hi here is something that has been puzzling me in all the caravan mags advice etc they allways say that gas must be transported upright yet on the gas forklift trucks you see they are on there side just curious? pete
gas bottels
- Thread starter petercoachman
- Start date
I think a fork truck has a type of governor that doesnt mind the liquid gas getting to it and it converts to gas for the engine from there,
whereas your cooker is simply a pilot hole in a piece of brass (the jet).
Mind this is a guess, i could be totally wrong.
Gas cars are the same arnt they.
whereas your cooker is simply a pilot hole in a piece of brass (the jet).
Mind this is a guess, i could be totally wrong.
Gas cars are the same arnt they.
Pete, the ones designed to operate on their side, as for a fork lift truck have a different valve arrangement. I may be wrong but I remember the colour black coming into it somewhere.
Ian, a check on the calor web site shows them having the shroud, which incorporates the carrying handle, being painted black.
Pete
In forklift trucks and other internal combustion engine applications the fuel (L.P.G liquid petroleum gas) is designed to be delivered from the bottle in liquid form directly to a vaporiser which serves to turn the liquid into gas before passing through to the carburetor. The bottle they use for this purpose are designed especially for this task, not only do they lie on their side but also have to be in the correct rotational position to allow correct delivery of the L.P.G.
In forklift trucks and other internal combustion engine applications the fuel (L.P.G liquid petroleum gas) is designed to be delivered from the bottle in liquid form directly to a vaporiser which serves to turn the liquid into gas before passing through to the carburetor. The bottle they use for this purpose are designed especially for this task, not only do they lie on their side but also have to be in the correct rotational position to allow correct delivery of the L.P.G.
Hello Pete
There is an important difference between caravans and motive power LPG bottles. These have been correctly identified above by other respondents, but I will try to answer why you must keep vapour take off LPG bottle upright.
When ever a vapour take off bottle is filled, there is always some space left at the top for the vapour. This is essential, as if the bottle was filled 100% with liquid, as the temperature of the bottle changed the hydraulic pressure from the expanding liquid would damage the bottle or valve.
The vapour space is also necessary to allow the neck of the valve to only be in vapour. Why? - well the regulators usually associated with caravans and similar appliances must never come into contact with liquefied gas. If they did then liquid would pass through the regulator and when on the low pressure side, the liquid would attempt to expand into vapour. This would grossly overpressure the pipe work system, to the point where gas pipe seals and valves are likely to blow due to the excess pressure. 1mL of liquefied gas will attempt to expand to 270mL of vapour!
It is clearly important to keep an active cylinder upright, but it is just as important to store and transport unused cylinders upright also:
All UK LPG bottles are made to exacting standards, and the weakest point is the valve. It is most likely that any leak will be through the valve assembly. If the valve does leak or is opened, then it will only vent gas vapour. If the bottle is not upright, there is the strong probability that any leak would vent liquid rather than vapour.
The same leak path is therefore more than 200 times worse for liquid as for vapour.
There is another serious problem with liquid leaks. When the liquid is released it attempts to expands to it vapour phase. It does this by absorbing heat from its surroundings (Latent heat of vaporisation) If any liquid comes into contact with the skin it is likely to cause severe thermal "burn" injuries as it expands.
It is illegal under the Gas safety Installation & Use regulations to allow an escape of gas. The dangers are greater with LPG because it is heavier than air and thus will seek the lowest point. This could be drains. Do you remember the Mexican city that was devastated by a gas explosion that travelled through the sewerage system? There was also a Spanish camp site that suffered when an LPG tanker developed a leak, and campers in the bottom of a hollow where affected by the ensuing explosion.
LPG is an excellent fuel, but it must be treated properly.
There is an important difference between caravans and motive power LPG bottles. These have been correctly identified above by other respondents, but I will try to answer why you must keep vapour take off LPG bottle upright.
When ever a vapour take off bottle is filled, there is always some space left at the top for the vapour. This is essential, as if the bottle was filled 100% with liquid, as the temperature of the bottle changed the hydraulic pressure from the expanding liquid would damage the bottle or valve.
The vapour space is also necessary to allow the neck of the valve to only be in vapour. Why? - well the regulators usually associated with caravans and similar appliances must never come into contact with liquefied gas. If they did then liquid would pass through the regulator and when on the low pressure side, the liquid would attempt to expand into vapour. This would grossly overpressure the pipe work system, to the point where gas pipe seals and valves are likely to blow due to the excess pressure. 1mL of liquefied gas will attempt to expand to 270mL of vapour!
It is clearly important to keep an active cylinder upright, but it is just as important to store and transport unused cylinders upright also:
All UK LPG bottles are made to exacting standards, and the weakest point is the valve. It is most likely that any leak will be through the valve assembly. If the valve does leak or is opened, then it will only vent gas vapour. If the bottle is not upright, there is the strong probability that any leak would vent liquid rather than vapour.
The same leak path is therefore more than 200 times worse for liquid as for vapour.
There is another serious problem with liquid leaks. When the liquid is released it attempts to expands to it vapour phase. It does this by absorbing heat from its surroundings (Latent heat of vaporisation) If any liquid comes into contact with the skin it is likely to cause severe thermal "burn" injuries as it expands.
It is illegal under the Gas safety Installation & Use regulations to allow an escape of gas. The dangers are greater with LPG because it is heavier than air and thus will seek the lowest point. This could be drains. Do you remember the Mexican city that was devastated by a gas explosion that travelled through the sewerage system? There was also a Spanish camp site that suffered when an LPG tanker developed a leak, and campers in the bottom of a hollow where affected by the ensuing explosion.
LPG is an excellent fuel, but it must be treated properly.
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