Why PROPANE is Dangerous?
February 21, 2009 · Print This Article
There’s a reason why propane-fuelled vehicles are banned from underground parking garages. If the gas leaks, a little goes a long way and a minor leak can cause a major explosion.
Propane – the main constituent of the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) widely used as for heating and home barbecues – is heavier than air, meaning it will sink to the ground and stay there. Even a spark can set it off.
Propane tanks, whether they be a 200,000-litre storage unit or a barbecue bottle, contain about 80 per cent liquid with the remaining space for vapour. Relief valves on the tank open when the pressure exceeds the design limits.
The gas that escapes rapidly expands. The liquid contents of an average barbecue tank – could expand to more than 380 cubic metres of potentially explosive gas – enough to cover a parking garage 40 metres by 30. Vehicle propane tanks are usually at least one-and-a-half times as big as a barbecue tank.
Source: www.thestar.com
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