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How Long Do Propane Bottles Last?
Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 12:21 am
by elitesniper
Hey guys, do you know how long a 14oz propane bottle would last on a meter that is 4inches of 1/4 steel pipe and the pressure is 45psi?
Grammar Edit by MrC, you almost have 500 posts, may as well make your posts look respectable.
Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 12:24 am
by MrCrowley
What pressure are you filling the chamber to?
You can only get a vague answer as the pressure of the propane changes with temperature. But most people still have their original bottles on their hybrids and combustion launchers, they last long enough.
Are you using the propane in a meter? If so give us the meter specs and the pressure you will be using the propane at.
Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 12:27 am
by elitesniper
yes i am using a propane meter the propane meter is 4inches of 1/4 steel pipe and the pressure is 45psi
Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 12:28 am
by MrCrowley
See my edited post, most people still have thier original bottle on their launchers.
Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 12:34 am
by elitesniper
what do you mean they still have the oringinal propane bottle, does that mean it never ran out yet?
Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 12:42 am
by MrCrowley
Yeah
Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 1:00 am
by elitesniper
ah thanks MrC, combustions are pretty fun cause there portable and i dont needa bring my aircompressor anywhere only a propane bottle hehe
Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 2:07 am
by SpudBlaster15
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Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 2:29 am
by jon_89
Wow I didnt realize a bottle would last that long. I think I should make one for my combustion.
Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 2:33 am
by Lentamentalisk
I'd say its probably actually a little more than that... You used STP, which is 0 deg C, which is very cold for shooting spuds... A better equation would be to use PV=nRT, but you get the point... You will never use it up
Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 3:50 am
by BigGrib
I have only ever used up one bottle to completion just because it was too cold to pressure up high enough
Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 6:59 pm
by jimmy101
Like others have said, for a standard sized combustion, it is unlikely you'll ever use up a 400g (14oz) propane bottle.
I'm on my second propane bottle. But only because, apparantly, one time the bottles internal valve didn't fully seal when the external valve was removed and the propane all pissed away over a couple months.
Following up on spudblasters math;
(400g)(mol propane/44g)(22.4L/mol) = 204L propane at STP (0C, 1ATM)
Instead of figuring the meter volume just figure out what volume of 4% mix that 400g is equivalent to.
For a 4% fuel mix that is (204L)(25) = 5100L.
Figure a typical combustion chamber at 2L, then you could fire the gun 2550 times at 0C. (The correction from 0C to say 80F is pretty minimal, roughly a factor of 1.1.)
That 5100L of propane+air mixture is 1350 gallons, 311,000 in<sup>3</sup>, 180 ft<sup>3</sup>