Gas containers store natural gas and methane at ambient temperature. They were historically used for lighting, heating, and cooking, but now act as backup systems to maintain pressurized gas systems. Gas holders can be tanks with movable tops or flexible balloons, used to force gas into piping. They are also used in industrial environments to maintain ambient pressure, trap excess gas, and prevent pollutants from escaping. Gas holders are historic artifacts in some communities, but gas lighting is no longer a primary mode of lighting.
A gas container is a large tank designed to store natural gas, methane and similar compounds at the same temperature as its surroundings. Historically, such tanks were used to hold a local supply of gas for communities that used it for lighting, heat, and cooking fuel. Today they are most commonly part of backup systems used to keep a pressurized gas system running safely. They can also act to trap gases produced as by-products of a process so that they are not released into the environment.
The device consists of a large tank with a movable top. As the gas canister fills, the top moves with it, maintaining pressure. Historic gas tanks sometimes used a telescoping tank design with two parts that could move together and apart in place of a floating top. Flexible balloons can also be used as gas holders in some environments. The pressure allows the gas holder to force gas into the piping so it can be released as needed.
As historical artifacts, gas holders are objects of interest in some communities. They were typically housed in large buildings that might dominate the landscape in the middle of a city or town. The tanks within held the city’s gas supply, delivering it through the plumbing system to provide fuel for gas lighting and other uses. These gas holders have since been decommissioned with the advent of electricity, but the outdoor structures remain and in some cases have been preserved by historic societies.
The switch from gas to electricity has brought about a number of safety benefits for communities and the use of gas for lighting is extremely rare in the modern era. Historic gas lighting may be retained as a curiosity in some communities, particularly those that want to retain their historic character, but it is not a primary mode of street or home lighting. As a result, there is no need for a large tank of local gas supplies.
In industrial environments, a gas holder can be used to maintain ambient pressure in a system. It can help the system to remain stable even in the presence of environmental fluctuations. Gas canisters trap excess gas to prevent explosions and can create a temporary reservoir if needed. They can also be installed on equipment such as organic waste digesters to trap methane and other gases as they are released. These gases can be burned as fuel, making them economically useful to trap, and are also potential pollutants, so it’s important to prevent them from escaping with a gas trap.
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