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Old 02-01-2005, 02:54 PM   #10 (permalink)
soundmotor
Crazy
 
Location: Near & There
Quote:
Originally Posted by dashdot
I believe that type of arrestor would be used for things like Oxy/Fuel torches, natural gas lines, etc. Gasoline, being liquid, is a very different animal. I'm not even sure that flashback is possible if the fuel line is 100% filled with fuel (ie, no oxygen for combustion).

Flashback would occur if the nozzle got blocked, the hose got a leak, or, worst case scenario, I kept squeezing the trigger when the gasoline stream became atomized (becuase its almost out of gasoline). For the latter situation, a giant explosion is almost certain, in my mind. Atomized gasoline, under high pressure with a large supply of oxygen? It'd be like being inside an engine cylinder, only much more devastating.

Truth be told, this thing is terrifying to operate. But its so much fun!

I think that if I can keep the fuel from atomizing (by releasing the trigger before it starts to), I won't have a problem of sudden rapid expansion of my personal self.

The only solution that I've been able to come up with would be installing some kind of float valve inside the tank that would safely shut off flow somehow when the fuel level dropped below a certain level (like the overfill device in propane tanks, or your toilet).

Another solution would be to use a nonflammable gas, like nitrogen or carbon dioxide, to pressurize the fuel tank, rather than regular shop air. I like this idea much better, but, as with everything I do, price was more of an issue than safety. I wonder how much it costs to rent/fill an N2 cylinder from Airgas.

Flame cannot propagate through perforated tubes; again IIRC. This is the same type of arrestor you would see on old style, squatty metal gas cans. It doesn't matter if the flame is feeding on a gas or a liquid it will not pass on. The best bet would be to find an image of a WWII flamethrower arrestor and compare. Once in a great while, Numrich has nozzles for sale BTW.

If I recall my HS chemistry/science, you are correct in your assertion that "I'm not even sure that flashback is possible if the fuel line is 100% filled with fuel (ie, no oxygen for combustion). " It will only combust where exposed to oxygen. However, using nitrogen as the propellant intuitively makes sense to me and does indeed seem far safer than shop air. Why not use a nitrogen tank from a paintball system?

soundmotor

Last edited by soundmotor; 02-01-2005 at 02:59 PM..
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