The Many Uses of Propane Cindy T Ly

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1 The Many Uses of Propane Cindy T Ly It s a blazing summer day. The weather calls for an ice cold glass of lemonade and a backyard barbeque. After turning the knob on your gas grill, vibrant flames emerge from underneath the grill racks. This is thanks to the propane in the gas cylinder tank which supplies the fuel for the burning to continue. Propane is not just used for heating grills; it has numerous uses evident throughout the household. It s easy to take propane for granted because one does not often consider the subtle mechanics of everyday life. In fact, propane supplies about 4 percent of our total energy needs. [2] Its least obvious use lies in water heating systems in the everyday home. Typically, a tank of water is preheated using propane. Once the water is needed, heated water flows out of the faucet, allowing for comfortable warm baths and hot laundry cycles. More evidently, propane is involved in the use of everyday appliances such as the stove. Similarly to the barbeque grill, the stove is powered by propane, allowing for one to cook meals at home. Outside of the home, propane is used to power vehicles. On land, propane is used to power cars and farming equipment. It has the title of Figure 1. A stove fueled using propane. being an alternative fuel source according to the 1990 Clean Air Act which fuels the [11] debate over whether propane should replace gasoline. [4][5] In the sky, hot air balloons are equipped with lightweight propane tanks. Ignited propane vapors burn and heat the surrounding air molecules under the upper parachute. [3] The ability of propane to act as a fuel is rooted in the chemical process known as the combustion reaction. A compound, such as propane, is burned in oxygen producing carbon dioxide, water, and heat: Propane + Oxygen --> Carbon Dioxide + Water + Heat C 3 H O 2 --> 3 CO H 2 O + Heat The heat is qualitatively observed in the form of fire, which one can see when one lights the stove or turns the knob on an outdoor gas grill. Many hydrocarbons exhibit this property, and similarly to propane, will react via a combustion reaction.

2 Dangers of Propane In addition to the benefits that propane allows, it does have its consequences if not handled properly. A prime example of the dangers of propane is what is now known as the Sunrise Propane Incident which occurred in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Sunrise Propane was a facility that house and sold propane. Workers regularly transported to and from the facility. However, the company illegally used a method of transport called truck-to-truck transfers which increase the risk of fires and leaks. On August 10, 2008, there was a hose leak as a result of truck-to-truck transfers. Propane vapors escaped from the sealed containers of propane. All it took was a spark to ignite the now freed vapors and cause a devastating explosion. The blast resulted in irreversible damage: one employee and one fireman were killed, while 12,500 residents [1] were forced to evacuate from their homes. Windows were shattered as debris from the explosion dispersed. After investigation, it was concluded that the entire incident was indeed preventable. The company should not have been using the method of truck-to-truck transfers to transport propane. Sunrise Propane failed to properly maintain a safe working environment and adequate safety training for the workers to handle propane. From this incident, it is clear that regulations for propane use must be enforced in order to prevent injury. Figure 2. An explosion from the Sunrise Propane incident. [10] Safety Measures Fortunately, today there are many safety measures and regulations in place that prevent catastrophes like the Sunrise Propane Incident or everyday mishaps from happening again. The National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) developed a training program to educate service workers in handling propane. It is called the Certified Employee Training Program (CETP) and covers the basics to technical details on appliance installation. [2] The Propane Education and Research Council (PERC) also distributes brochures and materials for the education of propane consumers. The aim is to teach safe propane practices and prevent injuries. Safety measures are in place for those that are not knowledgeable of proper propane handing. The most significant feature in propane safety is the addition of an odorant that signals the presence of propane in the situation of a leak. Propane is naturally odorless and difficult to detect without additional aide. Additionally, all propane tanks are required to be fitted with

pressure relief valves. [2] These valves automatically open when there is an excess pressure buildup inside the chamber of the tank due to external circumstances such as high temperatures.

