Pimp's Potato Gun Research Paper
Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2006 12:47 am
Yea, baby I'm finally done with my ruff draft! I posting it just so you can read and so you can comment seeing as this is a "ruff" draft. Im sure Ive screwed up and used wrong wordage, but hey this is going into a english teacher that doesnt even know what a potato gun is... Have fun reading!!!
"...Potato cannon, a piece of artillery that shoots exactly what the name implies." (Carlson)
There is three different type of potato guns, which all create a pressure difference propelling the projectile. Combustion is the first type which uses pressure from the explosion of a gaseous fuel to create pressure. The second method is pneumatic, this design releases a chamber full of compressed gas at quick rate. The last manner of creating a pressure difference is a hybrid design, this technique simply increases both the fuel and air amount in a balanced manner, this produces more pressure then a typical combustion.
Before learning about the different types of potato guns, one should understand what makes a potato gun, a potato gun. A potato gun is homemade gun which can propel a potato or other projectile without using a solid propellant. Instead it “…uses a rapidly expanding volume of gas to move a potato,” or whatever happens to be the projectile. Normally potato guns shoot large diameter projectiles. These cannons are normally constructed of pressure rated PVC pipe and fittings which can be found at any self respecting hardware store. Although some other potato guns are made out of other materials for design reasons. One such material is steel tubing due to its high pressure capabilities needed in high pressure generating cannons. Ironically these devices are called potato guns, but are often used to launch things such as batteries, marbles, tennis balls, golf balls, and more. Joel Surprise the owner of Spudtech (a online potato gun forum) has very clearly stated the options when it comes to projectiles "The projectiles, are pretty much limited to one's imagination." There is two basic methods of propelling the projectile, combustion and pneumatic generated pressure.
The first method is a combustive gaseous fuel is stored in a chamber then ignited which produces thirty to fifty pounds per square inch of pressure. Then because of the pressure created by the combustion behind the projectile, it is then forced out of the barrel with a muzzle velocity of approximately four hundred miles per hour . This method is called combustion. The gaseous fuel is ignited by spark, which can be made by a grill igniter, stun gun, ignition coil, etc.
The other method of propelling the projectile is known as pneumatic. The way a pneumatic works is a chamber holding pressurized gas is sealed by a valve which is also connected to the barrel containing the projectile. Then the valve is opened and the gas is allowed to escape, pushing the projectile out of the barrel. Typical pneumatic style potato guns operate from forty to one hundred and twenty pounds per square inch of compressed air. Although, air is typically used there is other gases used in a pneumatic style gun. Carbon Dioxide is sometimes used because its typically stored in easily purchasable bottles that can be filled for a few dollars then can release around eight hundred pounds per square inch of pressure, meanwhile most air compressors only are capable of producing one hundred and fifty pounds per square inch. Other gases are used for there high viscosity and they flow better because of it. Compressed air is suitable for the average person constructing such a device, but the other gases are used in attempts to break the sound barrier with their projectiles and other demanding projects. Most pneumatics are improved by increasing the flow rate and opening time of a valve. One of the best known valves, that has a high flow rate and a fast opening time, it is the “supah” valve made by Joel Surprise and sold for one hundred dollars.
Generally pneumatic styled launchers are more powerful, because they are commonly able to exert more pressure on the projectile. That was true until a man by the name of David Rabbit discovered that you could increase the air ratio in a combustion which would allow you to inject more fuel. Before this the only way to increase power of a combustion was to do one of the following: change to a more combustible fuel, increase chamber size, and/ or change proportion of the combustion chamber. Normally a person would think that you could simply increase the fuel amount and it will generate a greater combustion pressure, but if to much fuel is inserted the fuel will become non-ignitable. So there needs to be a ratio between air and fuel which is about one part fuel to twenty five part air for propane. Then the way to increase the amount of fuel, but still being ignitable, is to increase the amount of air via a compressed air source. This manner of producing a higher pressure by increasing both the air and fuel pressure has been dubbed as a hybrid style launcher. This process of increasing the combustion pressure is extremely dangerous and sometimes has resulted in a part of the launcher failing due to excessive pressure. So it is typically recommended by experts that they be constructed of steel instead of the typical PVC construction, that they are remotely fired, and that the person operating the cannon is behind a protective barrier.
As stated above there is three different styles of potato launchers, listed below in order of power. A combustion launcher, that uses the explosion of a low fuel mixture to create a pressure difference. A pneumatic launcher, these work by releasing a burst of gas through a valve that also creates a pressure difference. The last method is a hybrid configured launcher, which uses a combination of both a pressurized air and fuel to produce a higher pressure, thus creating a higher pressure difference. Although these seem to be sophisticated, all three configurations simply create a pressure difference. Then the projectile is forced out in process of the pressure difference balancing.
DANG, that was long! THE END!
