Are you aware many people in two-tier cities and in villages keep the LPG cylinder in a horizontal position when it is about to get empty? Albeit it has no returning profit, this raises a concern on safety protocols, is it safe to keep the cylinder in a horizontal position?
The gas in the LPG cylinder is liquefied at -10 degrees and compressed inside the bottles. The mixture of methane and butane does not fill the top of the cylinder as some space is left for the formation of vapor inside the cylinder under ambient temperature.
It is hardly noticed that people use LPG cylinders in a horizontal position or are kept in that position in an LPG gas agency and there is a reason for that. Firstly, when the cylinder is laid down and operated it has severe safety hazards, as the liquid due to gravity settles in the lower position of the cylinder, and on the above vapour, formation takes place. When this cylinder is laid down there is not enough space for vapor formation leading to a risk of leakage.
The cylinders are made only for operation in the gas phase, which comes out when the cylinder is kept in an upright position. Using the cylinder in a horizontal position leads to liquid leakage which has its consequences.
If the liquid escapes from the valve to the pipeline instead of vapour can lead to the transition of a liquid to a gaseous state in the pipeline or in the consumer's burner equipment which involves an abrupt and drastic change in volume.
The volume expansion from liquid to gas is 1 to 260. This sudden expansion results in an increase in pressure which is not handled by the equipment as they respond with a process preventing overpressure. This can lead to the destruction of equipment or can cause explosions or fire accidents.
When the cylinder is laid down it leads to leakage to the pipes without the formation of vapour, this accumulates in the pipe, so if there is any defect in the pipe or regulators the gas can spill out and can lead to fire accidents.
Now coming to our very first point using an LPG cylinder in a horizontal position when it becomes empty, is it safe to use it like that? No, it is not safe to use even the empty cylinder in a horizontal position as there is no guarantee that liquid will come from the pipes in vapour form as it can spill out in a liquid state too.
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We at SHIVGAS provide safe-to-use cylinders which are stored in an upright position to avoid any untoward incident. We provide assistance in safety training and support our consumers with on-time doorstep delivery. To get any assistance from our LPG gas agency you can call us at 033-4006-6002 to get expert advice.
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