AU1169576A - Pressurised gas cylinder %venting device< - Google Patents

Description

4a4Ter6n--re ate s L o ng

for containers for the storage of gases and in particula

for such containers as cylinders for the storage of s h

gases as acetylene.

More particularly, the invention relates o improved

venting means for such cylinders as are provid d with a

porous solid body therein.

Requirements by authoritative bod s for the

manufacture of the commonly referred to acetylene cylinder

10 presently provide for a variety of fo ms of cylinder construction including two piece an three piece construction,

the former requiring for example ne circumferential weld for

joining the two pieces or halve together, whilst the latter

requires for example two circ mferential welds as it is

made up of a body and two e ds. Weld preparation may be

in the form of a circumfe entially joggled joint, butt

welded joint or the lik . The cylinder is subsequently

- provided therein with porous solid body for the storage

and dispensing of th acetylene therefrom. The porous body

20 is commonly referr d to as the mass or filler.

Irrespec ve of the form of construction chosen, side

clearance betwe n the mass and the inside surface of the

cylinder is i portant for aspiration of the acetylene

during norm 1 dispensing and particularly for the release of

acetylene and acetone in a situation of elevated temperature,

such as caused by a fire, and following the melting of the

fusib plugs with which the cylinders are fitted. While

sid clearance must be sufficient to ensure venting, the

u per limits of tolerance as specified by the authoritative

30 dies manufactured, any of the cylinder constructions permitted will satisfy the performance criteria as required by t authoritative bodies. However, small difference s in performance have been noted. These differen es relate to the

"smoothness" with which the contents of a tylene gas and

acetone is discharged and cylinders of hree piece

construction having for example a jo gled joint towards each

end tend not to flow as smoothly in cylinders of two

10 piece construction having such joggled joint substantially

at the middle of the cylinder This is traceable to the

impediment to free gas flo provided when the aforementioned

* joggled joint is towards an end of the cylinder and closer

to the fusible plug ve t holes.

It is an o ject of the present invention to provide

an improved venti means which will substantially overcome

the hereinbefor described objections.

Acco ding to the present invention there is

provided an mproved venting means for containers such as

20 gas cylind rs having a porous solid body therein, wherein

there is provided one or more vent ways in the body, the ways

being ositioned in or on the body in such a manner as to

begi at a point adjacent a side wall and below an upper

mo circumferential join in the cylinder, terminating at

east at a point adjacent an end wall and below a position

provided for fusible plug vent holes.

In one form of the invention there is provided a

cylinder for the storage and dispensing of gases such as

acetylene comprising a substantially cylindrical body and

30 two re skirt ar joined at their skirt portion to either end of the body such as by a joggle prepared welded joint. The cylinder is provided with normal fittings t receive gauges and filling and dispensing means, tog her with vent holes to receive fusible plugs.

Within the cylinder is provided a poro s solid body

which is commonly referred to as the mass or iller. It is

required that a clearance space be maintai d between the

porous body and the cylinder walls to al w freedom for

movement of the gas into and out of th cylinder.

To improve the freedom for vement of the gas

and in particular out of the cylind r under conditions of

elevated temperature, such as cou d be caused by fire, one

or more vent ways is provided i the mass or filler. The

ways would begin at a point a jacent to the cylinder side

wall and below an uppermost join between the body and a

cylinder end wall. The w s would pass through or around

the mass to terminate a least at a point adjacent the end

wall and below the fu ble plug vent holes provided in the

cylinder.

It will seen that by the provision of these vent

ways there is pr vided additional and substantially

unrestricted v ntilation from the main cylinder body to the

cavity betwe n the mass and the head of the cylinder, thus

substantia y reducing any impediment to free gas flow which

might ar' e whether it be in filling or dispensing.

It has been found that the size of the way and the

numb of ways required will vary with each variation in

t

Once the configuration of ways has been determined, t Pthe mass when the mass is still in a slurry condition by the placing of wire rods w i then be withdrawn after the baking and solidiyi-ng~of the mass.

Alternatively, the ways may be-firovided by inserting, then

withdrawing wire rpd through or around the solidified mass.

In either od it is essential to the success of the

inve ion that the ways be continuous and open from one

e to the other.

**.

as follows:

An improved venting means for c tainers

such as gas cylinders having a porous solid body therein

wherein there is provided one or more vent ways in the ody,

the ways being positioned in or on the body in such a manner

as to begin at a point adjacent a side wall and be ow an

uppermost circumferential join in the cylinder, erminating

at least at a point adjacent an end wall and elow a position

provided for fusible plug vent holes.

2. A venting means s in claim 1 wherein

the ways may be in the form of hole passing through the

porous solid body.

3. A vent' g means as in claim 1 wherein

the ways may be in the for grooves passing around the

porous solid body.

ATED this 2nd day of March, 1976

RHEEM AUSTRALIA LIMITED