Liquefied Petroleum Gas

Liquefied Petroleum Gas

Introduction: -

   LPG is a modern, affordable alternative to electricity.  Since it comes in a bottle, it can be moved from room to room, taken outdoors or even next door. In addition, LPGas is an energy that responds instantly.  There are no power cuts with LPGas.  It is non-toxic (not poisonous), clean-burning and non-pollutant to the atmosphere. 

Liquefied petroleum gas, or LP gas, is one of the most common alternative fuels used in the world today. In fact, in many places, it isn't an alternative fuel at all: LP gas is a mainstay for heating and cooking in certain areas of India and some rural areas of the United States. When you cook out at a campground or in your backyard using a gas grill or camping stove, you're using some form of LP gas. Known for its versatility and efficiency, these days LP gas is looking like an attractive source of energy for people fed up with high heating bills and skyrocketing

What is LP Gas?

Liquefied petroleum gas (also called LPG, GPL, LP Gas, or liquid propane gas) is a flammable mixture of hydrocarbon gases used as a fuel in heating appliances and vehicles. It is increasingly used as an aerosol propellant and a refrigerant, replacing chlorofluorocarbons in an effort to reduce damage to the ozone layer. When specifically used as a vehicle fuel it is often referred to as auto gas .

There are two LP gases that can be stored in liquid form with only moderate pressurization-- propane and butane. Isobutane, which has the same simple chemical formula as butane but has a different chemical structure, is also used. Usually, butane and isobutane are mixed with propane in various proportions, depending on the intended use of the fuel and on the season — in winter more propane, in summer more butane. Propylene and butylene are usually also present in small concentration. A powerful odorant, ethanethiol, is added so that leaks can be detected easily.

Propane is particularly useful as a portable fuel because its boiling point is -44 ◦F (-42 C). That means that even at very low temperatures, it will vaporize as soon as it is released from its pressurized container. This results in a clean-burning fuel that doesn't require a lot of equipment to vaporize it and mix it with air. A simple nozzle will suffice. Butane's boiling point is approximately 31 F (-0.6 C), which means it will not vaporize in very cold temperatures. This is why butane has more limited uses and is mixed with propane instead of being used by itself.

Here is how LP Gases stack up to other fuels in terms of energy:

Propane	21,500 BTU per pound
Butane	21,200 BTU per pound
Gasoline	17,500 BTU per pound
Coal	10,000 BTU per pound
Wood	7,000 BTU per pound

The Source of LP Gas:-

LPG occurs naturally in crude oil and natural gas production fields and is also produced in the oil refining process. LP gas is a fossil fuel, like oil and natural gas. It can be refined from oil and natural gas the same way gasoline is refined from crude oil. While most energy companies are not focused on LP gases, they produce them nonetheless because they are a byproduct of the refining process for other fuels. The refining process produces about a 3 percent yield of LP gases, although if refineries were retooled to focus on LP-gas extraction, that number could be as high as 40 percent.

When an energy company draws natural gas from the ground, about 90 percent of it is methane. The rest is in the form of various LP gases, which the company separates from the methane before the methane is fed into pipelines for use in our homes. The amount of LP gas that comes from natural gas varies, but it is usually from 1 to 3 percent. Natural gas purification produces about 55 percent of all LPG, while crude oil refining produces about 45 percent.

L PG PROPERITIES

LPG stands for Liquefied Petroleum Gas - a mixture of light hydrocarbons that are gases at normal temperatures and pressures, but liquefy at moderate pressures or reduced temperatures. LPG used as automotive fuel is referred to as LPG Autogas. The main component gases of Auto gas are propane (C3H8) and butane (C4H10). Auto gas is colorless, odorless and heavier than air. A sulphur based chemical (ethyl mercaptan) is added to give it a smell, so that even a very small leak can be easily detected. LPG Autogas burns readily in air and has an energy content similar to petrol, which makes it an excellent fuel for automotive use.  L PG PROPERITIES ·     Boiling Point:  LPG's boiling point ranges from -42 °C to 0 °C depending on its    mixture percentage of Butane & Propane. ·     Combustion:   The combustion of LPG produces carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapour but sufficient air must be available.  Inadequate appliance flueing or ventilation can result in the production of carbon monoxide which can be toxic. ·        Vapour Pressure:  LPG is stored as a liquid under pressure.  It is almost colorless and its weight is approximately half that of an equivalent volume of water.  The pressure inside a closed container in which LPG is stored is equal to the vapor pressure of the liquid and gaseous LPG in the container and corresponds to its temperature.  LPG vapor is denser than air:  butane is about twice as heavy as air and propane about one and half times as heavy as air.  Consequently, the vapor may flow along the ground and into drains, sinking to the lowest level of the surroundings and be ignited at a considerable distance from the source of leakage. ·     Ignition temperature: The temperature required to ignite LPG in air is around 500°C. ·     Calorific Value:    The calorific value of LPG is about 2.5 times higher than that of main gas so more heat is produced from the same volume of gas. ·     Toxicity:  LPG is a colourless, odourless and non-toxic gas.  It is supplied commercially with an added odorant to assist detection by smell. LPG is an excellent solvent of petroleum and rubber product and is generally non-corrosive to steel and copper alloys. ·        Safety:   LPG is just as safe as any other fuel.  In fact, it is safer than most fuels because neither LPG itself nor the end products that are produced by burning LPG in a suitable appliance, are poisonous to inhale.  Since LPG cannot burn without air, there can never be a 'Flash-back' into the cylinder. ·        Vapour LPG is twice as heavy as Air  ·        Flash point of LPG is -76◦F. ·        LPG is odourless. Ethyl Mercaptan is added as an odorant to detect LPG in case of leaks. ·        Liquid LPG can cause severe cold burns to the skin owing to rapid vaporization and the consequent lowering of temperature

