[Vwdiesel] Seeking experience or data on Petter stationary diesels

[James Hansen]

Anyway, when they first built it, they did a hydro test on it, up to 10,000
psi or something like that.  Apparently some part of
the gun failed under the test and blew apart quite spectacularly.  Folks
were standing around observing the test and I think
some were hurt, not sure about that.

______

Probably were hurt.  I know water is only slightly incompressible, but when
you say hydrostatic test, everyone probably thinks first of a boiler hydro
test, where your pressure is only a few hundreds of pounds pressure.  I've
had a boiler fitting pop at 200psi, and it was benign.  ten cupfulls of
water fell out of the boiler at the time.  Now forward to a ten thousand
pound hydro test.... well that should have been in a blast cage. Just a case
of smart people not thinking.  Happens every day.
 If you do hydro test stuff, get all the air out, same deal as using the
greasgun trick to free a piston. Trapped air is an effective battery. Grease
has yet to fail to remove the piston.  It is viscous enough to not squeeze
out of the rings too fast, and doesn't break stuff as badly as whanging away
at it with a block of wood and a hammer.  I've blown up a ten ton hydraulic
cylinder jacking a piston out. That was fun.  grease would have been better,
but here I sit, still alive, older, and hopefully smarter and wiser...




-James
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