From: MV (MV@dc9.tzo.com)
Date: Fri Nov 11 2005 - 11:23:00 PST
In the US, pressure tanks used for low pressure compressed air are
rarely if ever tested on a regular basis. I am not sure why except that
the normal failure mode seems to be pinhole leaks due to corrosion which
will just make your pump run a lot more! High pressure welding type
cylinders have to be hydrostatically tested every 5 years or so
depending on the tank type and class.
Personally I get a lot more nervous walking around high pressure steam
systems than compressed air tanks.
I think that fear goes back to a stupid stunt I did to see just how hot
a small steam leak was - the guys in the plant were cooking hotdogs over
the leak (small valve cracked) and I decided to wave my hand over the
leak to see just how hot it could be. You only do that once. I gained
immediate respect for high pressure steam.
I live in a heavy Amish area and a lot of them use compressed air in
place of electricity. They have air powered fans, etc in their houses.
To minimize costs some of them use big propane tanks to hold
compressed air. Like 500+ gallon units. That way they can run their
gas powered compressors only once in a while, pump up the tank or tanks,
and still run the fans all day. Propane tanks don't have water drain
valves so I have no idea how they get the condensate out of the tanks.
I keep thinking that one day I am going to hear about a huge explosion
at an amish farm where a 500 or 1000+ gallon propane tank charged with
air has exploded and leveled the farm. It never happens and as far as I
can tell has never happened around here. I think they just rust
pinholes and the tank is scrapped. Knowing the amish pretty well I'm
sure that there are probably 50+ propane tanks within a couple miles of
my house charged up with 175 psi air.
Dave
noel shelley wrote:
> Hi Pete and the List ,
> YOUR COMPRESSOR TANK IS A PRESSURE VESSEL
> read BOMB !!
> If the tank is so corroded that it has pin holes in it SCRAP IT .
> DO NOT TRY TO REPAIR IT !
> Compressor tanks should be regularly tested by a competent person and duly
> certificated .To satisfy ones self one could IF one has the knowledge and
> equipment carry out a hydraulic test BUT you will not have a certificate .
> IF the tank lets go , the failure to have a certificate leaves you wide
> open to allsorts of charges some CRIMINAL!!!!!!!
> THE FAILURE OF A PRESSURE VESSEL EVEN A SMALL ONE ,IS CATASTROPHIC , OFTEN
> RESULTING IN INJURY OR DEATH !
>
> PLEASE HEED THIS WARNING Noel
>
>
>
> ===Mil-Veh is a member-supported mailing list===
> To unsubscribe, send e-mail to <mil-veh-off@mil-veh.org>
> To reach a human, contact <ackyle@gmail.com>
> Visit the searchable archives at http://www.mil-veh.org/archives/
>
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Tue Jul 18 2006 - 21:31:54 PDT