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Re: Carbon dioxide leak? Valve failure? Overfill?
In a message dated 98-12-13 03:59:31 EST, you write:
> <<
> I took the tank back and of course they gave me another. Their only
> explanation is that it must have been overfilled and when it warmed up
> in my car it was enough to blow the safety valve, which could have been
> defective. >>
> Very strange, crazily strange. I taught H.S. physics and chemistry and have
> never heard of such. The gas at human-car temperatures should not, would
not
> have caused the OP valve to open (goes to several hundred psi, and that's
it
> at a stated ambient temp.)... and it could not have been overfilled... even
> all the way to the top... very strange and scary. Could it be the temp. of
> the
> liquefied gas causing the valve to fail as the cylinder lay over less than
> vertical?
>
How 'bout this explanation. They tank and the CO2 was cold, and they
overfilled the tank, so it contained a *lot* of liquid CO2 and not much gas.
The liquid is not compressable, so when it expands (due to the temperature
rising to ambiant) the pressure skyrockets. It's been a while since I have
seen a phase diagram for CO2, but the more liquid you put in a pressure tank,
the less compressable room you have left. And liquids expand when they are
heated.
I've seen some really heated discussion about this topic on an airgun forum.
bob