Tank Explosion in Cozumel

[Rick Murchison]

nope... i can't find any news about it

Sooo.... barring coroborating evidence, I conclude there was no explosion.
Rick

 

[mike_s]

I got a 3600 Lb fill on an AL 80 that had no stickers of any kind and was all corroded (tank and valve).

While it's nice to have a lot of air, I treated it *very* gently and became much happier as the pressure dropped.

Terry

That could actually damage a normal regulator. The "YOKE" is typically only rated for 3000 psi. Yokes on some regulators have actually fractured in pieces at high pressure. Not a good thing when the regulator is pointed at the back of your head while youre diving.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

That could actually damage a normal regulator. The "YOKE" is typically only rated for 3000 psi. Yokes on some regulators have actually fractured in pieces at high pressure. Not a good thing when the regulator is pointed at the back of your head while youre diving.

Interesting ... so why would PST get away with putting Thermo valves on their E-series cylinders that allow people to use yoke regs with high-pressure fills?

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[mike_s]

Interesting ... so why would PST get away with putting Thermo valves on their E-series cylinders that allow people to use yoke regs with high-pressure fills?

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I dunno. Maybe some yokes are reated for more. I think I remember mine being only rated from 3000 psi or 3300 psi (but not 3500 or higher).

I'll try to remember to check it tonight.

 

[akscubainst]

Interesting ... so why would PST get away with putting Thermo valves on their E-series cylinders that allow people to use yoke regs with high-pressure fills?

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I think the intent is for you to be using a modern regulator with the tank/valve. The only reason they didn't go to 3500 was DOT wouldn't approve it.

That said, there are alot of old regs out there with very thin yokes made back when 2250psi was the norm. There is nothing (except hopefully common sense) stopping someone from using those yokes on an AL 80 or PST E-Series.

Dave

 

[Rick Murchison]

Sooo.... barring coroborating evidence, I conclude there was no explosion.
Rick

(1) I now have independent verification of the tank explosion in Cozumel. It was about two weeks ago. I have seen a photo of the manifold off a set of doubles that was next to the failed tank. Still do not know whether the tank was steel or AL, old or new, shop or privately owned etc...
(2) The "high/low" pressure cut-off is 232 bar/3442 PSI, which is the rating on "E" series cylinders.
Rick

 

[clive francis]

Ya mean like this?

no that is a crapy old dustbin that they have used to fill the bottles in, i mean a proper steel container like a water storage one that has heavy duty guage steel.

 

[clive francis]

Doesn't the DOT track these accidents? I don't know if anyone's read this article:

http://www.scubadiving.com/gear/tanks_and_weights/the_amazing_aluminum_80/

but it leads one to conclude that tank explosions are rare, specifically:

Can a tank so roughly handled, so rudely forced into shape, really be safe?



Are they or is this more marketing hype?

Is this not the reason why we use steel tanks in Europe?

i tried to get an aluminium tank filled that my dad had and the shop refused to do it on HSE grounds.

I think i have even seen adverts for stainless steel tanks.

 

[clive francis]

I wouldn't be surprised if "old tanks" often were sold cheaply to some of these "third world" dive operations.

A perfect example of something like this in the Aircraft industry happens all the time. The FAA issues an "Air Worthiness" Directive/notice about an aircraft part that is "defective", such as a propeller, calling for it's replacment. A new propeller can cost in the thousands of dollars. Someone I know buying two fo them for his Cessna 310 spent $15,000 on new propellers. I figured the old propellers were "worthless" and thought it would make a neat wall decoration, but "Nooooooooo", he was able to sell them for several thousand dollars to an aircraft parts exporter who would then "re-sell" them to someone who needed new propellers say in South America where the Air Worthiness Directive did not apply in that country.

The deffective part can fail down there just as easily in the US, but it's legal to still use them on your plane. Of course when the propellers come off several thousand feet above the ground, it can be a momentus ocassion.

in the UK if a tank fails, they chop it in half so you can't use it again.

 

[wedivebc]

I think i have even seen adverts for stainless steel tanks.

$tainle$$ $teel eh? Like to $ee that
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