Currently, in the field of autonomous gas supply of various objects, buildings, and structures, LPG vaporizers have found wide distribution, since using vaporizers together with mixing and pumping units allows the consumer to be independent from gas suppliers.
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Purpose of vaporization units
The gas supply system uses LPG in the gaseous phase, and it enters the storage tanks in the liquid phase. The transition from the liquid phase to the gaseous phase can occur naturally. However, natural regasification in some cases is not enough for a uniform and uninterrupted gas supply to consumers. The constant supply of gas to the consumer in the required volume depends on many factors, for example, on the temperature of the environment surrounding the tank, which, in turn, affects the speed and rate of the vaporization process.
The lower the ambient temperature, the slower the vaporization. Therefore, for autonomous gas supply, it is preferable to use underground tanks that receive thermal energy from the ground. Also, the rate of supply of the gas phase of LPG to the consumer depends on the area of the vaporization mirror and the volume of gas in the tank: a decrease in the volume of gas in the tank reduces the speed.
Liquefied petroleum gas is a mixture of propane and butane, and the vaporization rate of propane is higher than that of butane since the boiling point of the former is 42.1°C, and that of the latter is -0.5°C. In this regard, the natural vaporization process is uneven: first, light hydrocarbons evaporate, and then heavy ones. This is the reason for the insufficient density of the propane-butane mixture and uneven energy production. In addition, heavy hydrocarbon fractions can accumulate in gas holders. Vaporization units regulate the “correct” ratio of incoming propane and butane, contributing to the homogeneity of the resulting gas.
Another advantage of using vaporization units is that they regulate uneven gas consumption during the day and depending on the season. All of the above makes it necessary to use LPG vaporization units, which forcibly convert the liquid phase of LPG into a gaseous state and increase the evaporation capacity from 3 to 5 times.
How do LPG vaporizers work?
In order to understand the operating principle of LPG gas equipment and vaporizer and the need to install a vaporizer, we will first briefly highlight how it works.
The operation is based on the principle that the propane-butane mixture fills the gas tank by a maximum of 85%. This is done so that it can pass from a liquid to a gaseous state and fill the remaining 15% of the volume with gas ready for use. The larger the “evaporation mirror”, that is, the surface area of the liquid mixture, the faster the gasification process occurs.
But there is one important “but”. If propane vaporizes at -42 °C, then butane stops turning into a gaseous state already at 0 °C. That is, for the full operation of the autonomous gasification system, the temperature inside the gas tank must be positive. To do this, the container is buried below the level of soil freezing.
However, there are cases when it is necessary to resort to other methods that activate the process of vaporization of the gas mixture. And one of them is the installation of a liquefied gas (LPG) vaporizer.
What types of LPG vaporisers are there, and how do they work?
Most often, a gas vaporariser for a gas tank is a separate device that is mounted between the gas tank and consumers. Liquefied fuel flows by gravity or with the help of a pump into a heated tank, turns into gas, and is given to the boiler or furnace.
There are several heating options:
- Electric LPG vaporizer. An electric heating element is connected to the network. Naturally, if there is no electricity, the device will stop working. A heat exchanger filled with hot liquid, most often water. The system is more energy-independent, since water is most often heated with gas.
- Gas LPG vaporizer. The vaporizer is heated by a gas burner, which, as you understand, is very unsafe. Therefore, such options are used less and less recently.
- Immersion vaporizer for a gas tank. If there are problems with the location of the external device, the system with control devices is installed in the neck of the gas tank, and the heating element itself is immersed in liquefied gas, working on the principle of a boiler. Among the disadvantages of such a system, we note the complexity of maintenance, which cannot be carried out without specialists from the company installing your gas tank.
Separately, we would like to highlight the so-called “cabinet LPG vaporizers” which are supplied by many companies such as I-MAXIMUM. They can be placed outdoors or indoors. They are the most productive, and when servicing, it is enough to open the door to get easy access to the insides. There is no need to climb into hatches and especially to do excavation work – everything is at hand and very convenient.
Dr. Alexander Tabibi is an entrepreneur, investor, and advocate for sustainable innovation with a deep commitment to leveraging technology for environmental and social good. As a thought leader at the intersection of business and sustainability, Dr. Tabibi brings a strategic vision to Green.org, helping guide its mission to inspire global climate awareness and actionable change.
With a background in both medicine and business, Dr. Tabibi combines analytical rigor with entrepreneurial insight.