Development of a PA-13 A Production Process

Abstract

PA-13 A (Propane-Air 13 A gas), which is made by diluting propane gas with air to give a calorific value of 62.8 MJ/m³, is very useful as town gas in medium-sized cities. This paper reports a newly developed, streamlined production process of PA-13 A which requires less energy and labor input than the conventional production process. An indispensable component in the new plant is the mixer used to dilute LPG with air. The mixer selected was a Venturi tube type mixer which did not require any power. The characteristics of the mixer were determined by testing a 1/2 scale prototype. Test results showed stable mixing characteristics that met or exceeded the specifications desired, and sufficient pressure to feed the production tank was maintained. These results indicated that it was possible to use the mixer in the production process of PA-13 A. Based on the present findings and those of previous work, the authors developed, built, and commenced operation of a new PA-13 A production plant consisting of an LPG storage tank, an LPG vaporizer heated by the wind, a Venturi tube type mixer, and a PA-13 A storage tank. This plant, having the capacity to supply gas to around 10,000 households, consists of fewer main and incidental facilities. It was verified that the facility and operation costs were much lower than the former PA-13 A plant and LNG-13 A plants supplying LNG.