POWERBLANKET®

Cylinder, Box and Bulk Material Heating

Powerblanket’s innovative heat spreading technology takes heating to a whole new level. Temperature sensitive materials can now be stored and protected through cold winter months without fear of freezing or spoiling.  Bulk and palletized products can be heated and transported safely to the job-site.  Work crews and craftsmen can stay on the job all winter and while keeping projects on schedule.  Powerblanket heated wraps are the ideal solution for heating and maintaining temperature in your weather sensitive products… including heated Cylinder Wraps, Hot-Box Bulk Material Heaters, and Heated Pouch and Box Warmers.  Powerblanket manufactures a heating solution for your specific requirement.

• Insulated full wrap design
• Heat, insulate and protect materials year round
• Safe on a wide variety of materials to maintain flow, viscosity and workability
• Heat bulk materials, cylinders and palletized product
• Great for the warehouse or job-site
• Certified to UL / CSA safety standards

Powerblanket has engineered the most durable heating solutions on the market by combining rugged UV Vinyls, welded seams, weatherproof materials, and space-age heaters capable of handling anything mother nature can throw at you!

Hot Box Bulk Material Heating

Powerblanket Hot Box is the most efficient method for heat soaking temperature sensitive items including cold patch asphalt, roofing materials, paint, caulking, food products, and job site materials. Utilizing GreenHeat Technology, the Powerblanket Hot Box enclosure creates a heated environment that is easily maintained with an adjustable thermostat. Create, control and maintain a heated environment for fast and effective heat soaking.  Portable, internal freestanding frame, adjustable thermostat, top & front access.

Common Uses: Heat Soak Bagged Asphalt – Paints – Caulk – Roofing Supplies.  A+ Freeze Protection.

HotBox Bulk Heater

UL & CSA Certified

Part# HB64 – 4’x4’x4’ (64 cu ft) Bulk Material Heater / 0° to 160° F Adjustable

Gas Cylinder Warmers

UL & CSA Certified

Enclosed Box Heaters for Spray Foam

Powerblanket’s line of heated enclosures are the most efficient method for warming and maintaining temperature in portable spray foam kits, boxes, cylinders, caulking, and other temperature sensitive construction materials. The Spray Foam Industry now has a viable solution for heating their materials and protecting equipment from freezing temperatures in cold weather environments.

Common Uses: Heat Spray Foam Cylinders, Disposable Boxes, and Temperature Sensitive Materials.

Enclosed Box Heaters

UL & CSA Certified

Part# FBW15 – Box Warmer for 2 Part Disposable Kit – (200 bf)

DEF Tote Heating System

The DEF Industry now has a viable solution for heating Diesel Exhaust Fluid and protecting IBC Totes, pumps, and hoses from freezing temperatures in cold weather environments. By teaming with industry giants, Powerblanket has received valuable feedback in the design and manufacturing process, allowing for a complete & effective heating solution for DEF.

Includes Thermostat Controller & Removable Top Cover
Common uses: Freeze Protection and Temperature Control for Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF). 275 gallon Enclosure
330 gallon Enclosure

UL & CSA Certified Part# TH275D – 275 gallon DEF Tote Heating System 

Part# TH330D – 330 gallon DEF Tote Heating System

Removable Top Cover & Preset Digital Thermostatic Controller

Included with all Powerblanket DEF Tote Heating Systems

Pressure vessels are closed containers designed to hold gases or liquids at a pressure substantially different from the ambient pressure.

The pressure differential is potentially dangerous and many fatal accidents have occurred in the history of their development and operation. Consequently, their design, manufacture, and operation are regulated by engineering authorities backed up by laws. For these reasons, the definition of a pressure vessel varies from country to country, but involves parameters such as maximum safe operating pressure and temperature.

Shape of a pressure vessel

Pictured at right is a large pressure vessel outfitted with a Powerblanket insulated heated wrap.  When properly installed, a Powerblanket is many times more effective at providing freeze protection and/or heating large tanks, silos, and pressure vessels.  Powerblanket’s patented heat spreading technology with Tundra Package installed can endure temperatures at/or below -50F without batting an eyelash.

