Combustion of LPG 

Abstract

Liquefied Petroleum Gas Combustion

General

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG or LP-gas) consists of propane, propylene, butane, and

butylenes; the product used for domestic heating is composed primarily of propane. This gas, obtained

mostly from gas wells (but also, to a lesser extent, as a refinery by-product) is stored as a liquid under

moderate pressures. There are three grades of LPG available as heating fuels: commercial-grade

propane, engine fuel-grade propane (also known as HD-5 propane), and commercial-grade butane. In

addition, there are high-purity grades of LPG available for laboratory work and for use as aerosol

propellants. 

The largest market for LPG is the domestic/commercial market, followed by the chemical

industry (where it is used as a petrochemical feedstock) and the agriculture industry. Propane is also

used as an engine fuel as an alternative to gasoline and as a standby fuel for facilities that have

interruptible natural gas service contracts.

Firing Practices

The combustion processes that use LPG are very similar to those that use natural gas. Use of

LPG in commercial and industrial applications may require a vaporizer to provide the burner with the

proper mix of air and fuel. The burner itself will usually have different fuel injector tips as well as

different fuel-to-air ratio controller settings than a natural gas burner since the LPG stoichiometric

requirements are different than natural gas requirements. LPG is fired as a primary and backup fuel in

small commercial and industrial boilers and space heating equipment and can be used to generate heat

and process steam for industrial facilities and in most domestic appliances that typically use natural

gas.

Keywords: 1 Chemistry of Oxidation Reactions 6, 3 Hydrocarbon Flames 6, 2 COMBUSTION OF GASES 6, 1 Premixed and Diffusion Flames 6, 2 The Bunsen Burner 6, 3 Combustion Characteristics of Gases 6, 4 Interchangeability Concepts, Petroleum industry