What is the difference between propane and LP gas?

 

I always thought they were the same thing?

po-tay-toe po-tah-toe


phox

 

same thing,

 

po-tay-toe po-tah-toe

hahahaha anyways propane = LP = liquid propane... same thing

 

Natural gas and propane are quite different.

Quote from another site:

It is not one gas but a mixture of various naturally-occurring gases. The types of gasses in this stew vary from well to well. Natural gas is primarily methane (alias "cow" flatulence), but also contains other flammable gases such as propane, butane, carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The main uses for natural gas in homes are for heating, hot water, clothes drying and cooking.

Propane is extracted from natural gas, and is one of the so-called LP gases. 'LP' is an acronym for "liquefied petroleum". Many years ago, it was found that propane could be turned into a liquid, or "liquefied", under fairly low pressure. This quality allows shipping and storage of large volumes of propane gas in relatively small containers. Other gases can also be liquefied, but propane is by far the most common LP gas. Because of this the terms LP gas and propane are often used interchangeably.

Propane is the fuel commonly used for portable appliances such as gas grills, stoves, lanterns, soldering guns and heaters. However, homes without access to natural gas can install large LP tanks outside and pipe the gas in for use with stationary appliances. Because of the consistency of the product, LP gas appliances can be designed to be more efficient than natural gas appliances. The portability of the fuel makes LP gas accessible to a wider number of people.

Because all homes do not have access to natural gas, many manufacturers design their products to use LP gas instead.

 

There ya go.

I also thought LP=Liquid Propane and LNG=Liquid Natural Gas
Pertaining to alternate fuels for vehicles.


phox

 

I used to work for our local gas company.........they run their vehicle fleet on LNG (methane). You dont want to drive a LNG vehicle......you can walk faster than those things go. Propane power vehicles are bad enough.

 

One question is answered but opens up another one. Is there a difference between LP gas (liquified petroleum gas) and LNG (liquified natural gas)? The reason I brought this up, is in a JC Whitney ad they state, "Propane can also be used, but the power increase will not be as constant as the LP gas." Here's a link to the ad.

 

Sorry I didn't read this carefully before posting my previous demonstration of my ADD.

 

JCWhitney doesn't know what they're talking about - big surprise there, huh? From what I can gather, what they actually are trying to say is that the system is designed to be fed liquid propane rather than vapor. The vapor pressure in a propane tank varies with usage and outside temperature, so the amount of propane fed to the engine would vary if the system was supplied with vapor, with liquid it would be much more stable. I would not install this system without a temperature switch in the coolant line through the regulator. They are relying on the coolant to vaporize the propane, which is fine if the engine is warmed up. If you forget and leave the system switched on with a cold engine you would get liquid propane in your engine, which would cause a runaway and maybe a blown head gasket. I don't like this system at all.

 

- Propane (LP) has three carbon atoms and 8 hydrogen atoms [C3H8] - often propane is a mixture of propane, ethane (C2H6), and methane (CH4)

- Methane (LNG) has one carbon atom and three hydrogen atoms [CH4]

during combustion the bonds between the carbons and the hydrogens are broken to yield energy + carbon dioxide + water. The more C-H bonds you have, the more energy is released.

 

Whats the diffrence between CNG and LNG?

 

LNG is a cryogenic and is either liquified at around 350 below zero or under some 2600 pounds of pressure. NG is lighter than air and will rise when released.

LP is liquified at near 15 pounds of pressure and when released is heavier than air and will stay at the lowest areas.

Used to truck LNG for about six years.

Incidentially there is more energy in methane (natural gas) than there is in propane. But it is harder to control and not easy to handle.

LNG released on the desert floor in a four inch stream will make an island of ice and a lot of clouds of vapor. Now how did I know that

 

I've got my multi-certificate for LPG and CNG. I used to install and inspect propane and natural gas systems on vehicles. LPG is a liquid that boils at -44*f and is 1.5x heavier than air. When filled in an automotive system the liquid is pressureized in the tank around 250-375PSI. It enters a lock-off, then 2 stage vapourizer and reduces the pressure to about 4 PSI and exits to the mixer (CARBURETOR) as a vapour.
CNG is basically the same idea except it's compressed in a tank at 2500PSI and exits to the engine as a lighter than air vapour.

Propane has a higher BTU than Gasoline but has a longer burn rate. That's why all duel fuel vehicles have a dual curve timing module to advance the timing about 10 degrees when operating on LPG. With LPG burning slower, you have to advance the timing to have all the gasses burn't before the exhaust valve opens.
LPG also burns HOTTER in the cylinder than gasoline (because it's a vapour and a liquid which actually cools an engine) and it is always highly recommended to have hardened valves and seats in any LPG converted vehicle. Since most low octane fuels and low sulfer fuels are commonly used (UNLEADED), All manufacturers used hardened valves and seats now anyway. That wasn't the case years ago.

 

to throw a bolt into the discussion.

the low power/poor fuel enconomy of propane is due to engines being built to run on pump gas. if the engine was built to a 13.5+:1 compression ratio, the power and fuel economy would be equal for the same amout of liquid fuel. as propane and alcohol have a octain of 125.

i've seen engines built to use these fuels getting approx the same power as an engine built at 9:1 for pump gas, and with the alcohol the engines having more power. also the oil stays much cleaner. a business i used to work for, had a delivery truck with over 200,000 miles on it and only had three oil changes sense new, the oil stayed clean. i fixed a valve cover leak on the truck and the inside of the cover was like new, and this was on a chevy.
the largest constraint with using propane and alcohol is the availability of fuel and with propane a tank large enough for trips with unknown supply sources.