Re: WAY off topic (was Re: nitrous in your car?)

[quk@isham-research.demon.co.uk (Phil Payne)]

In message <00cf01bf0b7a$df3a0360$ce86fc9e@BWunderlich.DIABETEX> Robert@Wunderlich.com writes:

> What if the tank is nearly empty (i.e. little or no liquid remaining)?  This
> is the scenario that bottle heaters are designed to address.

Gases under pressure worry me anyway, even without them being heated.

LPG (Liquified Petroleum Gas) is used all over Europe to power buses and
taxis, but there are signs on every multi-story car park in Europe
banning the stuff.

There was a disaster in Spain a few years ago when a propane tanker
ruptured - it turns out that the latent heat of evaporation of propane
combines with its specific heat to permit about half of a volume under
pressure at 30 oC to boil off instantly - this resulted in a cloud
several hundred metres across.  Somewhere within that space there was
a naked flame, and several dozen people were immolated.

Butane is a lot safer, and it's the only gas I ever carry in quantities
greater than 100gms.  I _do_ carry about 80gms of propane for leak
checking.

--
 Phil Payne
 UK Audi quattro Owners Club
 Phone: 0385 302803   Fax: 0870 0883933