v Typical LPG Specification

Advantages of LPG

• Because LPG vaporizes when released from the tank and is not water soluble, LPG does not pollute underground water sources.
• Power, acceleration, payload and cruise speed are comparable to those of an equivalent vehicle fueled on gasoline. Propane has a high octane rating of 104, in-between Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) (130) and regular unleaded gasoline (87).
• Refueling a propane vehicle is similar to filling a gas grill tank; the time it takes is comparable with that needed to fill a CNG, gasoline or diesel fuel tank.
• Its high octane rating enables it to mix better with air and to burn more completely than does gasoline, generating less carbon. With less carbon buildup, spark plugs often last longer and oil changes are needed less frequently.
• Because it burns in the engine in the gaseous phase, propane results in less Clean Burning
• No soot, burners have a longer life - so maintenance is low
• No spillage as it vaporizes at atmospheric temperature and pressure.
• Effects of corrosion are greatly reduced
• Instantly controllable flame temperature
• Avoids Scaling and decarborising of parts
• Environmentally friendly fuel, with minimal sulphur content and sulphur- free emissions
• Very high efficiency with direct firing system Instant heat for faster warm-up and cool-down
• Can be used for a variety of applications
• corrosion and engine wear than does gasoline.

The drawbacks of LPG

• In cold conditions, below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, starting could be a problem because of the low vapor pressure of propane at low temperatures.
• One gallon of LPG contains less energy than a gallon of gasoline. The driving range of a propane vehicle is about 14 percent lower than a comparable gasoline-powered vehicle.
• LPG is generally higher priced than other fuel alternatives such as CNG and gasoline.
• There are over 4,000 LPG refueling sites in the US, more than all of the other alternative fuels combined. Most of these stations, however, are not readily available to consumers on a 24/7 basis. This is one of the reasons why most on-road applications are bi-fuel vehicles, which burn LPG and gasoline.

LPG Application

·          Food

·          Glass & Ceramic

·          Building Industry

·          Metal Industry

·          Farming Industry

·          Steam Raising

·          Aerosol Industry

·     Automotive Industry '"LPG Autogas - the greener, cleaner and cheaper fuel                        alternative'"

·          Textile Industry

·          Refrigeration

 Switching from an oil fired central heating system to a cleaner, greener energy supply like LPG could save you money, effort and help the environment. Now you can switch oil to gas quickly and easily with Flogas

Switch oil to gas: the facts you should know

• LPG boilers and their associated installation costs are cheaper than oil boilers.
• Old oil boiler installations will typically run less efficiently than stated on the boiler.
• LPG emits less greenhouse gas and produces significantly fewer particulates, NOX and sulphur, resulting in virtually no soot being formed.
• Compared to oil boilers, LPG boilers run much more quietly and are odour-free.
• Oil storage tanks remain the responsibility of the user, along with the costs of installation, maintenance, annual servicing and insurance. They typically need replacing every 15 years - at significant cost.
• Strict environmental regulations are in place for oil storage. Failure to comply is a criminal offence. In the event of a spillage, the costs associated with the clean up and removal of contaminated soil can be significant. The owner of the oil tank is responsible for leakage however it’s caused, whether through poor installation, insufficient maintenance or even vandalism.
• LPG tanks remain the property of Flogas. Flogas maintain the tank and are fully responsible for its safe operation. Storage options for LPG are flexible and include underground tanks.
• Servicing costs for oil boilers tend to be higher than LPG. And if oil boilers are not serviced regularly, their efficiency will deteriorate more quickly than LPG boilers, leading to higher operating costs.
• Oil installers do not have to be OFTEC registered, so there is no governing body like the Gas Safe Register (formerly CORGI) to protect you.
• As an LPG user, you also have the options of cooking with gas and enjoying a real-flame fire.
• LPG can be used alongside renewable technologies reducing running costs even further.

Comparison with natural gas

LPG is composed primarily of propane and butane, while natural gas is composed of the lighter methane and ethane. LPG, vaporised and at atmospheric pressure, has a higher calorific value (94 MJ/m3 equivalent to 26.1kWh/m³) than natural gas (methane) (38 MJ/m3 equivalent to 10.6 kWh/m3), which means that LPG cannot simply be substituted for natural gas. In order to allow the use of the same burner controls and to provide for similar combustion characteristics, LPG can be mixed with air to produce a synthetic natural gas (SNG) that can be easily substituted. LPG/air mixing ratios average 60/40, though this is widely variable based on the gases making up the LPG. The method for determining the mixing ratios is by calculating the Wobbe index of the mix. Gases having the same Wobbe index are held to be interchangeable.

LPG-based SNG is used in emergency backup systems for many public, industrial and military installations, and many utilities use LPG peak shaving plants in times of high demand to make up shortages in natural gas supplied to their distributions systems. LPG-SNG installations are also used during initial gas system introductions, when the distribution infrastructure is in place before gas supplies can be connected. Developing markets in India and China (among others) use LPG-SNG systems to build up customer bases prior to expanding existing natural gas systems.

Environmental Effects

Commercially available LPG is currently derived from fossil fuels. Burning LPG releases CO2, an important greenhouse gas, contributing to global warming. LPG does, however, release less CO2 per unit of energy than that of coal or oil. It emits 81% of the CO2 per kWh produced by oil, 70% of that of coal, and less than 50% of that emitted by coal-generated electricity distributed via the grid. Being a mix of propane and butane, LPG emits less carbon per joule than butane but more carbon per joule than propane.

LPG can be considered to burn more 'cleanly' than heavier molecule hydrocarbons, in that it releases very few particulates when burnt.