Re: LPG Tank Ruptures....

Feb 23, 2006 Last reply: 20 years ago 18 Replies


Errrrr,,,,,, i have been overfilling [max.] my LPG tank for years, >really from day 1


>If i dont get 82L of LPG in my 68L tank, i dont get 560km
>I *thought* LPG tanks where super strong & kinda "bomb-proof".....NOT

How can they be bomb-proof? The # 1 most dangerous risk with any compressed flammable gas container is a BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Escaping Vapour Explosion) in fire fighting terminology.


If a tank is actually going to rupture because it's over-filled, then the tank isn't designed properly. I'm not sure if this is part of the Australian Standard for LPG tanks in motor vehicles, but the common-sense rule of thumb is that you design a tank to safely hold up to double it's rated capacity of gas to provide a suitable margin of physical safety.


But if the design is flawed, or the tank hasn't been made properly, or it's damaged as a result of an accident, it's an explosion just waiting to happen.


Anyone who was in Sydney on the night that the Boral LPG facility at Cooks River failed and several of the very large fixed tanks BLEVE'd will know just how powerful that sort of explosion can be. 8-)


Craig.

Yet they wont allow hydrogen cells in cars cause they might *gasp* explode.

"=?utf-8?B?bWYxQHByb2plY3QxMjIxLmNvbeS4reWNjuS6uuawkeWFseWSjOWbvTzXlNee15XXodeT>

Damned, I missed that :) When did it happened? Musta been some yrs ago. Any chance of organising another demo? :)

"=?utf-8?B?bWYxQHByb2plY3QxMjIxLmNvbeS4reWNjuS6uuawkeWFseWSjOWbvTzXlNee15XXodeT>

Cool overfilling is safe then, thanks.

That is precisely why a BLEVE situation is so dangerous, because if an LPG tanks self-vents when heated in a fire, if there is direct flame inpingment on the metal of the tank as the liquid level falls the metal above the level of the liquid is no longer being cooled by the liquid, and it's that which causes tank failures leading to a bleve.

99.9999999 percent of people who run vehicles on LPG will never, ever be involved in anything like that, but here in my part of Sydney our local RFS brigade (which I'm a member of) has over-riding responsibility for all emergency situations that occur in our area. That includes all motor-vehicle accidents as well as bushfires, house fires, etc.

So we get to deal with LPG-powered vehicles damaged and/or burning after an accident quite regularly and are extremely cautious if there is any evidence of an LPG tank (or any other type of compressed flammable gas) involved.

Even a small LPG tank can bleve in the right conditions.

Craig.

Ok tell me how I can overfill an LPG tank? The vapour feedback is engineered into the tank to return any liquid over the 82% safe fill capacity. Overfilling just wont work - you will get liquid gas going down the piping to the carb/pre heaters when you are supposed to only get vapour.

The general rules of physics is that liquids are incompressable, once your tank is full, its full, it does n't matter how much more you think you are putting in it, its full!! The servos must love you, "here comes that gas tank overfilling fanatic who thinks he can get

70 litres of gas in a 60 litre tank".

The water capacity of the tank is 80%, so I usually stand them up in the back of the 'lux for farm: hot water, stove, fridge, when filling from the bowser.

You don't really wanna fill it to 100% liquid, even if you could. Propane tends to get the shites, as is -44 boiling point. To understand any of this, get a syringe and play with compressing butane back and forth in it.

You illegally stuff around with the or remove the automatic 80% fill limiter that is required by law, till it lets you put 100% in.

Bzzzzt, wrong, if you put 60litres in a 60 litre tank you are overfilling.

When i am talking of "overfilling" i am refering to "tricking" the float in the tank [as mentioned by u, its usual that float shuts off the flow of LPG at around the 80% full level. [I was going to empty the tank as much as possible, connect a steel long pipe burn off the remainder left, then open and throw the float to the shithouse, but have hot had a chance to do it yet.Besides my helper GJB has moved to the Wimmera]

My tank when empty shuts off @ around 68L when filling, but i am having none of that. What u do when refilling is SLOWLY press on the trigger of the nozzle after the valve locks @ 80% level which is bang on 68L [repeat SLOWLY] and the LPG will start to flow again, into your tank.The SLOWLY you can increase the flow back up to max speed till full. NOT enough for me i start to shake the car side to side and it still keeps flowing in but at a very slow rate.By about 80/82L its full [once got 84L only once] and LOVE when i read "NO FLOW" on the bowser and hear the compressor turn off at the servo because then its finally FULL

68L = 459km 82L = 555km

As you can see heaps more distance between fills [LESSON learnt. # 1, Next LPG conversion i will have at least 100L in overfill capacity, i want to be able to travel from Melb. to Adelaide without having to flick over to ULP just as i get to Tailem Bend and those bloody hills]

Read above and learn

Cheers

There is obviously a reason they make it law to only fill to 80%, they wouldn't do it for nothing. If you have a problem with capacity, stop being a tight arse and get a bigger tank or get another tank. Legal, safe and you won't end up blowing yourself up with your dodgy sounding "long pipe". Having LPG on your car has its set backs (like tanks taking up space), but you should have looked into these BEFORE you put the LPG onto your car. Gas is cheaper to run than petrol, so spend some cash and do something legal about it.

By the way, if you throw out the float, you will have no idea how much gas you have, wouldn't you remove the AFL valve instead?

marin

hes talkin bout the float on the AFL

"=?utf-8?B?bWYxQHByb2plY3QxMjIxLmNvbeS4reWNjuS6uuawkeWFseWSjOWbvTzXlNee15XXodeT>>

"=?utf-8?B?bWYxQHByb2plY3QxMjIxLmNvbeS4reWNjuS6uuawkeWFseWSjOWbvTzXlNee15XXodeT>>>

Bloody thickhead, who doesn't get sarcasm!

"=?utf-8?B?bWYxQHByb2plY3QxMjIxLmNvbeS4reWNjuS6uuawkeWFseWSjOWbvTzXlNee15XXodeT>>>

That should of course read "Danger Will Robinson, Danger", another example of CRAFT disease I'm afraid.

I wasn't gonna mention it :)

Join the Discussion

Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.

Didn't find your answer?

Ask the community — no account required