Data on cylinder ruptures

[2airishuman]

I'm trying to find some safety data on high pressure cylinders. So far I've only been able to find anecdotes. All of these fit one or more of these categories:

1) Rupture of 6351 alloy aluminum cylinders.
2) Accidents involving fires in pure oxygen or mixtures with over 40% oxygen.
3) Accidents in countries that lack any sort of effective regulatory oversight.
4) Cylinders that ruptured while undergoing hydrostatic testing.
5) Deliberate overpressurization to the point of rupture in a safe location for reasons of demonstration.
6) Accidents involving internal corrosion of scuba cylinders before annual VIPs became common in the early 1970s.

Have there been any accidents outside these categories? Links? Cites?

 

[Couv]

Iraq War Vet Dies in Unlikely Scuba Explosion

and a while back (80ies I think) there were a couple of incidents with al tanks painted with a high heat process.

 

[2airishuman]

Iraq War Vet Dies in Unlikely Scuba Explosion

http://abcnews.go.com/US/scuba-tank...war-veteran-russell-vanhorn/story?id=14502395

That incident involved an oxygen fire.

and a while back (80ies I think) there were a couple of incidents with al tanks painted with a high heat process.

I believe you're correct.

 

[KevinNM]

I've heard of one involving an AL80 being filled from a HP system when someone allowed way too much pressure into it. But it was all very vague.

 

[NAM001]

Call PSI to start with.

 

[Couv]

That incident involved an oxygen fire.

I wondered about that, but the newspapers have a propensity to describe all scuba tanks as "oxygen" tanks.

Good luck in your search, but if I'm honest (read selfish) I hope you don't uncover a great number of instances that are not accompanied by an explanation that you haven't already listed.

Cheers,

Couv

 

[nadwidny]

I'm trying to find some safety data on high pressure cylinders. So far I've only been able to find anecdotes. All of these fit one or more of these categories:

1) Rupture of 6351 alloy aluminum cylinders.
2) Accidents involving fires in pure oxygen or mixtures with over 40% oxygen.
3) Accidents in countries that lack any sort of effective regulatory oversight.
4) Cylinders that ruptured while undergoing hydrostatic testing.
5) Deliberate overpressurization to the point of rupture in a safe location for reasons of demonstration.
6) Accidents involving internal corrosion of scuba cylinders before annual VIPs became common in the early 1970s.

Have there been any accidents outside these categories? Links? Cites?

Aug 1994, Waterton National Park, Alberta, Canada. Steel tank exploded while filling. Apparently the burst disks were plugged as well as the OPV on the compressor.

This is the best link I could find and it's not 100% accurate as at the inquest the estimated pressure when the tank blew was over 5000psi.

Scuba diving related incidences

 

[JamesBon92007]

In the 60s my LDS in Lomita, Ca. had a ruptured steel tank on display on the wall. It wasn't too long after that when VIPs started happening.

Nearly all of the exploding tanks I've heard about would probably not have passed a VIP with the exception of Chinese aluminum tanks. According to Jose, my girlfriend's Discover Scuba instructor on Cozumel last year, a friend of his was killed (2015 or 2016, I think) on Cozumel while filling a Chinese aluminum 80. I believe the tank was fairly new. According to his story the op immediately got rid of all of the new Chinese tanks. Recently, my hydro test guy says the ones that "pop" are usually the small Chinese aluminum tanks. The ones he mentioned are being used for paintball. If I recall correctly he had several old steel 72s that failed hydro but I don't think any of them burst. I also wonder if they actually failed or if there was something amiss in his test equipment because from what I have heard this is rare. He suspected an "environmental" factor as the cause which he said could be attributed to such things as exposure to excessive heat or possibly repeated over-filling (cave fills). He was going to condemn one of my tanks but then re-tested it after doing some others and it passed. He said there was air stuck in the water lines.

To me it would be very interesting to know the total number of scuba tanks that have ruptured since the sport began. My guess is that it's not a very large number.

 

[2airishuman]

In the 60s my LDS in Lomita, Ca. had a ruptured steel tank on display on the wall.

I believe that most of the ruptured "display" cylinders are ones that ruptured during hydro. I wonder if some are ones destined to be scrapped for other reasons then deliberately over-pressurized in the hydro tank for demonstration purposes. There are far more of these around than there have been accidents.

 

[JamesBon92007]

I believe that most of the ruptured "display" cylinders are ones that ruptured during hydro. I wonder if some are ones destined to be scrapped for other reasons then deliberately over-pressurized in the hydro tank for demonstration purposes. There are far more of these around than there have been accidents.

This particular tank was spread out like a peeled banana. Is that how most "display" tanks look?