To:

Bill Bliss
Howard Wilson

Date: 22 February 2005

From: Steve Manuel

cc:

Henry Schmitt
Norm Christopher

Subject: Minimum propane supply specifications

Over the past 6 months we have discovered and mostly overcome several problems
associated with the dealers propane supplies. To overcome the problems, we have had
to do some research and are now prepared to propose some minimum requirements for
future propane installations. If local codes dictate more stringent requirements, then local
codes should prevail.
Propane Supply Tanks
Because of our inability to get adequate heat from our 970,000 BTU / hour boiler at
Guadalajara, and because Guadalajara installed the smallest propane tank to date (1,671
liters), we searched for a Propane Vaporization Capacity chart which we found at
www.elyenergy.com. Vaporizing propane requires approximately 150 BTU / lb. This
heat must be conducted through the walls of the tank so tank size and surface area
become more important in sizing the tank than how often the tank has to be refilled.
500 Gallon Above Ground Tank (1,893 liters)
% of container
Propane Vaporization Capacity in BTUs / Hour
Filled
at 0 F
at 20 F
60
426,900
853,800 (less than 970k)
50
383,376
766,752
40
341,120
682,240
30
298,480
596,960
20
255,840
511,680
10
191,880
383,760
Our conclusion is that there is not enough propane vaporizing in the Guadalajara tank at
cooler temperatures or as the tank level drops to support a 970,000 BTU / hour boiler.
Please note that on the way to drawing this conclusion, we have exhausted several other
possibilities, including replacing the regulator on the boiler once, and replacing the
shops regulator twice (two different capacities). From the same www.elyenergy.com
website we found the following:

1000 Gallon Above Ground Tank (3,785 liters)

% of container
Propane Vaporization Capacity in BTUs / Hour
Filled
at 0 F
at 20 F
60
799,500
1,599,000
50
720,000
1,440,000
40
640,000
1,280,000
30
560,000
1,120,000
20
480,000
960,000
10
360,000
720,000
Based on the above, in areas where the temperature is not expected to fall below 20 F
we propose that the minimum tank size be specified as 1,000 gallons or 3,785 liters.
In areas where the temperature is expected to fall below 20 F we propose that the
minimum tank capacity be specified as 2 tanks of 1,000 gallons each (7,570 total
liters). It is acknowledged that the tables above were derived for a particular tank of
some unknown length and width and that tests on a tank with the same capacity but a
different length to width ratio would have somewhat different heat transfer rates, but this
is the best information that we have at this time. It is also acknowledged that the heat
transfer with a battery of small tanks ( ex. 6 tanks in Hollywood) would add even another
variable. All things considered, we still propose the minimum capacity as stated above.
Regulators
We have also had difficulties with the regulators supplied by the shops. In Hermosillo,
the owners contractor installed a regulator that was designed for air, not propane. The
regulator failed this month as the propane attacked the internal components. Even after
we found the problem and had the shop correct it, the shop still had to deal with nonconforming cures and the hassle associated with them. Accordingly, we ask that all
regulators be specified as being designed for propane.
In addition, some owners contractors have not been able to translate our BTU / hour and
pressure requirements into the correct regulator. Example: the contractor at Astro Llantas
installed a regulator with a 10 PSIg inlet pressure rating on a propane system that can
have up to 250 PSIg in the system. We propose that the minimum inlet pressure
rating be 250 PSIg (17.5 kg / sq cm). We further propose that the minimum of the
outlet pressure range be 0 PSIg. The maximum of the outlet pressure range should
be between 15 PSIg and 35 PSIg. This is necessary to achieve proper regulation when
adjusting at the lower end of the pressure range.
In addition, we must have a minimum flow through the regulator. We propose that the
minimum inlet and outlet size of the regulator be specified as 1/2 . We also propose
that the transition from the outlet side of the regulator to the 1 pipe be
completed within 6 of the outlet of the regulator, and that the transition does not
have any restriction less than .

Stack Height and Opening Size at the rain cap

Adequate draft is specified by the boiler manufacturer as .02 inches of water when the
system is completely cold. This is necessary to keep CO levels in a safe range (<600
ppm absolute maximum and <300ppm preferred) and to keep the combustion gases and
flame from being blown down the stack and into the room. Based on our experiences to
date, we propose that the stack height be a minimum of 10 above the roof where the
stack penetrates the roof, and at least 4 above the highest structure within 30 of
the stack. If draft is still less than .02 inches of water with this stack height, we may
have to go higher or add a stack fan. The second component of adequate draft is the
opening size at the rain cap. We propose that the minimum vertical clearance
between the end of the stack and the rain cap be 8.
Boiler Size
Boiler capacity decreases by 4% per 1,000 feet of elevation. It remains to be seen
whether or not we can get enough heat from a 970,000 BTU / hour boiler to support a 25
tire chamber at 5,000 feet of elevation in Guadalajara. The next larger size is 1,140,000
BTU / hour and can be made to fit or retrofit on our existing skid. The additional cost of
the boiler is ~ $2,000. Based on whether or not we are eventually successful in
Guadalajara with a 970,000 BTU / hour boiler, we will probably need to talk about boiler
size on any future high elevation shop installations.