Understanding LPG Vaporization Stations: The Role in Industrial & Commercial Settings

Liquified Petroleum Gas or LPG, has been popular for quite a while, and this is owing to its relative safety and versatile nature that makes it usable both at home and in industrial settings. For the gas to be used, however, it has to go from a liquid to a gaseous state and that is where having an LPG vaporization station comes in, according to I-Maximum.

With such a unit, LPG can be turned from liquid to gas in a safe and efficient way that doesn’t slow processes down, which is exactly what people in Industrial settings want. Let’s explore the stations in question, delving into the specifics of what makes them ideal for use in industry.

Defining the stations

As hinted at in the introduction, vaporization stations are units installed in a facility that turns the LPG that’s held in tanks into the actual gas that can be used. The nature of these units from the most basic level, is that the LPG flows into the pressurized cylinders they’re held in.

The stations contain a heat source, usually a boiler, which is responsible for turning the LPG into its usable gaseous form. This occurs after the LPG enters the station via pipes, which come into contact with the heat, and turn the liquid into gas.

Why they’re used

The interesting thing about vaporization is that it happens naturally within the pressurized cylinders they’re held in. The problem with this way of going about things I’d that it isn’t particularly efficient or safe, as the two things that affect the heating of the gas are:

• The ambient heat of the environment, which needs to be hot enough to boil the LPG
• The size of the cylinder needs to have enough surface area to produce gas

General usage description

However, because natural vaporization depends especially on ambient heat, it can limit how much vapor can be produced. This is most evident in the freeze or frost build-up that can occur on these tanks, a result of the ambient heat being less than what is being used to vaporize the LPG. This is only amplified by the loss of pressure in the cylinders and the amalgamation of these effects can cause unwanted consequences such as the aforementioned freezing effect, as well as re-condensation.

None of the above are ideal, especially in industrial settings, as production losses result, which is why artificial heat sources like vaporizers are useful. With them at an organization’s side, pretty much all the above potential risks are mitigated, while also avoiding the following:

• The need for additional tanks to increase surface area, which is costly, and may slow activity
• The additional cost of more refills of LPG
• The tenancy for local codes to restrict the addition of extra cylinders

Their place in the industrial world

LPG is quiet popular. Per say, thousands of barrels of LPG are used globally every day, and this is both commercial and domestic. However, for this piece, we have to look at the industrial element, and when we do, it’s clear that the gas and the stations allowing for their use remain versatile.

That said, certain vaporizers are most suitable for particular industries, and therefore the type of vaporizer will often influence where it is used. Below are a few vaporizer types that we’ll look at, after which, we will get into them in detail as well as where their presence is most suitable:

The electrical stations

Vaporizers of the electric variety pretty much use electricity as the source of heat through which the LPG turns into vapor. The Liquefied Petroleum Gas vaporization station of this kind is especially useful for industries because it can allow for installation directly next to cylinders, which helps with space maximization.

The dry stations

Dry stations are mostly dependent on gas burners at the bottom of the unit that allow for vaporization. They are the vaporizer concept in its simplest form, and they see usage in a host of industries ranging from tobacco drying to chicken farming.

The water bath stations

When you look at examples of the standard LPG vaporization stations out there, chances are that they contain the water bath method or something akin to it. The idea behind these is that the station has in it an enclosed container that houses water, or heat transfer solution; heated up by a burner at the bottom. In this container, and by proxy, in the heated water/solution, is a coil through which the LPG flows.

As it does this, vaporization occurs, thereby allowing for consumption. The stations of this kind are especially useful for larger venues that have varying functionality, which is why they’re perfect for the hospitality business.

Features to look out for

The standard water bath LPG vaporization station will also come with features that add to your convenience. These include a host of regulatory features that allow you to rest relatively easily. Among them are pressure regulators such as two varieties for the boilers.

Accompanying these regulators are also a host of safety features that further keep you in a state of calm. One that would be particularly useful would be the gas alert system that should give you warnings of both the audible, and visual kind in case there is a leakage of LPG.

The above features may come with the station or, at the very least, are installed with them. If you are going to use these devices, they should come fully equipped for functionality, and safety.

Final thoughts

Because of the versatility and relative safety of LPG, people would do well to have the corresponding stations, especially in industrial settings. This is because a station with LPG vaporization covers certain bases that your typical natural vaporization method will not. These could be in the form of freezing, re-condensation, or spacing issues that lead to high costs and overall inefficiency.

The stations in question, depending on specifications such as capacity and type, will allow for constant vaporization without loss of pressure. This is more than perfect for industries, which want to be in production throughout, with little to no losses.