"...Potato cannon, a piece of artillery that shoots exactly what the name implies." (Carlson)
There is three different type of potato guns, which all create a pressure difference propelling the projectile. Combustion is the first type which uses pressure from the explosion of a gaseous fuel to create pressure. The second method is pneumatic, this design releases a chamber full of compressed gas at quick rate. The last manner of creating a pressure difference is a hybrid design, this technique simply increases both the fuel and air amount in a balanced manner, this produces more pressure then a typical combustion.
Before learning about the different types of potato guns, one should understand what makes a potato gun, a potato gun. A potato gun is homemade gun which can propel a potato or other projectile without using a solid propellant. Instead it “…uses a rapidly expanding volume of gas to move a potato,” or whatever happens to be the projectile. Normally potato guns shoot large diameter projectiles. These cannons are normally constructed of pressure rated PVC pipe and fittings which can be found at any self respecting hardware store. Although some other potato guns are made out of other materials for design reasons. One such material is steel tubing due to its high pressure capabilities needed in high pressure generating cannons. Ironically these devices are called potato guns, but are often used to launch things such as batteries, marbles, tennis balls, golf balls, and more. Joel Surprise the owner of Spudtech (a online potato gun forum) has very clearly stated the options when it comes to projectiles "The projectiles, are pretty much limited to one's imagination." There is two basic methods of propelling the projectile, combustion and pneumatic generated pressure.
The first method is a combustive gaseous fuel is stored in a chamber then ignited which produces thirty to fifty pounds per square inch of pressure. Then because of the pressure created by the combustion behind the projectile, it is then forced out of the barrel with a muzzle velocity of approximately four hundred miles per hour . This method is called combustion. The gaseous fuel is ignited by spark, which can be made by a grill igniter, stun gun, ignition coil, etc.
The other method of propelling the projectile is known as pneumatic. The way a pneumatic works is a chamber holding pressurized gas is sealed by a valve which is also connected to the barrel containing the projectile. Then the valve is opened and the gas is allowed to escape, pushing the projectile out of the barrel. Typical pneumatic style potato guns operate from forty to one hundred and twenty pounds per square inch of compressed air. Although, air is typically used there is other gases used in a pneumatic style gun. Carbon Dioxide is sometimes used because its typically stored in easily purchasable bottles that can be filled for a few dollars then can release around eight hundred pounds per square inch of pressure, meanwhile most air compressors only are capable of producing one hundred and fifty pounds per square inch. Other gases are used for there high viscosity and they flow better because of it. Compressed air is suitable for the average person constructing such a device, but the other gases are used in attempts to break the sound barrier with their projectiles and other demanding projects. Most pneumatics are improved by increasing the flow rate and opening time of a valve. One of the best known valves, that has a high flow rate and a fast opening time, it is the “supah” valve made by Joel Surprise and sold for one hundred dollars.
Generally pneumatic styled launchers are more powerful, because they are commonly able to exert more pressure on the projectile. That was true until a man by the name of David Rabbit discovered that you could increase the air ratio in a combustion which would allow you to inject more fuel. Before this the only way to increase power of a combustion was to do one of the following: change to a more combustible fuel, increase chamber size, and/ or change proportion of the combustion chamber. Normally a person would think that you could simply increase the fuel amount and it will generate a greater combustion pressure, but if to much fuel is inserted the fuel will become non-ignitable. So there needs to be a ratio between air and fuel which is about one part fuel to twenty five part air for propane. Then the way to increase the amount of fuel, but still being ignitable, is to increase the amount of air via a compressed air source. This manner of producing a higher pressure by increasing both the air and fuel pressure has been dubbed as a hybrid style launcher. This process of increasing the combustion pressure is extremely dangerous and sometimes has resulted in a part of the launcher failing due to excessive pressure. So it is typically recommended by experts that they be constructed of steel instead of the typical PVC construction, that they are remotely fired, and that the person operating the cannon is behind a protective barrier.
As stated above there is three different styles of potato launchers, listed below in order of power. A combustion launcher, that uses the explosion of a low fuel mixture to create a pressure difference. A pneumatic launcher, these work by releasing a burst of gas through a valve that also creates a pressure difference. The last method is a hybrid configured launcher, which uses a combination of both a pressurized air and fuel to produce a higher pressure, thus creating a higher pressure difference. Although these seem to be sophisticated, all three configurations simply create a pressure difference. Then the projectile is forced out in process of the pressure difference balancing.
DANG, that was long! THE END!
i did in 7th grade, its kind of funny cause i made it to simulate a volcano and one of my friends dropped in some bb's when i wasnt looking, when i shot it off it blew a bunch of holes in the celing, boy was my teacher pissed, ive gotten 26 detentions over the course of this year, but my teachers all love me 
the only time i got suspended was for threating a kid at school 
kind of weird ididnt even touch him 
