Question on gas

[Edwin]

Hi there,

If you run a rig on gas in the USA and Canada, what kind of gas is that? I am not thinking the "bottled" type, but the gas that's taken into your distillery by pipe. Is it natural gas, butane, propane? What are "normal" pipe dimensions, pressure rates, etc?

Edwin.

[Salishseaorganicliqueurs]

At least in the USA it's mostly natural gas, I believe, that's what we will be using to fuel the burner for our still. Pipe dimensions vary depending upon the BTU requirements of your equipment and what is available to your space. Most range between 1" and 2", we're using a 1.5" gas line which is getting us about 480,000 BTUs. As far as pressure rates that again varies upon your equipment, different pieces of equipment run at different pressures. Just remember, has to be black iron pipe used or else it will conflict with IFC requirements and you don't want that happening to you on an inspection, it could get VERY expensive.

[Edwin]

Thanks! With "black iron" do you mean "steel"?

[Scrounge]

Yeah steel, if it is above ground. Most USA is natural gas unless rural then propane. Natural gas is low pressure and therefore bigger pipe because u work with volume at low pressure to get desired btu, where propane is high pressure comparatively, so smaller pipe and more regulators Scrounge

[Salishseaorganicliqueurs]

Yes, I meant steel.

[DGDM1967]

In Ontario, urban centres have piped in natural gas, in rural areas where natural gas is not available, most people use trucked in propane.

Don

[Jedd Haas]

As mentioned, the gas delivered by pipe is natural gas. A residential gas service will typically have a pressure measured in inches of water column. For example, 7 inches of water column, which is about 0.25 psi. Commercial gas service can be 15psi (or higher) at the delivery point. However, the utility will typically put a regulator on it to lower it for your application.

"Black iron" is a colloquial term used for steel pipe which has been painted black. This is to differentiate it from galvanized steel pipe used for water service. Newer installations may use CSST, which is corrugated stainless steel tubing. The stainless is covered with a yellow plastic sleeve.

[Natrat]

Edwin,

houses and small distilleries will typically have 3/4" pipe (26.67 mm OD, with a 2.87 mm wall thickness) that run 5-7" water column pressure (about 175 kg/m or 0.0172 bar). Many installations use smaller pipe than that, at 1/2" NPS.

Larger installations will have 1" pipe (sometimes even bigger) running 2-15 psi (trunk lines operate at around 200 psi, mainlines up to 1500 psi) but this is relatively unusual at the craft distillery size. When we put in a NG generator the line (3/4" at 2.5 psi, which was running a 1.2 million btu boiler) had to be significantly upgraded to a 2" line at 12 psi...and then upgraded again to 17.5 psi) to run that huge beast.

[Falling Rock]

Edwin knows about CSST, Corrugated SS Flex Pipe...inside joke...

[Edwin]

Corrugated ... now that rings a bell!