grenading PVC ballistic test

[mopherman]

Somehow really loud surprise bangs seem even worse if you've been heaving away at a pump nervously waiting for it to blow.

get someone to pump for you. Just dont tell them about the thurderous bang at the end.
might want to tape that

[Infernal Maveric]

Or you could hook up to a compressor, but i'm not sure if 150~PSI would burst a PVC pipe, so I guess pumping would be the only thing for it, unless some unregulated CO2 or Nitrogen is used.

[ShowNoMercy]

My plan is to use a bulk C02 tank with a reg and run each pipe through a series of increasing pressure, with a max of now 300 psi. If that fails to burst the pipe, I plan on having a small air cannon aimed at the pipe charged and ready to fire into the broadside of the charged test pipe. I am thinking of a blunt heavy object, probably a fishing sinker to be used as the projectile. My question as of now is what pipe should I test?

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

I would go for the worst case scenario first - a large diameter (over 2") DWV pipe at least a foot long.

[BC Pneumatics]

I don't think it was me.
Although "spraying water" sounds like it was hydrotested. Ruptures from pneumatic pressure have more violent results.

[Ultimate Weapon]

So, what happened to this idea? Anyone tested it? I would love to know.

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

So, what happened to this idea? Anyone tested it?

No takers as far as I can tell, for some reason people seem more keen to prevent their PVC from exploding than deliberately taking it beyond it's design limits

[SpudFarm]

i think i be able to do that but i will shoot the pipe with a pressure of 150psi. in norway all the pipe i can get is waste pipe and it will probably be pretty soon bechause i was thinking of going to the pipe shop this week to get parts for my coaxial so i should just throw in some bucks more and get some inches of 3" pipe and two endcaps :- )

would it be okay to do it the shooting way?

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

It would be more "realistic" if you used unrated DWV pipe and it exploded through overpressure, but by all means do it your own way if you can and show us the results

[SpudFarm]

if i could use overpressure i would do that but the only pressure source i got is a 150psi compressor and a shock pump...

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

I reckon large diameter DWV should fail easily at 150 psi

[Ragnarok]

I reckon large diameter DWV should fail easily at 150 psi

I have my doubts. If I remember my measurements, a length of unrated 110mm OD pipe with an ID of around 4" has a calculated yield pressure of around 600 psi.

Maybe a drainpipe, with thinner walls might go at 200-300, but from just static pressure with good joints, DWV is still quite tough. Should you start to move or abuse it, that will reduce the failure load quite heavily.

You'll need to get to quite large diameters and rather thin walls for a launcher to fail under 150 psi of static pressure. An outside effect, like dropping it or somehow otherwise weakening or shocking it would of course change that.

[bigbob12345]

I could do this test I have all the stuff to do it and a place to do it but I dont have any way to measure the pressure it goes off at.
And I dont know if my parents would even let me.

[brogdenlaxmiddie]

One thing you could do is to leave it outside overnite ( if its cold where you live).... that would prolly help busting it w/o much pressure.

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

I couple of saw cuts to induce fracture at the middle of the pipe would help

It's not so much the fail pressure but fragmentation patterns and shrapnel velocity that we're interested in here.