Thread: Carrying an LPG bottle on roof rack

Originally Posted by d2dave

I used to hold a ticket to transport dangerous goods. This is were I learnt about BLEVE's.

Now my understanding of it is that it is caused by the bottle rupturing due to it being so hot due to the fire. The steel get soft, the container ruptures and then the fire causes the explosion.

If a bottle ruptures with no ignition source there is no BLEVE. And without a fire softening the steel it is highly unlikely for a bottle to rupture in the first place.

How can the liquid boil and expand explosively? When you open the tap and let gas out it is boiling.

75% correct, if the relief valve can get the excessive pressure off, then only the gas vented thru the valve will burn off & no BLEVE. If the relief valve cannot vent the gas sufficiently ( usually preceded by a shrill whistle - but only if vapour is escaping-) the pressure builds up to a point that the cylinder ruptures ( helped by being heat weakened) and the rush of boiling liquid expands out into the atmosphere & - being superheated & in flames, - immediately explodes. Having one upright on a roof is a waste of time if the vehicle rolls on to its side & catches fire.
So the clever bit would be to place the cylinder so it is upright after an accident
Cylinders are unlikely to explode unless "blowtorched" by another. It necessarily need not be on fire, but subject to it, to explode.
In my 25 years in the LPG industry, I have only one photograph of a flattened cylinder & that was in an inferno.


Cheers, David

Originally Posted by d2dave

Have a read of number 10.

So a 9kg bbq or caravan bottle can be transported in the car. Given that it is the most popular, and domestically the largest size, I wouldn't think we should be rushing to enroll in accreditation courses and buying utes.

Oh, some interesting viewing:
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQFphkoiq3g[/ame]

So what you are seeing here is gas bottles which were obviously full, getting a bit hot, expanding and then venting gas. After venting the pressure drops and the vent closes.

Providing you are not in the path of the flame this is not dangerous.

This is why when fitting a gas bottle to a caravan the gas bottle vent should be facing away from the caravan, so if a bottle vents and something ignites it it will not burn the van.

In the Utube shown above a BLEVE did not happen.

Originally Posted by d2dave

So what you are seeing here is gas bottles which were obviously full, getting a bit hot, expanding and then venting gas. After venting the pressure drops and the vent closes.

Providing you are not in the path of the flame this is not dangerous.

This is why when fitting a gas bottle to a caravan the gas bottle vent should be facing away from the caravan, so if a bottle vents and something ignites it it will not burn the van.

In the Utube shown above a BLEVE did not happen.

add to that Russian Red 30KG gas bottles have no handle to guarding around the Valve. its not uncommon to see one fall off a truck, or just be knocked over and take the valve clean off. like once a month i saw one go off. not always in fames

These are the links to various rules/regulations pertaining to the transport of small L P Gas cylinders in the various states of Australia.

Queensland

[ame]http://mines.industry.qld.gov.au/assets/petroleum-pdf/info_cylindertransport.pdf[/ame]

New South Wales

[ame]http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/formspublications/publications/Documents/transporting_of_small_gas_cylinders_fact_sheet_096 6.pdf[/ame]

Victoria

[ame]http://www.vwa.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/22983/Alert-Storinggascylindersinvehicles.pdf[/ame]

Tasmania

WorkSafe Tasmania | Safe transportation of gas cylinders

Northern Territory

[ame]http://www.worksafe.nt.gov.au/NewsRoom/Documents/safe_use_of_liquefied_petroleum_gas_from_cylinders .pdf[/ame]

South Australia

https://www.sa.gov.au/topics/water-e...ittings#title3

Western Australia

Private vehicles - Department of Mines and Petroleum

[ame]http://www.dmp.wa.gov.au/documents/Pamphlets/DGS_P_SAVPickingUpSomeLPGasForYourBarbeque.pdf[/ame]

I will not be offering further comment, apart from recommending that any/all cylinders are transported in an upright position in a position & not inside of a vehicle.

With the upmost respect to all, a properly secured, in date, upright cylinder that is in a car that isn't left in the hot sun all day is perfectly safe. I'm pretty sure that's how most of us here would carry there's. There's always going to be idjits that plonk a full 9kg on the front seats of a boiling hot car.

Sent from my GT-I9305T using AULRO mobile app

Originally Posted by benji

With the upmost respect to all, a properly secured, in date, upright cylinder that is in a car that isn't left in the hot sun all day is perfectly safe. I'm pretty sure that's how most of us here would carry there's. There's always going to be idjits that plonk a full 9kg on the front seats of a boiling hot car.

Sent from my GT-I9305T using AULRO mobile app

As long as you accept that your insurance is invalidated by doing so

Originally Posted by DeeJay

As long as you accept that your insurance is invalidated by doing so

Unless the insurance company specifies this, how can they refuse a claim if you are not breaking any law?