Propane in all its glory.
What is propane? Most of us don’t really know how to answer that question. All we care to know about it is that we cook with it outside on the grill and that Hank Hill, the star of Mike Judge’s animated classic King of the Hill, is a proud and ardent provider of propane and propane accessories. Proposed in the following pages are a few examples and a short history of the manufacture of propane and of its use in homes, food service industries around the world and as a short term solution to the environmental problems caused by gasoline and diesel.
Propane was discovered by a U.S.
Propane is a hydrocarbon (C3H8) and is sometimes referred to as liquefied petroleum gas, LP-gas, or LPG. Propane is produced from both natural gas processing and crude oil refining, in roughly equal amounts from each source. Most propane used in the United States
In order for propane to be stored and transported, it is kept under extremely high pressure so that it stays in liquid form. It has a boiling point of about −44C° to 0C° or (−47F° to 32F°). Because of the high pressure in which propane is kept, heavy steel containers are needed to store it. Besides cooking, some of propane’s other uses include heating, powering vehicles and even outdoor lighting. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia states that LPG is an attractive fuel for internal-combustion engines; because it burns with little air pollution and little solid residue, it does not dilute lubricants, and it has a high octane rating (CEE 6th Edition).
In an article appearing on LP/Gas, contributing editor James E. Guyette writes, “Hot demand for outdoor living products such as propane-fueled grills has 20 pound cylinders rolling off the exchange racks and several companies are now serving up tank delivery services (28).” As the increase in the use of propane products rise, the demand for a more convenient way to exchange empty tanks also rises. This leads to more companies setting up exchange racks around. Some of them have even gone to the lengths of offering propane delivery services. All the consumer has to do is call the number and they will dispatch a truck with full and empty cylinders to your house and their trained employees will exchange and set up your new tank.
Propane also has a place in the transportation field. An article about the tax advantages of a propane fueled school bus fleet in an effort to go green, published in the CPA Journal, authors Bruce A. Leauby and Jack Zook, write that “The recent increase in gasoline and diesel fuel prices is wreaking havoc on the transportation budgets of school districts and independent bus contractors. Rising fuel prices, coupled with new emissions standards scheduled to take effect, present a challenge for fleet managers (51).” A new “propane powered” bus introduces the chance for school district as well as operators to take advantage of the tax credits being awarded by the government for upgrading their fleets to meet the new emissions standards that have taken effect or will take effect by the end of the year. They continue to write that according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) studies show that propane “produces 30%-90% less carbon monoxide and 50% fewer toxins and other smog-producing emissions” than gasoline. Propane is also non-toxic. That means that its not harmful to humans and it wont contaminate soil and water sources. It also has a higher octane rating (104-112) than gasoline (87-92) and due to this, the engine’s efficiency is raised, the “service life” of the engine is extended. In turn fewer trips to the garage for engine maintenance are made.
In another example of how propane is in line to help small businesses become “greener”, Ron Hall, editor at large for Landscape Management, writes about a small landscaping business in one suburb of Chicago who’s owner, Eric Hansen, has been field testing propane fueled hand held gear and mowers for the past 3 years. Mr. Hansen sees “Four benefits to propane versus gasoline” when it comes to landscaping equipment. Lesser amounts of emissions from the mowers, burns cleaner than gasoline and there is less maintenance, less noise pollution from his equipment and finally money is saved (Hall 15). Hansen continues to suggest that “Landscape companies should be looking for green initiatives that they can adopt. Using propane is something that we can do (Hall 15).” This makes perfect sense if you happen to use the services of a landscaping company in your home town. Less noise coming in from the outside and since the company is saving money then they can afford to charge less for their services and pass on those savings to their customer base. The article continues to state that “Texas is the hottest market in the U.S.
Propane is not the answer to all of our energy needs. We know that. Fossil fuels, like petroleum and natural gas are not going to last forever. There is plenty of evidence and studies that have been pointing that out for years now. But what propane does offer is a shortening of the gap from fossil fueled based transportation and heating needs to a complete source of renewable energy. There will still be a need for propane once our dependency on fossil fuels decreases over the next few years and decades.
Well then why do we still use propane for grilling if we know its not a renewable source? The answer is simple: Convenience. It is convenient for me to use one of the two propane grills at my home. That’s part of why I have been grilling most of my meals for the last 30 days. My meals have been less greasy and they taste better. What ever it is that makes our lives here a little bit easier, that’s always what we are going to choose. We use charcoal to grill also, but in the end, it always takes longer than with propane. Unless you want to get dirty with the coals or perhaps risk the loss of arm hairs, stirring the coals over and over just to get the heat evened out, propane is the way to go. Temperature control is a breeze, most modern gas grills today look like something designed by NASA space engineers, with extra countertop burners on the side and all sorts of other fancy things. No ashes to clean up afterwards either. Perhaps my favorite aspect of the gas grill is 1 button push ignition. No more looking around for that long lighter or rolling up a piece of newspaper to light the burners with. Just turn the knob, push on that fantastical little red button and in 4 minutes you can begin to enjoy the art of grilling.
Works Cited.
1. “The Basics of Propane.” Propane Education and Research Council. <http://www.usepropane.com/what-is-propane/propane-basics/>. 25th Oct 2010.
2. Columbia
3. Guyette, James E. “BBQ Cooking with Cylinder sales and delivery.” LP/Gas; Aug2007, Vol. 67 Issue 8, p28-28, 2/3p, Masterfile Premire Web. 25th Oct. 2010.
4. Hall, Ron. “Can Gas Remain King?” Landscape Management, Aug2010, Vol. 49 Issue 8, p14-25, Masterfile Premire Web. 25th Oct 2010.
5. Leauby, Bruce A., Zook, Jack. “Going Green with Propane School
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