Propane Tip #1: When working with compressed gases you will quickly learn that each gas has its sweet spot. In a liquid propane (LP) tank for example, part of the volume is occupied by liquid and part is occupied by gas. The pressure of the gas is governed by the temperature of the liquid. When a propane tank gets too hot during warm summer months, liquid heats, gases expand, often causing release valves to engage. Too cold, and pressure will fall creating the opposite effect… No pressure! So how do you find that sweet spot and keep your propane pressure at MAXIMUM safe output? Consider the following data –
———————————————————————————————————-
| Temperature | Vapor Pressure | ||
| (oF) | (oC) | (psig) | (bar) |
| -44 1) | -42.2 | 0 | 0 |
| -30 | -34.4 | 6.8 | 0.5 |
| -20 | -28.9 | 11.5 | 0.8 |
| -10 | -23.3 | 17.5 | 1.2 |
| 0 | -17.8 | 24.5 | 1.7 |
| 10 | -12.2 | 34 | 2.3 |
| 20 | -6.7 | 42 | 2.9 |
| 30 | -1.1 | 53 | 3.7 |
| 40 | 4.4 | 65 | 4.5 |
| 50 | 10.0 | 78 | 5.4 |
| 60 | 15.6 | 93 | 6.4 |
| 70 | 21.1 | 110 | 7.6 |
| 80 | 26.7 | 128 | 8.8 |
| 90 | 32.2 | 150 | 10.3 |
| 100 | 37.8 | 177 | 12.2 |
| 110 | 43.3 | 204 | 14.1 |
1) Boiling point of LPG-gas at atmospheric pressure
VAPORIZATION RATE – 100 lb. Propane Cylinder (Approx)
|
Pounds of propane in cylinder
|
Maximum continuous draw in BTU/hr at various temperatures in degrees F.
|
||||
|
0°
|
20°
|
40°
|
60°
|
70°
|
|
|
100
|
113,000
|
167,000
|
214,000
|
277,000
|
300,000
|
|
90
|
104,000
|
152,000
|
200,000
|
247,000
|
277,000
|
|
80
|
94,000
|
137,000
|
180,000
|
214,000
|
236,000
|
|
70
|
83,000
|
122,000
|
160,000
|
199,000
|
214,000
|
|
60
|
75,000
|
109,000
|
140,000
|
176,000
|
192,000
|
|
50
|
64,000
|
94,000
|
125,000
|
154,000
|
167,000
|
|
40
|
55,000
|
79,000
|
105,000
|
131,000
|
141,000
|
|
30
|
45,000
|
66,000
|
85,000
|
107,000
|
118,000
|
|
20
|
36,000
|
51,000
|
68,000
|
83,000
|
92,000
|
|
10
|
28,000
|
38,000
|
49,000
|
60,000
|
66,000
|
Cold Temperature Propane Deliveries (from Propane 101)
Propane users can become quite confused during periods of cold weather following a gas delivery because their propane tank gauge may read less than what they expect it to read. Using the information from above, a 100 gallon delivery on a cold day (far below 60°F) may indicate less than 100 gallons delivered just by looking at the gauge. If the temperature were to rise to 60°F, a properly functioning float gauge would rise to 40%, assuming the tank was empty at the time of delivery. Cold weather often brings confusion and frustration for propane customers concerning perceived propane volume and the actual amount of propane delivered but the reality is this; When a propane delivery is made during cold temperatures, the tank gauge will indicate less propane delivered based on the beginning and ending gauge readings but the actual amount of propane delivered, according to a properly calibrated truck meter is what was truly pumped into the tank during the delivery.
Propane Tip #2: One effective method for increasing propane pressure and avoiding unnecessary refills is to warm/heat the propane to a desired optimal temperature of 70-80 degrees F. the most efficient way to do this is with an insulated/heated blanket better known as a Powerblanket. Utilizing a patented GreenHeat Technology, Powerblanket has developed a spot-on method for delivering insualted heat directly to compressed gas cylinders and and tanks. They can be reached by phone, email, or web:
