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Location:
Perth
Registered:
April 2003
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 Fuel tank explosion risk?
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Fri, 13 June 2003 05:19
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When I was wiring my lifting pump and installing into the RA28 tank, I thought "what would happen if the +12V connector somehow worked loose or fatigued and arced onto an earth"???
Is it true that if there was a spark that the A/F ratio would be so rich that ignition would not occur? I guess it's pretty variable how much O2 is in the fume fraction at any one time.
When a friend and I were modifying the fuel tank we rinsed the tank as best as possible and when it came to braising time, my mate waved the torch over the opening (I refused to be in the vicinity as I know the risks and how dodgy his method of de-fuming was) a whoosh and long yellow flames belched from all openings for a second or two (!!!).
Now, had there been more air in there and the vapors more oxygenated - BOOOOMMMMM. I think we were very lucky and my mate saw the error of his ways, almost fatally!
Fuel tank explosions/fires are bloody rare but a large passenger plane crash a few years back was attributed to wiring within an almost empty tank (of kerosene) arcing and blowing it outa the sky.
2 lessons: Properly degas tank before modifications + be sure your in tank pump is securely wired!
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Location:
Canberra
Registered:
December 2002
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Re: Fuel tank explosion risk?
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Fri, 13 June 2003 06:55
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Yup personally seen a aircraft wing get blown up on the tar mac while someone was working on it because of stupidity. The other thing you can do is fill the tank up with an inhert gas of somesort so it displaces all o2 in the tank.
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I supported Toymods
Banned User
Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Fuel tank explosion risk?
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Fri, 13 June 2003 07:53
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Something would have to go seriously wrong for that positive wire to come off(unless you did a bad job) for it to cause any problems. If it did come off and earth on the tank then I would say that there would be a very slim chance it would ignite. Of course if the tank was very empty and that wire earthed out above the fuel well then your fucked 
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Location:
Hornsby, N.S.W
Registered:
September 2002
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Re: Fuel tank explosion risk?
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Fri, 13 June 2003 16:06
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shane you could not said it any more straight forward! 
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Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Fuel tank explosion risk?
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Sun, 15 June 2003 08:05
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The chances of ignition occuring inside a closed fuel tank are pretty much nil. Think of how your engine works: the fuel will only ignite if the mixtures are pretty close to 14:1 air/fuel, and even then it gets compressed to buggery before the spark does anything. Those conditions aren't likely to occur inside your fuel tank.
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