LPG is also known as Liquefied Petroleum Gas. It is called LPG in short form. This type of gas is extracted from crude oil like all fossil fuels and it is a non-renewable source of energy. LPG is another clean energy with no pollution to the atmosphere.
LPG in part of the fractional distillation of petroleum products. This form of separating techniques helps extracts crude oil and natural gas. Inside a refinery, this technique is used to make liquid pure by heating it until it becomes a gas, then cooling it and collected the drops liquid that forms.
In a country like Nigeria, where non of the oil refineries we have are functioning, the only option for the federal government of Nigeria is exporting the fossil fuel (petroleum product) to other countries such as Russia, USA or the Saudi Arabia for extraction. And in most cases, unfortunately, only the natural gas is imported back as a byproduct.
The main composition of LPG are hydrocarbons containing three or four carbon atoms. The normal components of LPG are Propane (C3H8) and Butane (C4H10) chemical structure. Depending on the country, the source of the LPG and how it is produced, are determined by each countries oil and gas regulatory bodies. Here in Nigeria, the combination of Butane and Propane are used at different proportions.
Don't be confused, LPG is a gas with atmospheric pressure and normal temperature, relating to the surrounding area, but it can be liquefied when moderate pressure is applied (as seen when refilling a gas cylinder bottle), or when the temperature is sufficiently reduced. It can be easily changed from a gas into liquid. This process is known as condensation - to make a gas change into liquid. Physics 101 made us to understand that steam condenses into water when it cools. Most times if you notice, during refilling, both sides of your gas cylinder (outer body) goes into freezing state for some seconds or minutes. The steam (LPG) is condensed rapidly by injecting moderate pressure or when the temperature is sufficiently reduced (a freezing state). If a liquid condenses or you condense it, it becomes thicker and stronger because it has lost some of its water.
Normally, LPG is stored in liquid form under pressure in side a condenser. A condenser is a device that cools gas in order to change it into a liquid. LPG is stored under pressure in a steel container, cylinder or tank. The pressure inside the container are released when LPG is in use. Some of the liquid LPG then boils to produce a mass of very small drops of liquid in the air; known as vapour. This process is called VAPORIZATION; as to turn something into gas.
As explained earlier, LPG depends on heat from its surroundings to be able to convert back into gasous state. When you start using your LPG cylinder/tank, as the liquid boils, it draws the heat energy from its surroundings. This explains why your gas cylinder bottles may feel cold to touch, and also why you see ice or steam appears on the container. As you now know that much pressure is needed to convert the liquid to vapour (known as the Latent Heat Of Vaporization), the pressure of the LPG in the gas cylinder varies and much higher than it is needed for use, so it needs to be controlled to ensure a steady supply at constant pressure. And this is done by a REGULATOR; which limits the pressure to suit the appliance that is being used. There are two types of regulators used for the control of LPG in Nigeria, for home use or commercial use. They are Low Pressure Regulator and High Pressure Regulator.
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LPG Gas In Nigeria