Maximizing pressure in tanks and cylinders can be very tricky business.  Depending on your specific application and the materials you’re pressurizing, the following charts and graphs may be helpful with determining what forces should be applied to maximize yield.   Temperature is one of the top issues surrounding proper tank pressure escpecially in flammable materials. We reccommend you study the following charts carefully (provided by Alternative Fuels Technologies, inc.) to understand the effects of temperature on tank & cylinder pressure.

Fuel Tank Pressure:

What Is LPG?

LPG is liquefied petroleum gas commonly known as propane (C3H8), a combustible hydrocarbon based fuel. It comes from the refining of crude oil and natural gas. At normal pressure and temperatures above -44F Propane remains in it’s gaseous form. At lower temperatures and/or higher pressures propane will become a liquid. Propane is colorless and odorless. For safety reasons propane is required to be odorized as to indicate positively, by distinct odor, the presence of gas in air down to a concentration of not over 1/5th the lower level of flammability 0.4% in air. This is achieved by adding 1.0 lbs of ethyl mercaptan, or 1.0 lbs of thiophane, or 1.4 lbs of amyl mercaptan per 10,000 of liquefied petroleum gas. There are currently three grades of propane available, HD5 for internal combustion engines, commercial propane and commercial propane butane mix for other uses. The exact composition of propane varies slightly between different parts of the country and different refineries. Compared to gasoline the energy content of LPG is 74%

Comparison of Fuel Properties

LPG Pressure VS. Temperature

It can be difficult to picture in our minds the effects of temperature and pressure on propane because the propane we deal with on a daily basis is always sealed inside a storage container, out of sight. To help us to understand propane better we will compare it to a substance that we are all familiar with, water. We will use an automotive cooling system to illustrate water under pressure at different temperatures. Liquid propane and water act very similar to temperature changes, the difference being the temperature at which events take place.

Table #1 lists the vapor pressure inside a propane container, at a particular temperature, containing some liquid but not more than 80% total capacity. This allows for a 20% vapor space -

Effects of Temperature on Pressure

Table #2 lists the boiling point of water at a particular pressure

Boiling point of water at a particular pressure

Table #3 lists the similarities of water and propane

Similarities of water and propane

How can propane be stored as a Liquid above its boiling point of -44 degrees

We can increase the boiling point of liquid propane by applying pressure against it similar to the way a vehicle cooling system raises the boiling point of water by holding pressure in the system through the use of a radiator pressure cap. For example if we look at table #2 we see that at normal atmospheric pressure water boils at 212 Degrees Fahrenheit. If we use a 10 psig radiator cap to hold 10 psig against the water it’s boiling point increases to 242 Degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore the water remains liquid at 242 Degrees Fahrenheit. Liquid propane reacts in much the same way to temperature and pressure as water, its just that the boiling point of propane is much lower on the thermometer. For example if we look at table #1 we can see that if we had a bucket full of liquid propane and the temperature was below -44 degrees Fahrenheit the propane would remain a liquid at normal atmospheric pressure. The propane would look and act just like water does in its liquid form. If we raise the temperature of the propane in the bucket above -44 degrees it would look and act just like water in a pot on the stove, it would boil and vaporize. The propane would continue to boil and vaporize until the bucket was empty. If we take that bucket of propane and pour it into a propane container and seal it and the temperature is below -44 degrees not much happens. The propane remains in its liquid state. However if we raise the temperature of the container to 80 degrees the propane will boil and vaporize. Since the propane is now in a sealed container with a fixed volume and we now know from table #3 that propane expands 270 times in volume when it changes from a liquid to a vapor, the propane vapor begins to compress. As the propane vapor compresses the pressure inside the container will begin to increase. Table #1 shows that at 80 degrees the vapor pressure inside the container should be 128 psig. Therefore the propane will continue to boil and vaporize, the vapor will continue to compress, the pressure will continue to increase until it reaches 128 psig. With 128 psig vapor pressure acting against the liquid propane the boiling point acting against the liquid propane the boiling point has been raised to slightly more than 80 degrees. Therefore the propane will stop boiling. It is the vapor pressure that governs the boiling point of the liquid propane inside the container. In turn the amount of vapor pressure generated inside the container is governed by the ambient temperature outside the container. To review, liquid propane will boil above -44 degrees unless the pressure is held against it. The amount of vapor pressure required to stop the liquid propane from boiling depends on the ambient temperature outside the container.

