiat Ducato Natural Power version
has the same active safety features as the
other versions.
WARNING
The Fiat Ducato Natural
Power version is equipped
with a high pressure methane system
designed to run at 200 bar.
It is dangerous to force the system
with higher pressures. When towing
or lifting the vehicle, the instructions
in this booklet at the end of the chapter should be followed in order to prevent damage to the methane system
parts: ‘Towing the vehicle’.
If there is a problem with the
methane system, only go to an authorised Fiat Dealer.
Do not alter the methane system configuration or components; they are
designed exclusively for the Fiat
Ducato Natural Power. The use of
other components or materials may
lead to malfunctioning and compromise safety.
WARNING
When oven painting, the
canisters should be removed
from the vehicle and later carefully
refitted by a Fiat Dealer. Although the
methane system has numerous safety features, it is advisable to close the
manual taps for the canisters every
time the vehicle is not in use for a
long period, transported on other vehicles or moved in an emergency as a
result of a breakdown or accident.
4
FUNCTIONAL SYSTEM DIAGRAM
Description of the system functional diagram Fig. 1
1 Methane canisters - 2 Methane repressurising filler - 3 Methane piping - 4 Pressure regulator/reduction unit - 5 Methane injector
carrier manifold - 6 Petrol tank - 7 Oil separator filter.
FIAT DUCATO NATURAL POWER
Fig. 1
F0N0396m
5
CANISTERS
The vehicle has five canisters (total capacity about 218 litres) located under the
floor of the vehicle and protected by two
special guards. The canisters are the tank
that contains the methane in the compressed gaseous state (pressure 200 bar
at 15 °C). The methane, stored in the canisters at high pressure, flows through a
dedicated pipe to reach the pressure regulator/reduction unit which supplies the 4
methane injectors at low pressure (about
6 bar).
FIAT DUCATO NATURAL POWER
Certification of the canisters
The methane canisters are certified in accordance with Regulation (ECE) no. 110
The canisters should be inspected, in accordance with Regulation
Procedure (ECE) no. 110, every
4 years from the vehicle registration date or in accordance
with specific regulations in individual countries (see page 13).
The plates handed over by the Dealership
with the documentation contain the date
for the first inspection of the canisters.
Those responsible for the methane
supply are not authorized to refill the canisters when the inspection date has expired.
IMPORTANT If the vehicle has
been registered in a country other than Italy, the certification data, identification and inspection
procedures for the methane canisters should conform to the legislation in that country. In any
case, it should be remembered
that the life of the canisters is 20
years from the production date
as set out in Regulation (ECE) no.
110.
6
SOLENOID
VALVES/SAFETY
DEVICES
The solenoid valves Fig. 2 are bolted directly onto the methane canisters with the
main function on interrupting the flow of
methane to the supply circuit.
The solenoid valves are open when:
❒ t
he pressure in the canister is sufficient
for operation;
❒
the engine is running;
❒
the inertia switch has not been triggered.
The solenoid valve assembly is equipped
with the following safety devices:
1) Fuse pad, in the case of overheating
(temperature above 110 °C), it totally
eliminates the danger of excess pressure
making the methane in the canister flow
out as quickly as possible in a controlled
manner.
fig. 2
F0N04000m
2) Mechanical excess pressure device
(Burst Disk), in the event of excess pres-
sure (above 330 bar), it ensures that the
methane escapes as quickly as possible in
a controlled manner.
3) Excess flow, it intervenes if the piping
is broken limiting the flow of methane to
values that are not dangerous.
The flow restrictor valve is located to allow it to operate even if the solenoid valve
casing is broken due to an impact.
fig. 3
F0N0393m
4) Manual tap, it is located upstream of
the solenoid valve.
This separates the canister from the
methane system to allow maintenance operations.
The taps can be accessed from outside the
vehicle, and are positioned on the lefthand side.
To close the taps A - Fig. 3: turn the knob
in the direction (1) shown by the arrow
(clockwise OFF)
To open the taps A - Fig. 3: turn the knob
in the direction (2) shown by the arrow
(anti-clockwise ON)
FIAT DUCATO NATURAL POWER
7
PIPING
METHANE INJECTORS
The methane piping from the filler to the
pressure regulator/reduction unit is made
from galvanised steel and covered in plastic (high pressure) and is located outside
the passenger compartment. The piping
from the pressure regulator/reduction
unit to the methane injectors is in stainless steel.
PRESSURE
REGULATOR/
REDUCTION UNIT
The pressure reduction unit Fig. 4 is installed in the engine compartment.
It has the task of reducing the pressure
of the methane from the value in the can-
FIAT DUCATO NATURAL POWER
ister to the supply value for the methane
injectors (about 6 bar) and keeping it constant in all operating conditions.
fig. 4
fig. 5
There are 4 dedicated injectors for the
methane gas A - Fig. 5, fitted on the intake manifold near the cylinder head, one
for each intake duct; they are supplied at
a constant pressure (about 6 bar) and operated by the electronic control unit.
F0N0398m
OIL SEPARATOR FILTER
The oil separator filter Fig. 6 is installed
in the vehicle underbody.
It has the task of separating the excess oil
in the methane.
F0N0401m
fig. 6
F0N0397m
8
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