Propane
(LPG or LP Gas)
Propane, also known as liquefied petroleum
gas (LPG), is used by many fleets. It has a high energy density,
giving propane vehicles good driving range. Feuling infrastructure
in South Africa is limited.
Read more about Propane as alternative fuel - click
here
Facts
about Propane
Propane is also known as liquefied petroleum
gas (LPG or LP-gas). It is a three-carbon
alkane gas (C3H8). Stored under pressure inside a tank, propane
turns into a colorless, odorless liquid. As pressure is released,
the liquid propane vaporizes and turns into gas that is used
for combustion. An odorant, ethyl mercaptan, is added for
leak detection.
Propane has a high octane rating and excellent
properties for spark-ignited internal combustion engines.
It is non-toxic and presents no threat to soil, surface water,
or groundwater.
Propane is produced as a by-product of natural
gas processing and crude oil refining. It accounts for about
2% of the energy used in the United States. Uses include home
and water heating, cooking and refrigerating food, clothes
drying, powering farm and industrial equipment, and drying
corn. In the USA rural areas that do not have natural gas
service commonly rely on propane. The chemical industry uses
propane as a raw material for making plastics and other compounds.
Less than 2% of U.S. propane consumption is used for transportation
fuel.
In South Africa propane is not used as widely
as in the USA
Information from http://www.eere.energy.gov
Propane
as an Alternative Fuel
The interest in propane (also known as liquefied
petroleum gas or LPG) as an alternative transportation fuel
stems mainly from its domestic availability, high energy density,
and clean-burning qualities. It is the most commonly used
alternative transportation fuel in the USA and the third most
used vehicle fuel, behind gasoline and diesel. Propane is
considered an alternative fuel under the Energy Policy Act
of 1992 of the USA.
Propane sold as vehicle fuel can be a mixture
of propane with smaller amounts of other gases. According
to the Gas Processors Association's HD-5 specification for
propane as a transportation fuel, it must consist of 90% propane,
no more than 5% propylene, and 5% other gases, primarily butane
and butylene.
Propane is a gas at normal temperatures and
pressures. It is stored onboard a vehicle in a tank pressurized
to around 300 pounds per square inch—about twice the
pressure as in an inflated truck tire. Under this pressure,
propane becomes a liquid with an energy density 270 times
greater than the gaseous form. A gallon of propane has about
25% less energy than a gallon of gasoline.
Because propane is transformed into a gaseous
state before it is burned in an internal combustion engine,
the engine runs more efficiently in low-speed, light-throttle
conditions. The introduction of Liquid Propane Injection engines
promises higher fuel efficiency.
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