Trying here because hopefully someone might know:
So my last two jobs have had me dealing with algas sdi propane vaporizers, both pic related and their much larger big brother versions. The inlet valve is controlled by a large metal ball that floats on the lpg. When levels get low, it presses down on a metal rod that opens the inlet valve, letting more lpg in, a lot like how the float valve in a toilet works.
The problem I've run into at both companies is that the ball will get stuck up in the top of the cylinder. There's no buildup to clean nor any deformities to the cylinder and as soon as what the vaporizer is fueling shuts down from low gas pressure, the ball falls back down.
What could cause this/how to fix it?
We get it, you vape.
>>987709
Vaporizing LPG causing temperature drop causing cylinder to shrink, trapping the ball?
Just a guess. I can't properly imagine how the system works.
check that the feed tanks are actually full of propane.
>>987743
It's a ball that's close to the size of the cylinder. The inlet valve sits towards the bottom of the chamber and has a spring loaded rod that sticks into the main chamber. When the cylinder is empty, the ball rests on the rod and the weight of the ball pushes the rod down which opens the inlet valve. As liquid flows in, the ball floats up which closes the inlet valve. The vaporized gases flow around the ball and out the top of the cylinder.
>>987743
I would hope that algas had by now hired a materials engineer to make sure that wasn't possible, but who knows? I was thinking either something along those lines or possibly enough of a vacuum is being pulled to hold the ball...but that, again is something I'd assume they'd have considered in the design process.
>>987767
Pretty sure 4300 gallons is enough to run an 80 gpm vaporizer.
>>987743
make the cylinder out of invar
>>987863
what if it's partially butane because someone dun goof'd while labelling a tanker?
>>987921
Pretty sure I could get the company owners to buy an electric vaporizer and larger genset before I could get them to buy even an ounce of invar.
>>987929
I wouldn't doubt it. Much of the lpg we use is only barely refined (they scrub the H2S out, compress it, and add mercaptain oil), so its got a wonky makeup anyway.
