[Jewelry making - Article 00738] - [Orchid] Storage of Combustible Gases / Dangers and Risks

[Spirig_EMS]

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	Dear Sir at Ganoksin,
	Dear Mr. Fischbein

>     I came across your recent Ganoksin response ... the density of
>     acetylene is 0.6181 whilst that of DRY air is 1.0 Thus acetylene is
>     lighter than air". 

    John, sorry  mate, .....but for the first time in the many years that
    I have been reading your posts, I have to disagree with you ... 

    I have searched through the Ganoksin archive.  There are numerous
    articles on the risks using bottled gases. 

    The risk and danger problem circle around the key point: 

    .. does my gas source have: 

    (a) the potential almost unlimited outflowing gas supply in case of a
    leak (like a connection to a natural gas supply net) able to fill a
    room quickly to a concentration above the ignition point of the gas
    to air mixture, or 

    (b) a source of limited supply, usually a bottle of gas (propane,
    acetylene, ..) and again the question, is  the gas volume available
    from that source able to load the room or areas of it above the
    ignition point of the gas to air mixture or 

    (c) the gas supply is a just-in-time gas supply, actually a gas
    generator producing right on users location the needed combustible
    gas to work with. 

    Ignition point of the gas to air mixture (volume ratio): 

	Acetylene: 	lower 1,5% 	/ upper 80%
	Butane: 		lower 1,5 % 	/ upper 8,5 %
	Propane:  		lower 1,9 %  	/ upper 9,5 %
	Hydrogen: 		lower 4 % 		/ upper 77 %

    These figures show that a relatively small amount of Propane or
    Butane in air already creates a combustible mixture. Due to the fact
    that Propane and Butane are heavier than air, there always will be
    during a leak a "sea of gas" at the lowest point and there is a
    diffusion zone from the "sea surface" to air running in concentration
    from 100% to 0% gas in air. That means there is a mixture layer not
    only running through the range of combustability, it also passes the
    region where the ignition energy needed is minimale. I does not need
    the "power" of an electric arc (in a switch) to ignite the mixture, a
    simple static discharge is enough as an ignition source. The local
    ignition (flame) then travels though the ignitable concentration
    layer and this thermal shock and turbulance then starts to mix the
    heavier gas with air and the released combustion energy increases
    exponentially. Studying the dynamic behaviour of such detonation
    development is most interesting, wouldn't there not always and
    regularly be casualties involved. 

    There is only one rule: Gas bottles have no right to be in a closed
    room be it private or industry. Not following this basic law will
    sooner or later present the bill. 

    Judging from a safety point of view only solutions in the (c) group
    should be considered to be used. 

    Here I have to split my interests into two segments: (y) One is
    safety of people using gas flames, like jewellers, but also dental
    laboratories, hobbyists, and so on, and (z) The other is that my
    company produces so called Multicell Electrolysers, a patented
    technology used to deliver  Hydrogen Gas from water and connecting to
    the ordinary household ac outlet. The majority of our generators,
    maybe even above 95% are used in industrial automation processes,
    like automated hi-speed soldering in power / automotive electronics
    assembly (GM / Delphi, Ford / Visteon, Daimler-Chrysler, and .. and
    .. in USA and elsewhere ), even in Semicon Back-end Assembly they are
    in the hundreds of systems, mostly in Asia by (Intel, Motorola, TI,
    ..) and by-gosh Semicon industry is the best trained industry segment
    handling dangereous gases. Slogan there is " if you can avoid it,
    then do it! 

    WHAT surprises me in the Ganoksin discussions, nobody talks on the
    safe solution using JIT gas production. 

    Maybe the electrolyzing technology is not much known in the
    jewellers community or the reputation of electrolysers has been badly
    damaged by the first single-cell systems electrolyzer introduced many
    years ago (25?) to the US by imports and local manufacture. 

    Single-cells have by basic physical reasons no chance for a
    continued reliable operation. 

    Our patented Multicells have opened the industrial market almost 10
    years ago and there are leading automation houses in the US and
    abroad integrating our systems in assembly lines. If your cars ABS
    break system works reliably, or the air bag ignites properly, there
    is a high chance our microflame system Spirflame=AE is involved to
    produce 100% yield solder connections. 

    Ganoksin, that was a long story for a short idea: 

    Ganoksin seems to me  the organisation with the knowledge and
    integrity to ignite a discussion in the jewellers community along
    the theme "Why is the safe JIT technology not Used or Known or
    Accepted"? 

    My wish is to ignite a storm of discussions and maybe help to
    improve the safety awareness in the jewellers community. As
    discussion ignites, we will have a lot of informations to thread into
    this JIT theme. 

    With best regards and my best wishes for a peaceful X-mas / New Year
    2003 to All Ganoksin members. 

    Ernest Spirig http://www.spirig.com/greetings/xmas.html 

Spirig Ernest
http://www.spirig.com

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