Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Propane sub

[Ray Keefer <Ray.Keefer@west.sun.com>]

Hi Guys,

I just got back from a trip and man what a bunch of flame mail.

Yes, I'll be honest. My first reaction was "Oh my god you don't really want
to use propane." Guess what, it will work. A long time ago in the PSUBS
forum there was a thread that went something like this, "with the proper
design and cautious approach you can make a sub out of anything, even
popsicle sticks." Look for popsicle sticks in the archives.

It sounds like Craig has done his homework, knows what he is doing and
most of all has accepted the challeges to make his design work.
So go for it.

As for myself the the only propane I have played with is on the Bar-B-Que
so I won't mess with it. Mostly due to lack of experience.

Propane should make a useful fuel, but I wouldn't use it for ballast because
I would want to use it to produce energy. The ballast tanks can be
filled with exaust gases. I guess my attitude comes from being a tight
wad and would hate venting a gas into the air that I paid money for.

The only drawback I can remotely come up with is if you are operating in
cold water the propane may not gassify well or may freeze up an orfice or
pipe. Again Craig would have a better opinion on this then me. My
experince is limited to small propane camp stoves.

Craig, please keep in mind that you asked a bunch of guys with far less
experience in flammable gasses then you have for opinions. I doubt most
of us would have the knowledge set to give any real comment. We can
discuss our fears. We can discuss how to build a sub. However, detailed
specifics on how to design for use of propane is beyond us. So I guess
any further discusssion is pointless since we have all had our say. 

Now that I have weighed in with my two bits, can we put the flame war to
rest?

Regards,
Ray