LIQUIFIED PETROLEUM GASES

DEFINITION LPG may be defined as those hydrocarbons that are gaseous at normal atmospheric pressure, but may be condensed to the liquid state at normal temperature, by the application of moderate pressures. Although they are normally used as gases, they are stored and transported as liquids under pressure for convenience and ease of handling. Liquid LPG evaporates to produce about 250 times its volume of gas. Thus, a large quantity of energy can be packed, stored, transported and used in small containers. This is an enormous advantage LPG has over other fuels. COMPOSITION LPG is a predominant mixture of Propane and Butane with a small percentage of unsaturates (Propylene and Butylene) and some lighter C2 as well as heavier C5 fractions. Included in the LPG range are Propane (C 3H8), Propylene (C3H6), normal and Iso-butane (C4H10) and Butylene (C4H8). Commercial LP Gases invariably contain traces of lighter hydrocarbons like ethane (C2H6) and ethylene (C2H4) and heavier hydrocarbons like pentane (C5H12).

SPECIFICATION LPG is a clean burning, non-poisonous, dependable, high calorific value fuel. It is mainly used as a domestic fuel but also finds wide uses in industry, where very low sulphur fuels are required and also where a very fine degree of temperature controls are required. Bharat Petroleum markets LPG as Bharat Gas and presently meet IS 4576:1999 for Liquefied Petroleum Gases. Auto LPG is a fuel for use in passenger & commercial vehicles. The Petrol engines can be retrofitted with a specialised kit to run the engine either on Petrol or on Auto LPG, without doing any modifications in the engine. However, diesel engines cannot be retrofitted with auto LPG kit. A separate engine, which runs on Auto LPG, has to be placed in place of diesel engine and these engines will run only on Auto LPG. Use of Auto LPG in automobile vehicles will reduce the pollutants emitted be these engines. Auto LPG meets IS 14861:2000 Specification for Liquefied Petroleum Gases (LPG) for Automotive Purposes.

MANFACTURE OF LPG There are two main sources from which LPG are produced, namely: (a) (b) Wet Natural Gas or Associated Gas & Refinery operations

LPG prepared from wet natural gas consists entirely of saturated hydrocarbons, i.e. propane and butane.

LPG produced by straight distillation process will have Saturated hydrocarbons, i.e. propane and butane (both normal and iso). LPG produced by both cracking and reforming processes will have, in addition to saturated hydrocarbons, some quantities of unsaturated hydrocarbons also (i.e. propylene and butylene). LPG Gases produced will have impurities like moisture & sulphur compounds like hydrogen sulphide and mercaptans. Moisture may lead to clogging of regulators, valves, etc. and sulphur compounds cause corrosion. Moisture and sulphur compounds are, therefore removed by suitable treatment at the refinery. However, to alert the user of LPG in case a leak takes place, ethyl mercaptan, which has a distinctive odour, is added in minute quantities at the refinery. At BPCL Refinery, LPG is produced at the CDU and CCU. We are also getting LPG from Associated Gas obtained from Bombay High wells and processed at Uran.

PROPERTIES AND THEIR BEARING ON STORAGE, HANDLING AND APPLICATIONS Some of the important properties and their bearings are: 1. Liquid Density LPG in the liquid state is nearly half as heavy as water. Specific gravity ranges from 0.55 0.58. Knowledge of this property helps us in calculating the safe quantities that can be filled in a given container whose volume is known. An LPG container should be filled in such a way that there will be a 5% ullage left at the design temperature, otherwise, as temperature rises excessive pressures are likely to be encountered leading to bursting of cylinders. 2. Vapour Specific Gravity LPG vapour is nearly 1 to 2 times as heavy as air. This would mean that any escaping vapours of LPG would tend to settle down. Hence, there should be adequate ground level ventilation where LPG cylinders are stored. For this very reason LPG cylinder installations should not be undertaken in cellars or basements which have no ventilation at ground level. Also, cylinder installation should not be within 1 meter of drain openings. 3. Co-efficient of Expansion of Liquid Co-efficient of expansion of liquid LPG is approximately 12 times that of water. This property in conjunction with liquid density should be taken into consideration for arriving at safe filling capacities of containers. 4. Vapour Pressure This is the most important property of LPG. The vapour of LPG in equilibrium with its liquid exerts a pressure called the vapour pressure and the magnitude of this pressure is dependent on the ambient temperature and not on the quantity of the contents. Vapour

