[C320-list] Seward 2 Burner Stove Not Lighting

[Graeme Clark]

I stand corrected, apologies! Not sure why I assumed methane was a denser gas than air - I had that table in front of me too -  doh!

Nevertheless something to consider in relation to natural gas, (density 0.7 to 0.9 kg per cu m) with regard to safety, which was the original point:-

The difference in density is not so great that there will not be a mixing with air (density 1.225 kg/cu m)  by diffusion etc. - I’m pretty sure that  if you had a natural gas leak in a house (or boat)  that it would not  simply all rise up and safely disperse!

Fairly common to have gas explosions due to gas leak in the house (natural gas).

See this image as an example!

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/02/19/12/315E1EA500000578-3454209-image-a-37_1455885820785.jpg


Coal gas is a different story altogether, much less dense,

On a related note Carbon Monoxide is theoretically marginally less dense but sadly people get poisoned by it in enclosed spaces all too frequently.


Graeme


> On 8 Jun 2017, at 14:00, Scott Thompson <surprise at thompson87.com> wrote:
> 
> Methane is less dense than air, which is why natural gas is lighter than air. Natural gas also includes small amounts of other gases, including propane and helium, but these may or may not be removed before distribution depending on the source. 
> 
>> On Jun 8, 2017, at 5:35 AM, Graeme Clark <cg at skyflyer.co.uk> wrote:
>> 
>> Ah! Coal Gas is not natural gas! That's why we are at cross purposes!
>> Coal gas is manufactured as a byproduct of the coking process and comprises mainly hydrogen so is indeed less dense than air
>> 
>> Natural gas is what comes out the earth in one form or another and is (I believe) principally methane and is denser than air
>> 
>> LPG is of course gas derived from petroleum that is then compressed to liquify it and is usually butane or propane as gas as I know
>> 
>> We no longer have any coal gas in U.K.  Do you still have it in USA? All mains supplied gas is natural gas
>> 
>> Sorry for misunderstanding
>> 
>> Graeme
>> 
>> Sent from mobile: please excuse typos etc.!
>> 
>> 
>> On 8 Jun 2017, at 09:08, Stephen Cox <scox at timmin.com> wrote:
>> 
>>>> Natural gas is not less dense than air as far as I am aware?
>>>> Only helium and hydrogen are used to inflate balloons and 
>>>> airships Hydrogen was used in the Hindenburg!
>>>> Many yachtsmen in the U.K. Refuse to use gas on board and 
>>>> have stoves that run on alcohol or similar flammable spirits Graeme
>>>> 
>>> 
>>> I remember in my 5th year of school we made cube shaped balloons from
>>> plastic sheet stuck together with sticky tape, filled them with gas from the
>>> bunsen burner outlets in the craft room, and let them fly off into the wild
>>> blue yonder.  Definitely natural gas i.e. coal gas, in use there.
>>> 
>>> The UK yachtsman would presumably be using Calor gas bottles or similar
>>> which contain propane, butane or a mixture thereof.  This gas would be
>>> heavier than air. 
>>> 
>> 
> 

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