I have an idea for LPG based gas stoves.

6pack

6pack

ex-Mod
I think Indians have been using LPG gas since more than 40+ years. None of the LPG gas stoves in the market have any sort of analogue meter that shows how much gas is left in the cylinder.

So i was thinking of making such a gas stove with built in meter that will show how much gas is left in the cylinder. Maybe if i get average amount of gas filled in new cylinders and use it as "Max" and obviously "Empty" would be empty like no gas flow. I was even thinking of a digital one where it can calculate the days the gas cylinder will get empty depending on the usage per day.

What would be the drawbacks of this device?
Can we actually find out how much volume of gas is in the cylinder if the pressure of gas flowing through the valve is constant?

This is just an idea. I'm wondering why no company has done it till now.
I don't know where to start out nor do i have any resources to do such a thing.

What do you think? Fail idea?
 
6pack said:
I think Indians have been using LPG gas since more than 40+ years. None of the LPG gas stoves in the market have any sort of analogue meter that shows how much gas is left in the cylinder.

So i was thinking of making such a gas stove with built in meter that will show how much gas is left in the cylinder. Maybe if i get average amount of gas filled in new cylinders and use it as "Max" and obviously "Empty" would be empty like no gas flow. I was even thinking of a digital one where it can calculate the days the gas cylinder will get empty depending on the usage per day.

What would be the drawbacks of this device?
Can we actually find out how much volume of gas is in the cylinder if the pressure of gas flowing through the valve is constant?

This is just an idea. I'm wondering why no company has done it till now.
I don't know where to start out nor do i have any resources to do such a thing.

What do you think? Fail idea?
Click to expand...
There are no drawbacks if you can make a standalone digital meter which can be fixed between the cylinder and regulator.
It should show gas left to empty based upon usage etc
Any meter on the stove is a hit or miss because we have to make the reputed stove manufacturers to be able to use this idea on their stoves
 
I was thinking about making my own gas stove to be a notch above other companies. I'm not thinking of of making a standalone device. I was thinking how my gas stove would be far better than any gas stove available in the market. Indian gas stove standards look very low right now. One stamped steel sheet with two burners and a stand for 3000 rupees. Maybe a glass sheet on top if they feel extra generous. Just imagine the markup on this product. Probably around 2000 or more.
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farazbaji said:
The meter will add one more variable which can cause a gas leak.
Click to expand...
Not if the parts are chosen carefully.
 
Just place the cylinder on a analog weighing scale that you use to measure body weight. You can monitor the weight of the cylinder and know when it becomes empty.
 
I have gas cylinder kept on the outdoor in a small chamber with long copper lines coming to the kitchen, I had this idea but I turned it down. Instead I measure the weight of the cylinder to get an Idea how much liquid is left
 
tech.addict said:
Just place the cylinder on a analog weighing scale that you use to measure body weight. You can monitor the weight of the cylinder and know when it becomes empty.
Click to expand...
Yup. I thought of that too. Something like gas stand with wheels and an analog scale built in. That idea is for common folk who don't want to spend too much on a new gas stove.

Problem with it is we have to look down at the cylinder base to know how much is left. Normally no one does that. The built into the gas stove is in front of the face.
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Some companies are selling these gas safety + savers with a meter in them

 
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Maybe a good idea but not sure. Like one said, one can simply buy a weighing machine and keep the cylinder on it.

Regarding gas ovens though, yes, we must have good quality products in the market. I just don't understand since when this idiocy of putting glass/ ceramic top on ovens came in effect and why people actually purchase those exorbitantly priced things at first place! Can't they make a good quality stainless steel made oven anymore? I thought of buying those ultra expensive glass top oven of prestige once but the mother said to not waste money. Then a local oven repairer said the same thing, that we should carry on using the 30 year old stainless steel oven for as long as it works as it's still better than whatever shiny glossy shits which are available on market nowadays and need to be replaced like every couple of years or so! I can't fathom the fact that even for something like gas oven people prefer glossy looks over quality, safety and functionality, wow.
 
jujuburi said:
Maybe a good idea but not sure. Like one said, one can simply buy a weighing machine and keep the cylinder on it.

Regarding gas ovens though, yes, we must have good quality products in the market. I just don't understand since when this idiocy of putting glass/ ceramic top on ovens came in effect and why people actually purchase those exorbitantly priced things at first place! Can't they make a good quality stainless steel made oven anymore? I thought of buying those ultra expensive glass top oven of prestige once but the mother said to not waste money. Then a local oven repairer said the same thing, that we should carry on using the 30 year old stainless steel oven for as long as it works as it's still better than whatever shiny glossy shits which are available on market nowadays and need to be replaced like every couple of years or so! I can't fathom the fact that even for something like gas oven people prefer glossy looks over quality, safety and functionality, wow.
Click to expand...
Italian ovens are much better than any stainless steel ovens
But Italian ovens used to bake pizzas are costly to maintain and assemble or build also
 
Concept is good but when it comes to lpg and gas stuff I prefer to run away thinking of those blasts etc.
I would dare playing with other fuels around though.
Wonder why don't such ideas spark in minds of gas providers? What landmark have they achieved in past 30-40 yrs? Same red cylinders same service + increasing rates every quarterly.
Why cant they design such a device which comes factory fitted with their regulators?
 
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This is a brilliant idea. Leakage is a non-issue if the nozzle nipples are properly made. If the gas tube isn't leaking from the regulator or stove end, then why would it leak from the same type of nipples on an inline meter connected in-line between the regulator and stove?

Weighing scale is a workaround but not a good solution really.

Actually, there should be some kind of gas flow meters already. Need to look into it.


Volumetric Flow Rate Versus Mass Flow Rate Technology | Sierra Instruments

Read examples and watch a video to learn more about the advantages of Mass Flow Rate Versus Volumetric Flow Rate Technology with Sierra Instruments Minute Flow Tip.
www.sierrainstruments.com

Difference mass flow meters and volume flow meters? - Mass Flow Online

The ranges of thermal mass flow meters for gases are in units as ln/min or m3n/h. These units look like volumetric units, but they are expressions of Mass Flow.
www.massflow-online.com www.massflow-online.com
 
just in short the idea is really good but stay away from digital ones cause they must have electric circuits in them so they may cause greater risk to blast and fire in an event of leakage try to stick with analog one's and for testing, you can fill and empty cylinder with some other cheap gas and stay safe
 
Measuring the weight digitally by a load cell and displaying it in terms percentage by help of Arduino/R-Pi will be the best thing IMO. I'll not be comfortable to tamper with the LPG tubing. I don't about your place but in Kolkata the gas companies have started mandatory checking the gas oven, tubing etc and issuing certificates. They will not issue a suitability certificate in case the supply line is tampered with.

Something like this:
www.instructables.com

Arduino Bathroom Scale With 50 Kg Load Cells and HX711 Amplifier

Arduino Bathroom Scale With 50 Kg Load Cells and HX711 Amplifier: This Instructable describes how to make a weighing scale using readily available off the shelf parts. Materials needed: Arduino - (this design uses a standard Arduino Uno, other Arduino versions or clones should work also)...
www.instructables.com www.instructables.com
 
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Your gas stove gets gas via REGULATOR.
Regulator's purpose is to maintain a steady outlet pressure, no matter what is the internal pressure in the cylinder.

How do you propose to measure the cylinder internal pressure at the stove end then?
Since the pressure outlet at cylinder is fixed, and the atmospheric pressure is also fixed, the gas flow rate will also be fixed.
How are you going to use the steady gas flow rate to deduce the content of the cylinder?
 
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