Alternate Energy Systems manufactures liquid Propane/Butane Vaporizers with capacities from 168 GPH (322 kg/h) to 14,000+ GPH (28,000+ kg/h). To meet the requirements of customers and particular applications around the world, we are employing a variety of design concepts and configurations. The heat source can be hot water (Water Bath Vaporizers; Circulating Hot-Water Vaporizer) or steam (Steam Vaporizers). The vaporizers are manufactured to the rigid codes of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the latest edition of NFPA #58 and/or #59, and most are approved for Factory Mutual (FM) or Industrial Risk Insurers (IRI) installations, in addition to approvals by Canadian Standards Association (CSA), American Gas Association (AGA), and Canadian Gas Association (CGA). European CE Approval, including ATEX, PED, and other applicable Directives, is available for all Water Bath Vaporizers.
As a manufacturer, we go far beyond the requirements and codes and are continually working to produce equipment with the most modern engineering techniques available.
Water Bath Vaporizers - WB-Series
with "SMART" Liquid Carryover Protection
- 08-Series: 168 gph to 508 gph (322 kg/h to 975 kg/h)
- 05-Series: 455 gph to 10,005 gph (873 kg/h to 20,000 kg/h)
- For Propane, Butane, and other LPG
- Forced Draft Power Burners
- Low-Fire/High-Fire Modulation (05-series)
- Burners are LP-fired or Natural Gas fired
- Small Footprint, High Efficiency
- Conforms to ASME, NFPA, FM, IRI, CSA, CE, PED
- Heavy-Gauge Steel Construction
- All-Welded Design
- Walk-In Control Room or Maintenance House
- PLC-Controls with First-Out Monitor (Alarm History)
- Graphic TrendLine recording 96 hours in local memory, over 2 years on standard flash memory (included)
- Color LCD Touch Screen
- Safety Rated PLC or stand-alone Controller
- Remote Monitoring and Control via built-in VNC server
(open-license VNC client software included) - Option: Integration with LP/Air Blenders for Standby Systems and PeakShaving Systems
- Option: High-Pressure up to 400+ psi
- Option: Multi-Language Operator Interface
Steam Vaporizers - VSV-Series
with "SMART" Liquid Carryover Protection
- Capacities from 200 gph to 20,000+ gph (390 kg/h to 40,000 kg/h)
- For Propane, Butane, and other LPG
- Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchanger
- ASME "U"-stamped
- Ex-proof Class I, Div 1, Group D
- Small Footprint, High Efficiency
- PLC Controls with First-Out Monitor (Alarm History)
- Local Start/Stop Station
- Dual Liquid Carryover Protection with "Smart" Liquid Carryover Function and Ultrasonic Liquid Level Control
- UL stamped external Relief Valve
- All-welded Liquid Inlet Assembly
- Flanged Steam Inlet with Steam Flow Control Valve, Strainer, Back-Check, and Full Port Ball Valves
- Option: Skid Mounting
- Option: Remote Monitoring and Operation
- Option: Integration with LPG/Air Mixers for Standby Systems and PeakShaving Systems
- Option: High-Pressure up to 400+ psi
- Option: Multi-Language Operator Interface
Circulating Hot-Water Vaporizers - VWB-Series
with "SMART" Liquid Carryover Protection
- Capacities from 200 gph to 20,000+ gph (390 kg/h to 40,000 kg/h)
- For Propane, Butane, and other LPG
- Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchanger
- ASME "U"-stamped
- Ex-proof Class I, Div 1, Group D
- Small Footprint, High Efficiency
- PLC Controls with First-Out Monitor (Alarm History)
- Local Start/Stop Station
- Dual Liquid Carryover Protection with "Smart" Liquid Carryover Function and Ultrasonic Liquid Level Control
- UL stamped external Relief Valve
- All-welded Liquid Inlet Assembly
- Flanged Hot-Water Inlet with Strainer, Back-Check, and Full Port Ball Valves
- Option: Skid Mounting
- Option: Remote Monitoring and Operation
- Option: Integration with LPG/Air Mixers for Standby Systems and PeakShaving Systems
- Option: High-Pressure up to 400+ psi
- Option: Multi-Language Operator Interface
WHAT IS A PROPANE/BUTANE/LPG VAPORIZER ?
LPG (Propane, Butane, or Propane/Butane Mixture) at ambient pressure (above its boiling point temperature) is a gas that is stored in pressurized containers (tanks) in liquid form. The space in the tank that is not filled with liquid is occupied by vapor. As this vapor is being used as fuel for connected equipment (burners, heaters, etc.), liquid LPG must vaporize (boil) to occupy the space above the liquid.
Any time a change of state (boiling) occurs, energy is required. If the ambient temperature is above the boiling point of the LPG (Propane -44°F / -42°C; Butane 32°F / 0°C at ambient pressure; see chart for the boiling temperature of LPG at various pressures), this energy is transferred in the form of heat from the ambient air through the steel walls of the storage tank, into the LPG. As the heat is transferred from the ambient air to the vaporization process, the ambient air "looses" this energy and cools down.
The amount of heat that is transferred into the LPG determines the rate of vaporization. As the ambient air cools down, the rate of vaporization slows down, and stops completely when the ambient air is at the same temperature as the boiling point of the LPG. Therefore, naturally occurring vaporization cannot be used for large gas loads, or in low ambient temperatures.
A vaporizer is designed to receive liquid LPG from the storage tanks and raise its temperature (heat the liquid) well above the boiling point at the delivery pressure. In other words, a vaporizer generates the (heat) energy that is required to maintain the gaseous state of the LPG.
There are two major types of propane vaporizers: Vaporizers that utilize a small portion of the vaporized LPG as fuel for a burner that supplies the heat for the vaporization process (i.e. Water Bath Vaporizers); and vaporizers that use an outside source of heat, such as steam or hot water, to vaporize the propane.