Commercial Propane Tank Sizing
Propane Tank Sizing for Commercial and Industrial Applications
Industrial and commercial propane tank sizing can be very simple or extremely complex depending on usage requirements and application.
If the application requires more propane, a larger tank or an additional tank installation may be necessary to meet the demand requirements. Industrial and commercial propane usage demands can be extremely high in specific situations. There might also be limitations on available space for propane tank installation. In this case, you can incorporate propane vaporizers into the industrial LP Gas system.
Common Commercial and Industrial Propane Tanks
Typically, propane in a commercial application implies a larger gas usage volume than that of a residential application. As a general rule, commercial and industrial propane users require larger propane tanks for their needs. This is because they often use propane throughout the year, independent of the weather or cold temperatures.
For example, a residential kitchen may have a load of 65,000 BTU per hour and operate 10 hours a week. However, a commercial kitchen has a load of 500,000 BTU per hour and run 70 hours a week. Therefore, there’s a significantly larger propane usage requirement.
Commercial propane tank applications will almost require a larger gas tank to meet the demand. Although the tanks are popular for an industrial purpose, the tanks are still the same as those in residential service.
Industrial/Commercial Propane Tank Sizing Selection
Selecting a propane tank for your business is solely dependent upon how much propane you expect to use.
If you visit us at Texas Propane, we can help you determine the best size propane tank for your application. In addition, make sure to let us know about any future changes that may impact gas usage. Therefore, we can help you select the most appropriate LP Gas tank for your industrial or commercial application.
BTU Loads
Start by adding up the total BTU’s of LP Gas appliances that will be using propane and divide by 91,500. This will provide you with a fairly accurate idea of how many gallons of propane you will use in an hour. If the total load is 1,000,000 BTU, the system will utilize about 11 gallons of propane an hour.
The BTU load at capacity (100%) is important to know so if you use all appliances 10 hours per day at full capacity, the propane consumption will be around 110 gallons per day. Usage such as this would probably require around 2,000 gallons or more in storage.
Appliances and Equipment Use During Heating Season
Commercial and industrial applications may require a year-round supply of propane at a fairly steady rate. However, you need to consider any appliance or equipment your use during the heating season.
It would be fairly straightforward to size a large propane tank for use in an industrial setting where LP Gas fired equipment runs at a steady and constant rate. However, the demand for gas increases significantly during cold temperatures. Therefore, the draw on that same tank is much higher and issues with adequate propane vaporization can arise.
These are just the basics of commercial propane tank sizing. For more information, or to schedule your propane tank installation, contact us here at Texas Propane with the link below!