Does the amount of Liquid effect the pressure inside a propane storage container?

No. And important fact to remember is that since the vapor pressure inside the propane container is governed by ambient temperature outside the container not the amount of liquid inside. A container that is 1/4 full at 80 degrees will contain the same vapor pressure as a container that is 3/4 full at 80 degrees. The vapor pressure is not generated by the amount of liquid in the tank. As long as there is some liquid and not more than 80% liquid inside the container, ambient temperature outside the container will govern the vapor pressure inside the container.

Comparison of Energy Content

Energy content per unit of fuel (energy density) is an important factor affecting range and power output of internal combustion engines. The following chart compares the energy content of alternate fuels to gasoline.

Comparison of Auto Ignition Temperature

The auto ignition temperature is the temperature at which a fuel will ignite without the need for a spark or flame. In respect to auto ignition temperature LPG, CNG, and LNG are much safer than gasoline or diesel because the auto ignition temperature is much higher. The following chart compares the auto ignition temperature of various fuels.

Comparison of Flammability Range

The flammability range is the distance from the leanest (LEL – Lower Explosion Limit) to the richest (UEL – Upper Explosion Limit) mixture of fuel and air that will burn. Fuels with narrower ranges are safer to work with but are less versatile because they offer less choice of air to fuel ratios. The following table compares the flammability range of various fuels.

Comparison of Peak Flame Temperature

The following chart compares the peak flame temperature of various fuels. You can see that CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) has a peak flame temperature of 1790 C & 3254 F whish is 187 C & 337 F or 9.5% cooler than the peak flame temperature of gasoline at 1977 C & 1591 F. The peak flame temperature of propane at 1991 C & 3614 F is only
13 C & 23 F or less than 1% higher than gasoline.

Comparison of Volumetric Efficiency

The amount of air entering an engine at a particular throttle angle and load is fixed. Any fuel added to the air before it enters the cylinder will displace an equal volume of air and will reduce the volumetric efficiency and power output of the engine. The table below illustrates the reduction of volumetric efficiency of various fuels.

provided by Outback Watertanks

Water Tank Pressure:

Water Tank Pressure: What is it?

Water tank pressure is simply the force of water coming out of the tank. Water tank pressure is directly proportional to the amount of water dispensed.  Greater water tank pressure of course means greater volume of water will be delivered per minute. To increase water tank pressure, some rainwater tank add-ons are available. These fixtures are called water tank pressure pumps. These pumps are not only used with rainwater tanks but as well as with other types of water work systems or for irrigation purposes.  Water tank pressure pumps are usually installed in homes built in areas with no available municipal water source. More often than not, a private well is used in these cases. Water tank pressure pumps are used to deliver gallons and gallons of water from that well. In some cases, because of the power of the water tank pressure pump, it could deliver a greater amount of water in gallons per minute than a single household faucet supplied by a municipal water source.

How do you then maximize the use of water tank pressure pumps? Some people say that water tank pressure pumps wear out prematurely when they are made to start and stop more than necessary. To avoid this untoward problem, holding tanks now come into the picture. By using holding tanks, the water could be stored and used in a leisurely manner over a long period of time. This means that the water tank pressure pump would only have to run in a brief period to refill the holding tank.

Water Tank Pressure: How does it work?

The pressure of water tanks comes from a single hole in the bottom of the tank for the flow to flow into. Water tank pressure pumps increases water tank pressure by pushing water into the opening as the air in the tank is compressed. The compressed air above the water exerts enough force to push the water out of the tank and through pipes and ultimately faucets, showers, and other water openings. There are also other ways of maintaining or keeping you water tank pressure pumps in utmost condition.