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Date:         Thu, 20 Apr 2000 08:38:14 MST
Reply-To:     Sean Garrett <seangar@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Sean Garrett <seangar@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Physics of LP tank filling Was: Filling LP tank for the first time
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

I got to thinking about the physics of this last night and I may be wrong. LP is Liquified Petroleum, right? A liquid does not compress, right? It is a liquid because it is compressed. Therefore it might not matter about the size of the holes for bleeding and filling. A liquid will exit as slow/fast as it enters the tank no matter the size of the holes. The problem with this is LP is in a compressed state, in its natural state it is a gas, (normal temp and atmosheric pressure). As it enters the tank ( partial vacum compared to the filling hose pressure) it might revert to its natural state (gas) and then as it copresses (filling the tank) then it would become a liquid. So as it reaches the 80% mark it could be mostly liquid and therefore might exit the tank at the same rate as it enters meaning the size of the holes dont matter. I MIGHT be wrong!

Any thoughts anyone? SeanG >From: Paul Borghese <paul98@PRODIGY.NET> >Reply-To: Paul Borghese <paul98@PRODIGY.NET> >To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM >Subject: Re: Filling LP tank for the first time >Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2000 17:03:00 -0400 > >If you look at your valve, there is a very small wheel to the right of fill >connector. The propane distributor opens the wheel before filling the >thank. When the tank is filled (I believe at 80%), propane will start >shooting out the small side nozzle, again to the right. This tells the >operator that the tank is filled to the correct specification. > >The wheel is turned the opposite direction to close the nozzle and stop the >flow of propane, money exchanges hands and you drive off into the sunset >assured that your tank is at 80%. > >While I am not a propane expert, I seem to recall that the distributor can >not even begin to fill the tank unless the wheel is opened. It is usually >a >situation where we both stare at each other wondering why no propane is >entering the tank until one of us remembers the wheel. Once the wheel is >opened the propane flows. At 80% it starts shooting out the side. > >To overfill the tank beyond the 80% maximum, the operator would need to >continue filling while propane is shooting out the side! The entire system >is a safety mechanism to prevent overfill. > > >Take care, > >Paul > > > >----- Original Message ----- >From: John Fried <john@DATAKNIGHT.COM> >Newsgroups: groupstudy.vanagon >Sent: Tuesday, April 18, 2000 4:04 PM >Subject: Re: Filling LP tank for the first time > > > > Pardon me for jumping in, but how can you tell how full/empty the > > propane tank is? There is no gauge or indicator that I can find. > > > > John > > '85 Westy > > > > Sean Garrett wrote: > > > > > > Be careful here, some service stations will overfill your tank. Until >you > > > get a handle on how much it will hold I would only put in 2 dollars of >LP > > > the 1st time (if it is truly empty). Overfilling your tank can cause >some > > > minor problems operating the fridge (in my experience). I don't think >that > > > two many people will agree with me, but I have a theory about >overfilled > > > tanks and their casual impact on fridge operation. It wont hurt to >just >put > > > in a little and not more than 80%. Most idiots that fill these tanks >will > > > shut off the gas after it has reached the recommended 80% level. > > ---

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