Others Storing a filled tank in a vehicle for prolonged periods

[tec]

Am not a scientist but there is “no way” your tank” is at any risk from sitting in your hot vehicle “all year long”… Firefighters wear SCBAs in “harsher” environments than the inside of your van will ever be in regular everyday use… Simply a non issue… But do whatever floats your boat…

Firefighters use SCUBA tanks designed and rated for what they are exposing it too.....
It all comes down to what the bottle is designed/rated to vs what you are subjecting it too....
IF the bottle fill pressure doesn't go more than 10% above the MAWP when it heats up in the car...it will be fine.
tc

 

[tec]

So almost thirteen years ago a scuba tank blew up, oh my. At the alarmist rate of your post and with so many PCPs shooters we would be reading about exploding SCBAs weekly…

I think there are two different issues here:
1. Those temperatures in the article are referring to what temperature starts to alter the crystalline metallic structure of the aluminum, and thus significantly weakening it...to the point it can no longer contain the gas pressure and the tank/vessel fails at a pressure that is below the Pressure Relief device set pressure.
2. I think the original question was can a car get a pcp bottle to hot due to gas pressure increasing due to the bottle temperature increasing. And the answer to that is it depends on the how the bottle is designed...what is its MAWP, does it have a over pressure protection (disk or spring valve)....
A 3600 psi bottle with a "disc" that fails, depending on where that disc is will either spin the hell out of it or turn it into a missile....

tc

 

[mike56]

The safety key word here is CARBON FIBER, I have had a big C/F tank fail , leaking a little air as the bands let go, 4500 takes a long time to leak out, I kept airing it up until I stuck it in a bath tub, oops..
Had a pressure relief valve let go on my little Ventura pony tank, Leaked out pretty fast frosted the bottle up very cool,, Called the air gun tank guy, He sold me a whole new gage set, What a sales man, LOL... I would not own a aluminum tank, BOOM,,,
Mike

 

[Rob_g]

The inside of a car will reach about 124F in 90F weather after about 30 minutes.

 

[PasadenaMike]

The inside of a car will reach about 124F in 90F weather after about 30 minutes.

Yeah not the best idea I’ve concluded

 

[Grunt64]

Ok so what are your thoughts of indefinitely keeping an air source in the van ? The back gets hot during summer. Maybe buy a cheap Tuxing 500cc tank and a Tuxing valve? Cheap enough not to care ? What are your thoughts ?

I wouldn't keep it in your van or car on hot days. I have seen on warm days; pressure change from 4000 psi to 4500.

 

[Danman]

I wouldn't keep it in your van or car on hot days. I have seen on warm days; pressure change from 4000 psi to 4500.

I wouldn't do it personally BUT some caveats if you did: 1 I would never fill it to max as mentioned. (I've seen my guns gauge needle after a few shots taken go right back up to max....kinda nice actually) 2 do not leave the tank in direct Sunlight that will make it heat up even worse and as @tec mentioned weaken it's structure over time. 3 keep it in a bag or carrier and don't let it flop around the van. I'd just fill a gun, bring ammo in a day pack, maybe hand pump and at end the day top er back up at home. Most hunting/plinking sessions could be done with say 20- 30pellets worth of air I'd think.

 

[PasadenaMike]

I left a hand pump in the van for years. One time while I was driving it tried to strangle me. (Get it? Cause it’s evil) I’ve also kept a small compressor in the van.

 

[Madhatter]

The biggest problem I have with leaving a tank in a vehicle is the heat cycling that it would be exposed to. It won't affect the carbon but might work harden the aluminum bladder. Sun WILL break down the resin matrix, I've seen it happen. I would have no problem with the tank getting heated up in a car as the things get hydro'd to 7500 psi. There's no way a 4500 PSI fill will reach that pressure just sitting in the sun.

 

[Alan]

Any tank worth owning will have a disc-type safety pressure relief. Typically, they're 3/8 pipe thread, and the hole(s) are usually ≈1/16". I cannot imagine any kind of missile event as a consequence of the disc failing! If there is a consequence, it is the fact the discs can vibrate due to the pulses of the filling compressor. This causes the disc itself to work-harden over time which causes premature failure. By the way, the discs are not pure brass as some folks think—they're an anti-corrosive alloy for obvious reasons.

Lastly, I've never seen a bottle with a spring pressure relief. If it did have one, it would be a constant leak point.