Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] airtank test

[Dan h <machine@epix.net>]

Dave,  I agree.  You are brave and can I add, a good welder too.  I'm
sure you realize that tanks to withstand this kind of pressure are
usually round and don't usually have any seams running down their length
either.  For safety sake, are you sure there isn't any way to use a
standard HP bottle that will take twice the pressure and mount it in
your pod if you need that shape.  A standard tank having twice that
pressure will hold twice the volume.  Even if the tank only fills half
of your pod you end up with the same amount of air but in a safe,
approved, and time tested tank.

Instead of testing with air, water or oil is far safer as Alec noted.
The easiest thing to use is a pressure washer.  Assemble a manifold with
a dump valve, a shut off valve, a pressure gauge, and another dump valve
for releasing the pressure you put in your tank.  First fill the tank to
be tested totally full of water and than hook up the manifold.  If you
have no air space in the tank it will lessen the dynamic force that can
do you harm if something lets loose.  Remember those water and air
rockets we played with as kids?  If your tank let loose it would take a
lot more than the cradle and protection you had.  Your tank and test
stand had the potential to penetrate a concrete block wall as you tested
it.  Please, be safe.  Even a tank filled solid with water has a static
potential do to the expansion of the tank itself but not as much as with
compressed air added also.

A pat on the back for your welding though.  ;-)  Nice work!

Dan H.

CARRO@wans.net wrote:

> This is an air storage tank.  It is part of my
> external pods.  The tank is filled with water to
> reduce the amout of compressed air in use.
> --- Original Message ---
> From: Alec Smyth <Asmyth@changepoint.com>
> To: "'personal_submersibles@psubs.org'"
> <personal_submersibles@psubs.org>
> Subject: RE: [PSUBS-MAILIST] airtank test
>
> >David, you brave man... it might be an idea to do
> that sort of testing with
> >a hydraulic pump rather than air! But what I'm
> curious about is that you
> >were testing with internal pressure -- is it a hard
> tank to be carried
> >inboard?
> >
> >
> >cheers,
> >
> >Alec
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: DAVID A HAVERBERG [mailto:carro@wans.net]
> >Sent: Wednesday, July 17, 2002 3:04 PM
> >To: personal_submersibles@psubs.org
> >Subject: [PSUBS-MAILIST] airtank test
> >
> >
> > <http://www.geocities.com/p_subman9>
> http://www.geocities.com/p_subman9
> >
> >I have added
> >Photos of my first componet test.
> >I need a different compression source to go to 2000
> psi.
> >