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Propane Gas
Facts
| Like coal and oil, propane is a fossil fuel. LPG (commonly called
propane) is a liquid mixture made up of at least 90% methane, 2.5% butane and higher
hydrocarbons, with a remaining balance of ethane and propylene. Propane is a
by-product of natural gas processing and petroleum refining. Propane is separated
from the natural gas mixture, and most of it is sent through a pipeline system to bulk
storage facilities across the nation. What isn't shipped through the pipeline system
is either transported by truck, rail car or barge. From those bulk storage
facilities the propane is delivered the customer homes in specially designed fuel trucks
called "bobtails". The propane is then pumped out of the bobtail into the
customers "specially designed storage tank" waiting for fuel consumption .
The transportation and storage of propane is regulated, for your safety as well as others,
by strict Federal Government hazardous material standards. Today, new
safety features on propane fired appliances makes them safer than ever before. Such
new features include temperature sensitive shut-off systems on furnaces. Oxygen
depletion sensors that shut off unvented heating units should the oxygen level in the room
being heated drops to an unsafe level.
For your safety and others, the Greater Dickson Gas Authority is constantly keeping
abreast of the safety standards and training aspects of the handling of propane gas.
We have qualified and trained personnel to deliver and work on your propane systems if
need be. Like natural gas or any other fuel source on the market today, we
think propane gas, is a safe energy source as long as its treated and handled like any
other energy source...With Respect!
History of Propane
In the early 1900's, gasoline used for automobiles was difficult to handle. Due
to inadequate refining techniques, the gasoline would quickly evaporate or "weather
away" while it was in storage. Under the direction of Dr. Walter Snelling, the
U.S. Bureau of Mines began experiments to stabilize gasoline. Through these
experiments, Dr. Snelling discovered that the gases which evaporated could be condensed
and stored as a liquid at moderate temperatures and pressures. By 1911, Dr. Snelling
had isolated and identified these gases as propane and butane, the two major components of
LP-gasses. In 1912, propane gas was used for cooking food in the home. The
first car powered by propane ran in 1913, and by 1915 propane was being used in torches to
cut through metal. When Dr. Snelling sold his propane patent to Frank Phillips, the
founder of Phillips Petroleum Company, his price was $50,000. Today, propane gas is
an $8 billion industry in the United States alone and it is still growing.
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Characteristics of LP-Gas
| Chemical Formula |
C3H8 |
| Specific Gravity (Liquid) |
.509
(only a little more than one-half the weight of water |
| Specific Gravity (Vapor) |
1.52
(heavier than air - air being 1.00) |
| Weight per Gallon |
4.24 lbs. |
| Boiling Point (Atmosphere) |
-44 degrees F |
| Ignition Temperature |
920-1120 degrees F |
| Max. Flame Temperature |
3,595 degrees F |
Flammability Limits
*Upper Limits |
9.60% |
Flammability Limits
*Lower Limits |
2.15% |
| Ideal Combustion Ratio |
24 to 1 |
| Heat Vapor per cu.ft. (Vapor) |
2,516 BTU |
| Heat Value per pound (Liquid) |
21,591 BTU |
| Heat Value per gallon (Liquid) |
91,547 BTU |
| Cubic Feet Vapor per gallon |
36.4 cu.ft. |
| Cubic Feet Vapor per pound |
8.6 cu.ft. |
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