LPG vs Propane -Z45 Genie lift

[Hartlyboiy]

Just bought a Genie lift [Z45] with dual fuel capability. it has 578 hours on it and is currently using a LPG tank as the fuel source. Runs good and I think I want to continue with that fuel arrangement but the local gas suppliers say propane is just as good as LPG but I'm skeptical. I know propane is a major element in LPG, but should I insist on chasing down a supply of true LPG?

 

[willie59]

Well, I'm no expert on this, but the word "local supplier" seems important here, for your convenience at least. There's not a big difference in the performance of propane vs LPG. Give it a try, stick a tank of propane on your machine and see how it performs. If it performs well, no need to go outside of your local suppliers for a source of fuel.

 

[Birken Vogt]

Having worked in the industry. It is 2 names for the same thing. A semi truck pulls up to the rack and they fill it with whatever the refinery is making. It passes through a burner and burns.

Engine applications are rare so they really don't care about engines. And 80% of my volume is LPG engines. They all run fine on whatever you feed them.

 

[Hartlyboiy]

Having worked in the industry. It is 2 names for the same thing. A semi truck pulls up to the rack and they fill it with whatever the refinery is making. It passes through a burner and burns.

Engine applications are rare so they really don't care about engines. And 80% of my volume is LPG engines. They all run fine on whatever you feed them.

Thanks for your feedback. I'm new to "LPG" engines and didn't want to screw it up with my ignorance.

 

[MarcusZ1967]

Liquid Propane Gas... Dual fuel usually means LPG or Gasoline.

 

[willie59]

Having worked in the industry. It is 2 names for the same thing. A semi truck pulls up to the rack and they fill it with whatever the refinery is making. It passes through a burner and burns.

Engine applications are rare so they really don't care about engines. And 80% of my volume is LPG engines. They all run fine on whatever you feed them.

Exactly. The thing that's more critical is air/fuel ratio, if that's just even a little bit off they won't hit a lick.

 

[56wrench]

I thought LPG was Liquified Petroleum Gas which could have a couple other gases in small quantities besides propane?

 

[MarcusZ1967]

I've worked on a few forklifts with this dual fuel setup. LPG systems have a regulator, gassifier then the carb unit.

 

[Welder Dave]

It is the same thing. Propane is always filled as a liquid. How it's drawn from the tank varies. BBQ's and most heaters draw the gas created in the tank. Engines and some big torches like are used for asphalt kettles draw liquid from the tank. In the case of engines there is a vaporizer to turn the liquid to gas. On liquid cooled engines there is usually heater hoses going to vaporizer so it doesn't freeze up. Propane can freeze up if withdrawn too fast, the same as CO2 or liquid oxygen.

 

[Birken Vogt]

I thought LPG was Liquified Petroleum Gas which could have a couple other gases in small quantities besides propane?

That is correct, but it makes little difference.

For instance propylene is a gas found around here in California natural gas or crude oil (can't remember which) which is commonly called MAPP gas now since they stopped making true MAPP.

They say some loads of California LPG can (accidentally) contain up to 90% propylene because nobody is checking. It burns just the same in your furnace but it can cause problems in an engine.

Also butane can be mixed in.

But I have never seen any problems in any engine I could attribute to off spec fuel. It all burns about the same. I suppose something that is running near 100% rated load could have problems.

 

[Welder Dave]

Propylene is a little different than Mapp but similar. I'd have to look up the differences. I think Mapp burns hotter and uses different cutting tips. I know most industrial gases have to meet a certain purity standard but I've never heard of it for propane despite having had to take a course on propane in order to be able to fill tanks and propane vehicles.

 

[Hartlyboiy]

Does propane get consumed more quickly than gasoline? What are gallons per hour expected on a Z45, I wonder? Haven't been able to find a good consumption chart yet.

 

[Birken Vogt]

Too lazy to look it up, but I estimate 10-20% more gallons burned than gasoline to do the same job.

 

[Welder Dave]

I think is usually 10-15% more but propane is cleaner burning and can extend engine life. Propane conversions on vehicles was a huge thing back in the 80's... until the gov't. and/or propane suppliers realized it and propane shot up in price where it was no longer worth doing. They do the same with diesel. They shouldn't be allowed to gouge but they make their own rules.

 

[skyking1]

It is by weight.
Gasoline is ~114,500 BTU and ~6 pounds per gallon.
LPG is only 91,500 BTU and 4.24 pounds per gallon.
Diesel #2 is 129,500 BTU and ~7 pounds per gallon.

That is a large part of diesel economy numbers, coupled with better thermal efficiency.

 

[Old Doug]

I have a truck that runs on Propane . Bad points you can't get it just everywhere or any time of the day. You have to buy a fuel permit . I call it the clean burn penalty permit . Its $246.00 this year for 36.000# or under tags over 36.000# its $1206.00. I had plans to put it back to gasoline the first year i got it 4 or so ago. I used it only about a thousand miles last year. Now i need to use it some i hate to buy that permit but i guess i will.