pressure increases rapidly with temperature. (See vapour pressure chart). Boiling point of a liquid is that temperature at which the vapour pressure of the liquid equals atmospheric pressure. Since boiling point of LPG is below 0C the pressure inside a cylinder is always higher than the atmospheric pressure for temperatures above C and hence, this is the reason that gas gushes out of a cylinder when the valve is opened. From this it naturally follows that LPG cannot be withdrawn in the vapour state from cylinders when the temperature outside is below its boiling point. Since, as already mentioned, the vapour pressure is dependent on the temperature and not on the quantity of the contents two points emerge from this property of LPG. a) As external equipment i.e. a pressure regulator is needed for obtaining gas at a constant pressure for use in appliances irrespective of the ambient temperature. b) Fitment of a pressure gauge to a cylinder cannot indicate the quantity of gas contained unlike in the case of oxygen or other gas cylinders where the gas is contained in the gaseous state and the pressure inside is gaseous pressure. 5. Explosive Limits Combustible gases will only ignite with air when mixed with it in certain proportion. As a combustible gas is gradually mixed with air in increasing proportions a concentration is reached at which the mixture just becomes explosive i.e. ignitable. This is called the lower explosive limit. As concentration of the gas is further increased, a point is reached at which the mixture ceases to be ignitable, and the concentration of the gas just before this point is called the Upper explosive limit. A flame can only be propagated in a mixture of the gas and air, if the gaseous concentration lies between these two limits. The limits of inflammability of LPG and some other fuel gases in air are as follows: Gas Propane Butane Town gas Natural gas Acetylene Lower Limit % Vol. 2.4 1.8 4.0 3.0 2.5 Upper Limit % Vol. 9.5 8.4 30.0 14.0 80.0

It is seen that the explosive ranges of LPG are much narrower than those of the other common fuel gases. Hence, they are comparatively safer to use.

ADVANTAGES OF LPG

Bear in mind that fuel consumption alone is not the only criterion in promoting the use of LPG, and all the other advantages where applicable should be stressed. The useful characteristics of LPG fired equipment can be summarised as follows: Portability Cylinders can be transported easily to the jobs, or can be fixed to mobile equipment. The smallest ones can be carried by hand. Own Storage Alternative gas supplies make use of piped delivery. Should the supply fail the effect is immediate. LPG, in the form of cylinder or bulk on the other hand, provides a margin of safety. Wide turn down By this is meant the range of gas flow from maximum to minimum for a particular burner. LPG burners can be designed to operate over a wide range. Ease of control Gaseous fuels are the easiest to control, and are very quick in response. Solid fuels are the slowest. Small flames Many processes require a small flame, or a number of small flames rather than a big one. Gas is the best fuel for such flames. Self pressurising LPG is stored under moderate pressure and therefore no pumps or gravity systems are needed to get the fuel to the burner. Simple LPG burners are quite independent of any electrical supply. Consistent quality LPG, like all other petroleum fuels, is subject to stringent quality controls. Ample supply pressure Many competitive types of fuel gas supplies rely on low pressure piped delivery. If the system is old or inadequate the burner pressure may fluctuate as demand varies. This can upset certain processes. An LPG supply is normally installed for one factory or process and has adequate pressure at all times if properly designed. Clean combustion LPG is a high grade fuel with negligible impurities, producing clean sulphur-free combustion gases. This can be important for many processes especially where the gases come into contact with the products. Little maintenance

Many LPG burners are very simple and require little or no maintenance. The clean combustion gases mean that very little fouling occurs and ensures long life even for the more complex burners. From these characteristics, those can be selected which show an advantage over the particular competitive fuel involved. To assist in making this selection, a table of these characteristics has been drawn up; under columns for each of the most usual competitive fuels a cross has been put to indicate that LPG has an advantage. COMPETITIVE FUELS Solid Fuel Town Gas Natural Gas X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

Advantages Portability Own storage Wide turn down Ease of control Small Flames Self pressurising Consistent quality Ample supply pressure Clean combustion Little maintenance

Liquid Fuel X X X X

Mains Electricity X X

X X

X = LPG holds the advantage.

