[Public-List] Propane bottles and the V2 aboard

[dan walker]

it's that canadien air

--- On Sun, 3/14/10, John Birch <Sunstone at cogeco.ca> wrote:

> From: John Birch <Sunstone at cogeco.ca>
> Subject: Re: [Public-List] Propane bottles and the V2 aboard
> To: "Alberg 30 Public List -- open to all" <public-list at lists.alberg30.org>
> Date: Sunday, March 14, 2010, 9:16 PM
> 7 lb of propane in the bilge and a
> spark - can you say the first astronaught to go into space
> without a rocket or suit.
> 
> That wouldn't end well for sure.
> 
> When I was 16 or 17, my mates and I used to experiment with
> rockets and rocket fuels - got quite good at it. Even made
> up V-2 Rocket Fuel using manganese as a catalyst, H2O2 and
> Alcohol - hey I didn't have access to a ready supply of
> platinum as a catalyst.
> 
> We spent most of a semester at high school building a 7'
> long liquid fueled rocket. Spent ages in the machine shop
> surreptitiously making an aluminum engine and bell.
> 
> The igniter was magnesium wire bonded inside the engine
> with epoxy and the guidance system was a simple model
> airplane radio remote server set with vanes on the fins.
> With no access to pumps suitable we had a small air
> pressurized tank to force the fuel and H2O2 into the engine
> which we pumped up with a bicycle pump.
> 
> What we didn't know was that the igniter must be running
> before the fuel and peroxide going through the catalyst hits
> the engine. As we had no remote switching to turn on the
> fuel lines - we reversed the process and turned the lines on
> with breakaway string soaked in gun powder and then ran to
> the ditch and hit the igniter coil.
> 
> We figured it would rise like a Redstone.
> 
> Well, the Rocket disappeared completely in the resulting
> explosion and fire ball without a trace.
> 
> After months of work we were most disappointed. But it was
> "neat" and big explosion ; )
> 
> Later we leaned that the pure Oxygen we were producing
> through the catalyst pools into globules with alcohol and
> becomes highly unstable if allowed to do so without being
> burned to prevent pooling.
> 
> The Germans learned that the hard way 30 or so years
> before.
> 
> Anyway, one day when I was 14 - before the great rocket
> experiment, I wanted to experiment with Butane and it's
> heavier than air qualities. Model solid fuel rockets had
> become boring.
> 
> So I took a BIC lighter, discharged it without flame for 5
> seconds into the toilet bowl. Stood back and tossed in a
> match. The resulting concussion was palpable and shook all
> the windows in the house.
> 
> As Tom Lehrer's great song 'Werner Von Braun' went, "once
> zey go up, who cares vhere zey come down, zat's not my
> department said Verner Von Braun"
> 
> I am always amazed that I am still alive with all ten -
> someone upstairs is looking after me.
> 
> Fools & drunks eh what !?
> 
> Best
> 
> John
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Hugh McCormack" <hugh_alberg at hotmail.com>
> To: <public-list at lists.alberg30.org>
> Sent: Sunday, March 14, 2010 4:30 PM
> Subject: Re: [Public-List] Propane bottles
> 
> 
> > 
> > Rod,
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > We had a 40 lb bottle at work start to leak 2 summers
> ago.  It turned out to have been over-filled and, as
> the tank warmed up, the tank over-pressure vented through
> the relief valve which worked as designed. We first thought
> that the valve was defective but when I took the tank to the
> nearest propane dealer to find out what was wrong they found
> that the tank was 7 lbs over weight even after an hour or
> more of venting.  They weren't long venting the
> remaining excess and then they condemned the tank because
> > it was past its mandatory inspection.  It should
> never have been filled in the first place!  The
> supervisor of the work crew who had planned to use the tank
> was quite unconcerned about the potential hazard and was
> more upset over the lost propane.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Hugh
> > 
> >> From: weatherhelm at hotmail.com
> >> To: public-list at lists.alberg30.org
> >> Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2010 13:47:37 -0400
> >> Subject: [Public-List] Propane bottles
> >> 
> >> 
> >> One more warning. I used to remove the one pound
> bottle from the camp stove and my plumbers torch when not in
> use until one time the seal on the bottle failed to close
> properly and an almost full pound of propane leaked out
> before I needed it next. That was a distressing discovery.
> >> At least the 20 pound tank has a shut off valve.
> Has anyone experienced them leaking ?
> >> 
> >> Rod
> >> 
> > 
> >
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