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Tank Pressure Unregulated vapor pressure in any size propane tank can range from about 60 to 120 psi on average. This pressure is not consistent and fluctuates constantly based on the temperature of the propane and the draw of vapor from the upper vapor space. When the temperature of the liquid drops due to the boiling process, the pressure decreases. When the liquid warms the pressure increases. Due to this constant fluctuation and the fact that the engine fuel components operate best at steady input pressures, a regulator must be installed to keep the OUTLET pressure consistently the same or REGULATED. There are two types of regulators in the propane industry as described next. |
| High Pressure Typically RED in color this regulator reduces the unregulated tank pressure to a constant outlet pressure between 8 to 12 psi (10 psi is average) no matter how much the tank pressure may fluctuate. |
| Low Pressure Within this category there are 2 different types. This regulator can be many different colors such as green, gray, brown, etc. and is a SECOND STAGE regulator designed to reduce the 10psi HIGH PRESSURE to a consistent 11" water column. Silver is also a low pressure regulator but is considered a SINGLE STAGE regulator because it will accept tank pressure and drop it to a consistent 11" water column. |
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Liquid and Vapor: Propane is transported pumped and stored as a liquid. Most systems use vapor and 1 gallon of liquid propane will turn into 270 gallons of vapor gas. The process is easier to understand if it was water. Imagine an engine that could use steam vapor for power. Every gallon of water would make ? gallons of steam that could be burned. Propane is just like that and it has to boil to produce the vapor to be used. |
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Boiling Point: 44 degrees Fahrenheit below zero (Just as the boiling point for water is 212 degrees above) |
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Recovery time: If propane vapor is pulled off very quickly the gas boils very rapidly to replenish the vapor. If the area directly around the liquid can not provide enough heat for the liquid to absorb, the liquid will basically turn into a gel and stop vaporizing. (In theory, a person could carry propane around in a bucket in 50 below zero Antarctica.) The result can be a cylinder that is 1/2 full but have no vapor pressure as if it were empty. When the gas warms up again it will replenish and the liquid will be usable again. |
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Propane Pressure: Most common domestic system use is at 11" water common (28 inches = 1 psi so 11" wc is just under one half of one psi) |
The size of the cylinder, how full it is, and the outside air temperature, all determine what size generator can be operated with any given cylinder.
As a general rule of thumb, a 10 horsepower engine will run fine on a 20# grill type cylinder if the ambient air temperature is above freezing. Larger engines require a larger cylinder. We have a device called a TC-18 that ties two cylinders together if needed which more than double the vaporization rate of two cylinders.
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20# cylinders hold approximately 5 gallons of propane. |
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30# cylinders hold approximately 7 gallons of propane. |
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40# cylinders hold approximately 10 gallons of propane. |
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100# cylinders hold approximately 25 gallons of propane. |
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420# cylinders hold approximately 100 gallons of propane. |
*For simplicity, this article uses the term "tank" to refer to either type of vessel since the terms are synonymous. Statements made about regulators and other industry equipment is not absolute and does not qualify or restrict any device but are used for the sake of a basic discussion.
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Portable Propane using 20# Cylinders and Larger