BHARAT GAS (LPG) - SPECIFICATIONS

Sl. No.

Characteristics Requirements for Commercial Butane Butane Mixture 1050 Propane 1550

i). ii).

iii). iv). v). vi).

Vapour Pressure at 40C, kPa gauge Max Composition, liquid mole % a) C2 Hydrocarbon b) C3 Hydrocarbon c) C4 Hydrocarbon d) C5 Hydrocarbon & heavier e) Unsaturated Hydro Carbon OR Volatility: Evaporation temperature in C, for 95% vol. At 760 mm Hg. pressure, max Total volatile sulphur ppm, max. Copper strip corrosion at 38C for 1h Hydrogen Sulfide Free Water Content

520

Method of Test, Ref to D 1267 D 2163

Report Report 2.5 Max. Report 2.0

Report Report Report 2.5 Max Report 2.0

Report 95.0 Min 4.0 Max. 0.2 Max. Report - 38.0 D - 1837

150

150

150

----------Not worse than no.1 -----Pass None Pass None Pass None

D 2784 D 3246 D 1838 D 2420 Visual

ASTM Test Method shall be followed till P of IS 1448 methods under revision are finalised.

BHARAT GAS CONFORMS TO IS 4576:1999 FOR LIQUIFIED PETROLEUM GASES

AUTO LPG- SPECIFICATIONS

Sl. Characteristic No. i). Vapour pressure at 40C, kPa gauge (Note 1) min Max ii). C5 Hydrocarbons and heavier, mole %, max iii). Dienes (as 1:3 Butadiene) , mole %, max iv). Total volatile sulphur (After stenching), ppm, max v). Copper strip corrosion at 40C for 1 hr, max vi). Hydrogen sulphide vii). Evaporation residue, mg/kg, Max. viii). Free water content ix). Motor octane number (MON), min x). Odour

Requirement

Method of Test, Ref to 1) ISO 4256

520 (see Note 2) 1050 2.0 0.5 150 Class 1 Pass the test 100 Nil 88 Unpleasant and distinctive down to 20 % lower explosive limit (LEL)

ASTM D 2163 ISO 7941 ASTM D 3246 ISO 6251 ISO 8819 ISO 13757 ASTM E 700 (note 3) ISO 7941 + Annex A (Notes 4 and 5)

Notes: 1. Vapour pressure may be determined at any other temperature and converted to 40 oC by means of suitable vapour pressure temperature graph. The same can also be determined by analysing the gas by means of a gas chromatograph and then using the composition, the vapour pressure can be calculated at 40 oC from the standard values of vapour pressures at various temperatures. 2. In winter, the gauge vapour pressure requirement shall be minimum 700 kPa at 40 oC. winter period shall be from 1st November to 15th February. 3. The water content shall be determined at the refinery / first dispatching location. 4. Product shall contain 20 ppm, min, ethyl mercaptan at the first dispatching location to ensure the detection of leakage, by odour. 5. To detect the odour the following procedure shall be adopted: 5 ml doctor solution + 8ml ISO-Octane + pinch of flower sulphur in 25 ml stoppered cylinder. Shake and add 2 ml LPG (Aq). Shake slowly by releasing pressure. Odour is adequate if sulphur turns yellowish brown. IS 1448 [P: 75], odour test method is also acceptable as an alternate method 1) ISO / ASTM test method shall be followed till [P:] series of IS 1448 methods are published. AUTO LPG SPECIFICATION CONFORMS TO IS 14861: 2000 FOR LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GASES FOR AUTOMOTIVE PURPOSES