[Rhodes22-list] Stove fuel consideration

[Roger Pihlaja]

Todd,

Enclosed are links to 3 annotated pictures of the galley setup & LPG storage
on board Dynamic Equilibrium.  The stove is a Kenyon 2 burner, built-in LPG
unit.  Note the stainless steel heat shields above & below the stove.

http://www.rhodes22.org/rhodes/pics/Galley-3.jpg
http://www.rhodes22.org/rhodes/pics/Galley-4.jpg
http://www.rhodes22.org/rhodes/pics/Propane-1.jpg

In the 3rd picture, the LPG tank is a 6 lb refillable cylinder mounted in a
custom made socket on the cockpit sole.  Note that it is set out in the
cockpit under the port side seat.  The 2-stage regulator is not illustrated,
but it is permanently mounted on the underside of the port side cockpit
coaming compartment.  Note that there is a 1/4 turn shutoff valve right
nearby the cylinder as well as the LPG cylinder's built-in valve.  The stove
also has a built-in gas shutoff valve in addition to the individual burner
control valves.  The 1/4 turn shutoff valve at the LPG cylinder is always
kept closed unless the stove is actually being used.  It is the emergency
valve that would be used to quickly shut off the LP gas in the event of a
fire.   The LPG tubing was all custom cut to length & the fittings were
machine swaged at my local LPG supplier.  There are an absolute minimum of
fittings in the entire system which might potentially leak.  The hose is
well supported & chafe protected all along its length.

I presume you are proposing to use something like a Coleman LPG camping
stove or a butane canister stove.  If you plan to use the stove in cool
temperatures, say less than 50 deg F, then the butane stove will be nearly
useless.  Butane has insufficient vapor pressure in cool temperatures to be
a reliable stove fuel.  I have a lot of experience with the disposable 14 oz
LPG cylinders from my Boy Scout troop.  On our camping trips, my Boy Scout
troop uses nothing but the Coleman LPG stoves & lanterns.  We routinely have
as many as 3 of each going at the same time in various parts of our
campsite.  My advise is: Don't even think about carrying these disposable
LPG cylinders in any confined area aboard your boat.  They are more
dangerous than gasoline!  The Schrader valves on the disposable cylinders
frequently leak.  On board a boat, they could be a disaster waiting to
happen.

An LPG stove installation is NOT the appropriate place to cheap out & try to
get by with camping equipment.  Proceed with your plan at your own risk!

My installation illustrates how a chemical engineer, with a lot of
experience in the safe handling of flammable pressurized gases, goes about
installing an LPG stove on a Rhodes 22.  If you have any specific questions
re LPG stove installations, then ask away & I'll try to help.

Roger Pihlaja
S/V Dynamic Equilibrium

----- Original Message -----
From: "Todd Tavares" <sprocket80@mail.com>
To: <rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org>
Sent: Sunday, September 29, 2002 6:42 PM
Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Stove fuel consideration


> I will be making an entirely new galley.  I was going to replace the old
two burner stove with the pump, with a new two burner camp stove which I
will modify to work in the boat.  This stove uses small propane tanks.  Does
anyone know of any reasons for not having propane on board; or any special
considerations?  I will not have propane aboard being stored, just carried
on when I plan long daysails or overnighters.
>
> Any comments or help will be greatly appreciated.
>
> Todd
> --
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