LPG calculator

liquefied petroleum gas - propane/butane - pipe size, heat power

online since 2007

Description

The calculator can be used for estimation of flow rate, pipe diameter and heat power of liquefied petroleum gas - LPG. Liquefied petroleum gas is a mixture of propane, butane, and other components. As an example, you can use the calculator to determine the necessary flow rate of an LPG in a gas furnace, for required burner heat power.

Registration and subscription

Select a subscription plan and enable the full service:

  • Switch between metric and imperial units in one click
  • Export calculation results in Word .docx or Excel .xlsx format
  • Preview results on one place and copy/paste it in your favorite text editor
  • Send results back to your email
  • Support the future of this project

And even more... Subscribed users have access to the full set of 19 calculators available as Java™ Web start application or download Windows™ 64bit application.

Subscribe

Full year subscription

Monthly cost
$250/month

Full year subscription $29.95/year

Action
Calculation setup
LPG components ratio
Liquid phase flow
Gas phase flow
Mass flow rate and heat power
LPG gas phase properties

Exclusive calculator

On exclusive calculator page you can use the online calculator without interference from advertisements, additional text, links and other content that is not required for the calculations themselves. A pure experience of using a calculator as with a desktop application.

An exclusive version of the calculator is available to registered users. Choose the right subscription duration and start using the exclusive service.

Exclusive

LPG composition

Select volume or mass percent composition
Volume fraction %vol
Ratio of propane or butane volume to the total volume of the mixture
Mass fraction %wt
Ratio of propane or butane mass to the total mass of the mixture

Description

q liq - volume flow rate of the liquid phase
LPG flow when it is in the liquid phase, before the evaporator
q gas - volume flow rate of the gas phase at normal conditions
LPG flow when it is in the gas phase, after the evaporator
V liq - velocity of the liquid phase
The velocity of LPG when it is in a liquid phase before it evaporates
V gas - velocity of the gas phase
The velocity of LPG when it is in the gas phase, after the evaporator
D liq - pipe diameter of the liquid phase
Internal pipe diameter of the LPG line liquid phase before the evaporator
D gas - pipe diameter of the gas phase
Internal pipe diameter of the LPG line gas phase after the evaporator
ṁ - mass flow rate
LPG flow rate in terms of mass flow in the unit of time. Conserved between liquid and gas phase of LPG
P - combustion heat power
Heat power generated after the combustion of LPG. Actual heat power should be reduced for the efficiency loses
LHV_G - lower heating value - mass
The heating value of LPG mixture - energy released during the combustion of a unit of mass
p - absolute pressure of LPG gas
The pressure of the LPG after the evaporator or after the pressure control valve
T - gas temperature
The temperature needed to calculate LPG density after the evaporator or after the pressure control valve
ρ gas - gas actual density
Calculated density for entered pressure and temperature, and mixture components ratio
ρ gas_nor - gas density at normal conditions
A density of LPG mixture at normal conditions p=101325 Pa and t=00C
M -molar mass
Calculated molar mass for the selected ratio of propane and butane in the LPG mixture

Calculation setup

Select value to calculate. You should enter not selected one.
P
combustion heat power calculation
q liq/q gas/ṁ
LPG flow rate calculation
Select value to input. You should enter selected one. The other two will be calculated
mass flow rate
q liq
liquid phase flow rate
q gas
gas phase flow rate
Select value to input. You should enter selected one. The other one will be calculated. Available only if the gas is selected fluid
V liq
liquid phase velocity
D liq
liquid phase pipeline diameter
Select value to input. You should enter selected one. The other one will be calculated. Available only if the gas is selected fluid
V gas
gas phase velocity
D gas
gas phase pipeline diameter

Why you should use this calculator?

The calculator can be used for estimation of flow rate, pipe diameter and heat power of liquefied petroleum gas - LPG. Liquefied petroleum gas is a mixture of propane, butane, and other components. As an example, you can use the calculator to determine the necessary flow rate of an LPG in a gas furnace, for required burner heat power.

How is the calculation executed?

The calculator is applicable for calculation of flow rate and heat power of gas and liquid phase of LPG. It can be used for calculation of clear propane or clear butane gas flow as well.

Propane and butane in a gas state are compressible. The calculator considers LPG as incompressible which is correct only for LPG liquid state. All physical properties, like mixture density or LPG component partial pressure, are calculated for the selected propane-butane mixture ratio.

The calculator can be used for computation of pipe diameter when the flow rate is known. The flow rate of LPG can be presented as mass flow rate, volume flow rate of the liquid phase or as a volume flow rate of the gas phase at standard conditions.

With the calculator, you can convert between mass and volume flow rate (liquid or gas phase). The calculator calculates a gas phase flow rate of LPG at normal conditions: pressure (atmospheric) p = 101325 Pa and temperature T=273.15 K

When is this calculator not relevant?

You can't use this calculator to calculate pressure drop through the pipe line. For that purpose please select pressure drop calculator for liquids or for gases.

Available in download version

save/open multiple results
export to word and excel
print results
common and custom fluid properties
K factor for fittings, resistance coefficient
pipe surface roughness selection
pipe material selection
select between gauge and absolute pressure
compressible isothermal flow
dry air isothermal flow
gas offtake flow
natural gas flow

Download

Administrator role not needed to install calculator

Calculator start selection

Read all about available deployments. In any way of utilizing calculator, Internet connection is not required, but nice to have for authentication at least.

Need a helping hand?

Powered by artificial intelligence - AI

chat_gpt_logo

Ask specific question related to pipe flow calculations and get answer from AI

Powered by natural intelligence - NI

calculation_guru

If you need a quick calculation, but you are not still familiar how to use the calculator, you can order calculation service from the calculator developer.

Order calculation service

pipe network analysis

Issues and answers

Having problems with calculators usage? Read more about known issues and problems and way to solve it.

Issues and answers

Related calculators available for download