Fuel tanks and delivery lines

How do you deal with tank freezing issues? I have to dunk my bbq tanks in warm/hot water to keep them at the right pressure to melt.

 

Yeah hmm. We had some huge tanks of propane that we used to hear the pool but I had always thought they would freeze over for furnace use. But now you say they don't so hmmmm. Makes me wonder if using large tanks is the better way to go. Bbq tanks are so pricey to refill. I use 1 per hr with my furnace. That's 15 bucks per hr to run and then about half per hr a tank to heat my gas kiln. So like 20 bucks an hour. And I usually run for 2 to 3 hrs with a large batch of casting.

 

The amount of cooling depends on the amount propane discharged and is independent of tank size however since a larger tank has more thermal mass to begin with, the temperature drop is less, also the larger surface area of the tank means it can absorb more heat from its surrounding further offsetting the cooling effect. Net result, bigger is better.

 

Today I got a chance to actually test the blower line pressure. 7 psi at the end of a 25 foot line. So I’m pretty confident that I wouldn’t blow up the jerrycans, so I made up of aluminum two little inlet/outlet. On the backside of the outlet there is a quick connect and a 1/4” copper waterline straw.

The jerrycan capacity is 20 L (5.3 gallons).

 

Propane SUCKS! No two ways about it. Tried to burn some burgers on a grill today and the regulator kept freezing up. Total pain in the ass. Too bad diesel doesn't taste better.

 

Now there's an idea OMM. I like it.

I like propane. Very clean and not fussy. But it is expensive compared to other methods. It would be nice to have a larger tank that doesn't freeze up or access to natural gas...

 

Thanks Zapins. I’m trying to keep everything as portable possible. The yellow can, I can easily fill up but any filling station. The blue can is specified for kerosene, I couldn’t find any container saying WO or WVO(Lol). The neat part for me is a container cost $20 and the fittings maybe another $20. But now, I can label everything blue and yellow, and maybe white air.

I too like propane. It is clean, lighter than air, evaporates by itself and very controllable. But as a fuel source it is not cheap, The tanks are not cheap, The fuel freezes under high loads (with small tanks) unless you put them in a garbage pail of water. and, propane filling stations are not always close. I have two propane stations pretty close to my home location (maybe 10 minute drive). But my other property which is in the middle of the sticks is about a half hour drive to the nearest propane filling station.

I wish natural gas was delivered with more than a 1/4 psi. I too would be thinking natural gas. I have a half inch natural gas line in my shop, it is under a 40 foot run, (calculated) it has the ability to deliver 52,000 BTU. I use this to heat my shop in the winter with a 30,000 BTU radiant heater. A standalone propane tank that is 10 feet away from the torch can get almost 275,000 BTU through a half inch line.

With an endless source of free WVO, I just need to find a in, at the local International airport for jet fuel. My closest airport is about a 15 minute drive.

 

Here we call them FBO's (Fixed base Operators). Usually mom and pop small business that cater to the private crowd. They usually sell 100low lead for the piston guys and jet-A for the rest of us. Ask to buy their sump fuel, chances are they are drowning in it and will give it away. Here is a site you might be able to locate an fbo near you.
https://skyvector.com/airports/Canada/Ontario

Don't screw with the airline guys, they will probably not help you.

 

CYOO is my local close to home Oshawa
CYPQ I think is my Peterborough

Oshawa I go up with a buddy in a Cessna.
Peterborough I am getting ultralight flight lessons.

 

CYPQ looks like your best bet. Doesn't appear to be much at CYOO.

Take a drive and find these guys. I bet a lineguy there will hook you up. Skip the dingbat behind the counter.
http://www.stewartaviation.ca/aircraft-support/

I'm not sure about Flying Colours there. Looks a little too upscale but I did see fuel trucks from the sat photo so there's hope.

 

I'm surprised you don't have a RB211 turbojet mounted on a test stand along with a gas turbine APU just for occasional recreational use

 

I heard a story about a pumped waste oil burner setup: it ran fine for the first couple of crucibles of brass and was shut off using a ball valve with the furnace hot while the crucible was refilled. At that point the fuel nozzle blocked, possibly from coking and pressure built up in the copper fuel line from the heat around the nozzle. As soon as the ball valve was opened, the pressurized boiling oil was forced in reverse back through the fuel pump and back into the fuel tank. No damage occurred but there was potential for a hot oil explosion, I have some brass pressure relief valves and I plan to fit one with a T piece and route the vent pipe a safe distance away. It was a combination of extended furnace use and a blocked nozzle that caused the issue.

 

Kelly, you have a point. The maximum pressure is 7 psi. It is a fan, that I will be using as well to provide combustion air. My only thought was the Diesel fumes being compressed. I might not even use it on the diesel side of things. Diesel flow wasn’t my problem. As for the waste vegetable oil, it would really suck having to clean up 5 gallons in my grass if something went really wrong. One thing I never did, is check there is some kind of government mandatory test for them being able to hold a certain pressure. I’ll test one out today empty.

I do not believe all Jerry cans are made equal, but here is some testing. The only thing I could find on the net is Containers for caring fuels must have a minimum of 100 KPA operational pressure containment. (The military spect ones 250 KPA)

 

I don't mean to be negative, but you are comparing a grapefruit to a peach (worse than an apple to orange).

Your two plastic (HDPE?) fuel containers are not Jerry cans. Jerry cans are steel. And the Wavian brand Jerry cans in the video also meet the specs for the armed forces from several different NATO countries. I would wager to bet that most steal "Jerry cans" coming in from China wouldn't come close to meeting those same specs.

 

The ones I’m using are made by Scepter manufactured in Toronto Canada. They probably don’t have the same quality as US-made ones. But, they do make the military green plastic one too.

 

I did an empty test today. I let it fully reach the 7 psi (three times). Even though the Jerry Can, can hold that pressure and returned to its normal shape. It puffed up quite a bit..., More than I was comfortable with. So it was a loss in my books.
Here is the side-by-side comparison. So back to the drawing board.

 

WHoops... Do you need 7psi? Will it work at something less like 3psi?

 

If you could lift your tank 20 feet high / 6 metres, you'd get over 7 PSI.