Vaporization Basics
The cylinders or tanks are filled with liquid propane while the equipment is burning vapor. What is the process?
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LP-Gas is stored and transported as a liquid. For your equipment to be capable of using the propane 1 stored in your storage vessel, (cylinder or tank), it must undergo phase change (vaporization), from liquid to gas within the cylinder before being burned by your consuming apparatus (BBQs, radiant heaters, boilers, process burners, etc.). The rate of vaporization is determined by two main factors: 1) ambient temperatures; 2) the size of your tank and its fill level (the “wetted” surface area of the tank). The amount of vapor required by each piece of propane-consuming equipment is different. More info about – vaporizers in NZ.
Vaporization Requires Energy (Heat)
Propane is also a “compound”, with its own chemical properties. Water, which we all know, boils at atmospheric pressure (212 degrees Fahrenheit, 100 degrees Celsius). Propane boils, however, at -44° Fahrenheit. (-42° Celsius) This is due to its chemical properties. As long as the propane tank in your home is kept in an environment that has a minimum temperature of -44 F (at sea level), it will undergo phase change and generate vapor pressure.
The phase change of propane is similar to that of water in that it involves the transference of energy. The burner on your stove is a great source of heat that you need to boil water. The more energy you apply (the hotter your burner), the quicker the water will boil and the faster the vapor will be released into the air. A warmer ambient temperature, above -44 F, will result in a faster rate of vaporization, and a greater vapor pressure. This allows you to pull more vapor from the top of your tank or cylinder. This discussion should make it clear that ambient temperatures have a direct impact on your ability to operate equipment. If you are asking your equipment to produce more vapor than ambient heat can provide, it could shut down.
Hydrocarbon Properties
Saturation Curves
The “Wetted Surface” Of The Tank Is The Size And Fill Level Of Your Tank.
After briefly discussing the direct effects of temperature (energy), let’s now move on to the effects that tank size and level of fill have. Continue with the water example. Let’s continue with the water analogy. So long as you maintain the same heat, the 2 gallon pot will give off more vapour than the 2 quart. It is the same for propane tanks. The larger and more full a tank (the more surface area it has “wetted”), the more heat it will transfer and the more vapor.
The two factors of heat and heat transfer (tank size, and level of fill) directly influence the rate at which propane vaporizes in your tank. You should be able to easily see that, if you rely solely on natural vaporization to operate your equipment you are at the mercy these two factors.
Warning Signs
You’ve seen the limits of vaporization when you see frost on a propane bottle or tank. The frost that forms on your propane tank is a sign that the heat transfer rate from the liquid propane to the tank is lower than the energy required to convert it to vapor. This results in a reduction of pressure, creating a cooling effect. This cooling effect reduces the vaporization rate by creating an insulating layer of frost on the tank. This can have a disastrous effect on the ability of your equipment to operate.
You should suspect that the natural vaporization of propane has been insufficient if you notice your equipment not producing as much heat as you would like.
Increase Vaporization
As discussed above, if the rate of vaporization depends on two factors – ambient temperature and the surface of the tank – the question is: How can you increase the rate of vaporization? What can you do if you cannot control the temperature outside? Wetted area. You can increase the wetted area of your tank by either increasing its size or adding more tanks, or ensuring that it is always full. However, these two solutions have many problems.
- A surface area soaked in water will not help at temperatures close to the saturation point, which corresponds to zero pressure. Only a vaporizer can help.
- Additional storage tanks are expensive to increase vaporization capacity.
- Costs associated with frequent refilling to maintain a sufficient amount of wetted surface.
- Cost of additional land required to install storage tanks.
- The storage capacity of certain areas may be limited by codes or laws.
Natural vaporization may be adequate for residential and light commercial needs, but it is usually insufficient for industrial and commercial requirements. Natural vaporization is often insufficient for larger LPG-consuming equipment.
Alternative Solutions
A vaporizer can be used to add artificial heat in place of natural vaporization.
What is a vaporizer?
- A Vaporizer can be compared to a boiler without pressure.
- LPG is a liquid that enters the vaporizer and leaves as a gas.
- Vaporizers can be used in many different LPG or propane systems and for a wide range of purposes.
- Vaporizers don’t build up additional pressure but protect against the cooling effect that causes frost and pressure loss.
According to the information above, using a vape is associated with several benefits:
- Propane retailers can benefit from the ability to fill larger volumes less frequently.
- A vaporizer can eliminate the re-condensation in supply lines of vapor that could create a dangerous situation.
- Eliminate “freeze ups” in tanks that cause production delays or losses.
- The vaporizers will allow you to use 100% of your LP-Gas, reducing the frequency of deliveries and costs.
- Removes heavy ends from tanks.
- It provides a continuous supply of vapor even at temperatures as low as -40 degrees Celsius.
- When vaporizing Propane/Butane mixtures, eliminates distillation of LPG.
- You can increase your system’s capacity without adding any additional tanks.