Calculating How Long Your BBQ Propane Tank Will Last

Calculating How long Your BBQ Propane Tank Will Last 	 Cooking foods around a incredibly hot open up flame is one of my favorite summer months time activities. Even though I prefer the flavour of the charcoal grill, nothing at all can beat the convenience and command of grilling with propane. Irrespective of whether its a wonderfully seared tuna or even a flawlessly cooked steak, a propane grill may give you the exact handle necessary to correctly get ready it. However, there are several downsides to this process of grilling. Apart from acquiring a diminished flavor, propane tanks are inclined to run from fuel within the worst attainable moment. To fix this problem, I originally acquired a propane tank gauge. I had hoped that it would explain to me when the tank was getting very low in order that I could go get yourself a refill just just before it ran out. Sad to say, this didn't work too well for me. The gauges that i tried using had been possibly hugely inaccurate or basically lowered the amount of gasoline flowing to the burners. Just after scratching my head for a instant, I thought to myself, "Wouldn't it be pleasant to be aware of prolonged the tank would last underneath normal cooking situations?" If I knew this information and facts, I could work out regarding how lots of foods I could prepare ahead of my grill ran outside of fuel. So which is just what I did. On this page, I'll derive a system which you'll be able to use to find out how long your propane tank will last beneath typical cooking ailments. A Little bit of information About Propane Propane is an extremely lightweight hydrocarbon with a chemical formula of C3H8. It is just a by-product of your crude oil and natural fuel refining processes. At home temperature, propane is often a gasoline. The fuel is compressed into a liquid and stored in many different measurements of metal containers. Propane provides a heating benefit concerning 91,two hundred &amp; 92,000 BTU per gallon (depending on your source). A heating value of 91,600 BTU/gal (21,600 BTU/lb) is the commonly accepted value presented by the American Gas Association. Since it truly is also the midpoint in the range of values found in my research, this is the number you should use to estimate your propane usage time. A Bit of data About Grills Your estimated total cooking time for just a single propane tank will also depend on the type and size of grill that you have. You'll find literally hundreds of types and configurations of propane grills that you are able to choose from. All grills should have a maximum heating benefit reported in their manual. If you don't have the manual, you'll be able to estimate that each burner produces about 10,000 BTU/hr of heat. A typical grill might have a maximum total heat output of 20,000-40,000 BTU/Hour (2-4 Burners). Some small grills may only produce 10,000 BTU/hour (1 Burner), while larger ones may have an output of 80,000 BTU/Hour (8 Burners). Formula Derivation Deriving this method is rather simple. Let 'T' equal the grilling time, 'P' equal the quantity of propane you have, 'H' equal the heating benefit in the propane, and 'B' equal the maximum heat output of your grill. First, multiply the quantity of propane you have by its heating value: PH Next, divide that by your grill's maximum heat output to get the minimum grilling time: Tmin = PH/B  However, most people don't cook on the maximum grill setting for an extended period of time. In fact, propane usage during typical cooking situations is normally around 50-75% on the maximum heat output. If you cook with the all the burners set on medium, your output would be around 75% with the maximum. If you use less burners, your actual output will also change. This is where I introduce an efficiency factor, 'k,' to adjust the time calculation for this variation. With the introduction of your 'k' factor, the final formula becomes: The 'k' factor effectively reduces your grills total output in the computation. Use the chart at right to ascertain the 'k' worth for your typical grilling scheme. The derivation in the various 'k' factors is beyond the scope of this text. Once you select a 'k' factor based on your typical grill's usage, it is possible to compute the total estimated grilling time, T. Divide this time by the average time it takes to cook a meal to estimate the number of meals you are able to grill. Now all you have to do is keep track of how many times you use the grill to learn how much gas you have left. For example, if you have a six burner grill and only cook with just one burner on the lowest setting, you are effectively generating only 10% (0.10) of the maximum heat output of that grill. Even so, if you crank that same burner to its maximum setting, you will only be generating about 17% in the maximum heat that could be generated by the grill. Example problem John just purchased a new propane tank (15lbs of propane) and wants to grasp how long this will last him. John's grill incorporates a maximum heat output of 30,000 BTU with three burners. A typical meal takes John 30 minutes to complete using medium heat. Step 1: Define the Variables: Amount of Propane: P = 15 lbs  Heating Value of Propane: H = 21,600 BTU/LB  Maximum Heat Output of Grill: B = 30,000 BTU/hr  'k' Factor: 0.74 (All Burners, Medium Heat)  Step 2: Solve for Propane Usage Time:  T = (15lbs)(21600 BTU/LB)/(0.74)(30,000 BTU/hr) = 14.6 Hours  Step 3: Now compute how many meals John can make with his grilling arrangement:  Meals = 14.6 hrs / 0.5 hrs = 29.18 meals. Therefore, John could cook once a day for any month or about once per week for 7 months. 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