How to safely carry extra fuel

isnt the equilibrium constant across the liquid and gas pressure, so headspace wouldnt matter ( as the liquid and gas would mainatin the same pressure) until the liquid is all evaporated? or am I remembering science class incorrectly from 35 years ago...

oh and to answer your question, Ive carried fuel in my bed, and leaks are the only issue Ive ever encountered. Venting would be an issue with temp and altitude changes I would think...

 

NO headspace means the liquid has nowhere to expand to when heated, so it builds liquid pressure against the inside of the can that has to go somewhere when the cap is opened. Also have to add in ambient pressure changes to the mix. So when you fill 'er up to the top on a brisk high-barometer morning, and open the cap in the warm or low-barometer (or high-altitude) afternoon, you get tons of liquid fuel splurting out. Or worse, pushing its way out at some point along the drive. There will be vapor and pressure regardless per the laws of physics, but yes, less overall vapor mass will be less hazardous to crack the seal on, up to a point. That's why the "max fill" lines on containers are located where they are.

No need to be so combative.

 

That's correct, which is how liquid propane tanks work. Liquid gets pumped in, and the vapors build until there's enough pressure to stop further boiling of the liquid. Let some propane out, and more liquid boils off until pressure equalizes again. This vapor pressure is dictated by temperature, i.e. -40F or so, it stops boiling altogether and the propane tank is useless unless heated, as the fuel won't vaporize readily enough to make up for the gas outflow and you start getting liquid propane running through your lines. Same as cracking the cap on a full gasoline can and having it spray everywhere. Overheat the tank enough to where the pressure becomes hazardous, and the emergency blowoff pops and vents the pressure as controlled as it can so the tank doesn't explode. BLEVE incidents are scary.

 

Waivian all the way.

 

The cans have a fill line on them. Don't fill it above the fill line. It says it right there on the can. I already said that

If you don't believe me, do your own experiment.

Fill a can 1/4 full, put the cap on and close the vent. Place it away from anything flammable, on a hot day, in the sun.

Take an identical can, fill it to the fill line, squeeze the air out, close the cap and the vent. Place it next to the other can.

Which can is going to bulge extremely???

Well, go do your experiment and report back...

Instead of paraphrasing partial physical theories.

 

Have not heard BLEVE used for a while. LOL. