What is the difference between propane and natural gas?
While natural gas occurs in nature as a mixture of methane and other gases, propane is actually a by -product of oil refine and natural gas processing. Natural gas must be cleaned before use, and the by -products of this process include, in addition to Butane, Etan and Pentan, hydrocarbons as a propane. The difference between propane and natural gas in domestic use concerns their energy efficiency, costs, compression, storage and risk factors. However, there is a very small difference in terms of how well in heating, cooking or drying appliances.
Propan provides more energy per unit of volume than natural gas. While propane is usually measured in gallons (or liters), natural gas is found in cubes (or cubic meters). Heat is measured in British thermal units (BTU), which is the amount of heat required to increase the temperature of £ 1 (0.5 kg) of water by 1 ° F (0.56 ° C). When the amount of energy that each produces is compared, they are measured in their gaseous form.The same volume of propane in a gaseous form provides about 2,500 Btu. This means that propane contains about 2.5 times more usable energy content. Therefore, less propane is needed to produce the same amount of energy as natural gas.
said that natural gas tends to be cheaper, up to 1/6 of the cost of propane, depending on the region. However, the costs of costs depend on the prices of local energy companies and propane companies. It is usually necessary to convert gallons (or liters) into cubic traces (or cubic meters) to compare values; 1 American liquid gallon (3,785 liters) equals about 0.133 cubic footprints (0.0037 cubic meters). Tools in colder climate can supply natural gas for less money, especially in the winter months, although some rural areas may not have access to a public company that provides gas. However, in most areas there will be availability and mList laws determining factors.
performance and preference
When using for heating or cooking, most people cannot make a big difference between propane and natural gas. Some grill enthusiasts prefer natural gas because it is a cleaner combustion of fuel, which means that it does not issue so many pollutants into the air. The propane exhaust can affect the taste of food, but it is also considered part of the spell of grilling.
both propane and compressed natural gas (CNG) can also be used to power alternative fuel vehicles. Vehicles that run on both types require fuel to hold special tanks; Many cars are actually bi-inch, which means they have other tanks to hold gasoline. CNG must be maintained at much higher pressure than propane, also called liquid petroleum gas (LPG), so they are often larger and heavier, which can reduce the number of mileage of the vehicle. Vehicles that run on CNG are more expensive than vehicles that use LPG, as well as sets for conversion of vehicles, but natural gas used as fuel costs less. This makes CNG a better choice for vehicles such as buses or taxis, which are a lot on the road.
Storage
One difference in the physical properties of propane and natural gas is how easy they liquefy and are transported. The propane turns into a liquid to -46 ° F (-43 ° C), but when it is under pressure, it remains liquid even at much higher temperatures, allowing it to be stored and transmitted to portable steel tanks that can be purchased at most petrol stations. After the pressure is released, because through the valve on the grilled grill, the propane immediately becomes gas if the temperature is above -44 ° F (-42 ° C). Although most commonly used with portable stoves or grills, propane can also be used as fuel for elements heating.
natural gas can be stored in several forms, including compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG) and in noprimed. In most cases, natural gas is compressed before it can be deposited or transported; In this form, it is much easier to move and extract because it can be pushed by pipes and valves. Although it is most often supplied via a public society using a pipeline, CNG can be inserted into storage tanks for use in places where it cannot be suppressed. The gas in this form is under extremely high pressure, so there is a low risk that storage units could burst if they were not properly maintained.
To change natural gas to liquid (LNG), it must be cooled to -260 ° F (-162 ° C). At such low temperatures, it occupies even less space than CNG, so larger quantities can be inserted into isolated tanks and transported. Although special isolated containers should be used to maintain LNG in liquid form, this type of storage is safer because any leaks evaporates into the air.
Risk Factors
propan is youEducation than air that is heavier than natural gas. Both propane and natural gas will be distracted into the air if they are released in an open environment, and both may pose an explosive risk if they concentrate sufficiently and are ignited. However, because propane is heavier, it tends to fall to the ground, collect and represent a greater explosive risk than natural gas, which tends to rise and distract into the air. CNG, which is stored at very high pressure, is more likely to explode if the storage tanks are damaged.