[TheForge] Propane vs LPG

[Paul]

On 4/9/2010 3:57 AM, Matt Stevens wrote:
> Here in NZ we have LPG (Liquid Petroleum Gas), a combo of Propane&
> Butane. Propane as a stand-alone fuel source is not available (excepting
> disposable imported canisters for camp cookers etc).
>
> I'm looking clarify what is meant in the US by Propane. Is it literally
> 100% Propane, or is it another name for LPG where Propane is blended
> with Butane.
>
> Obviously this affects my burner choice&  numbers needed...
>
> Cheers
> Matt
>    
I don't know about the southern part of the States, but here where the 
temperatures get below 31.1 degrees Fahrenheit for extended periods of 
time, what you have in the tank had better be propane. That is the 
boiling point of butane.
I had a heater in my camper that I used for deer hunting that quit 
working. After I swapped out the tank and felt liquid sloshing inside I 
figgered out that it was not propane. I worked just fine in the summer 
for the gas grill.
Propane company said that was B/S... we don't sell butane... lets see... 
sloshes around like a liquid when its 10 degrees below zero and I got no 
heat... burns just great in the gas grill when it's 70 degrees outside. 
You decide.
Around here it is called 'propane', but might be LPG if you look into it 
a little farther. It's like Kleenex.... facial tissue... but everybody 
calls it Kleenex. So Propane is still Propane unless it's LPG
see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquefied_petroleum_gas
So from all that I guess that we have thousands of 'propane' gas 
distributors that are factually selling LPG.
Some of the 'propane' forges are getting big enough that we may have to 
incorporate 'evaporators' to operate them properly.

from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autogas
[Converter

The converter (also known as vaporizer) is a device designed to change 
the fuel from a pressurized liquid to a vapor at around atmospheric 
pressure for delivery to the mixer or vapor phase injectors. Because of 
the refrigerant characteristic of the fuel, heat must be put into the 
fuel by the converter. This is usually achieved by having engine coolant 
circulated through a heat exchanger that transfers heat from that 
coolant to the LPG. <snip>]

-- 

Paul
WB9HCO
My Grandfather WAS a blacksmith...
and it didn't do me one damn bit of good.
All opinions are the personal beliefs of the author, and are based on decades of experience... so use your best judgement, I'm just a lowly crafstman.
  "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." -Albert Einstein
"Life is hard...it's harder if you're stupid" John Wayne - Sands of Iwo Jima