3 pressure relief valves. [2] These valves automatically open when there is an excess pressure buildup inside the chamber of the tank due to external circumstances such as high temperatures. High temperatures lead to an increase in the kinetic energy of molecules, which results in increased pressure. There are also line valves and remote shutoff systems which allow one to manually close the flow of propane if a leak is detected. Propane Production Propane undergoes tedious processing before its capable of wild explosions and worthy of developing safe use practices for. Dr. Walter O. Snelling is credited with the Figure 3. A typical gas cylinder valve. discovery of a method to extract propane, and thus the birth of the propane industry. Snelling made the solution seem so obvious with his ingenuity. He was presented the mystery of disappearing gasoline. A car owner complained that the amount of gas he purchased would always decrease at a significant rate by the time he returned home. Snelling deduced that the gas vapors were indeed evaporating from the container through the lid. [4] The cork would pop off as vapors formed within the container and would release the gas, explaining the significant drop in volume of the gas. [8] He then proposed a technique for fractional distillation of the gas into its separate components, one of which is propane. The distillation relies on the nature of the gases having varying boiling points. Gases with lower boiling points would vaporize quicker than those gases with higher boiling points. Snelling isolated propane and discovered its tremendous usefulness. But propane doesn't start with Snelling. Propane initially starts out as a component in a mixture of naturally occurring gas deposits which were formed over millions of years. Before it can be used in the household, propane must be isolated from the rest of the deposit through natural gas processing or through oil refining. [6] Natural gas processing involves many steps before the desired product is obtained. First, the oil is removed from the gas using a gas-oil separator. The gas proceeds to a second chamber, the condensate separator, in which water is removed. Leftover water residue is dehydrated in the third chamber. Contaminants, such as hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, helium, and oxygen, are then separated, followed by nitrogen extraction. Finally, methane and other natural gas liquids are isolated from propane. [7] Snelling would have been impressed with the new complexity of his original process.

Figure 4. Steps in natural gas processing. [7] Once the propane is pipeline quality, it is ready to be transported from refining facilities to one's home in the form of liquid.

4 Figure 4. Steps in natural gas processing. [7] Once the propane is pipeline quality, it is ready to be transported from refining facilities to one's home in the form of liquid. A vast network of underground pipelines has been developed to transport propane. Propane travels through the pipes towards distribution terminals, which act exactly as one would guess. The role of "distribution terminals" is to distribute the propane to "bulk plants" which temporarily house the propane before it is shipped off in trucks and other vehicles. [6] Propane dealers are supplied with propane by these bulk plants, and consumers are supplied with propane by these propane dealers. Propane is sold in small cylindrical tanks, or can be filled directly into one's home propane tank, located either outside or underground. As long as the tank is filled, one can continue to experience the privilege of having propane at home. From the a mere gas deposit to a necessity that powers the majority of homes today, propane is truly a spectacular gas. References [1] Sunrise Propane found guilty in massive 2008 Toronto explosion. CTV News. [2] Facts About Propane: America's Exceptional Energy. National Propane Gas Association.

5 [3] How Hot Air Balloons Work. Tom Harris. HowStuffWorks. [4] Propane History. Absolute Propane. [5] Will American cars run on propane fuel? Channtal Fleischfresser. SmartPlanet. [6] Propane. Latent Semantic Analysis, University of Colorado, Boulder. [7] Natural Gas Processing: The Crucial Link Between Natural Gas Production and Its Transportation to Market. Energy Information Administration. [8] History of Propane. Propane Education and Research Council. [9] Propane Safety Tips for Your Home. Combined Energy Services. [10] Toronto Propane Explosion. Wikipedia.org. [11] The Top 11 Kitchen Tips That Could Save Your Life. Rodale News.

Introduction. !! Propane is one of the world s most common engine fuels. !! U.S. imports about half of its petroleum

Introduction. !! Propane is one of the world s most common engine fuels. !! U.S. imports about half of its petroleum Introduction!! Propane is one of the world s most common engine fuels!! Stations available worldwide!! High energy density!! Exceptionally safe!! U.S. imports about half of its petroleum!! Two thirds of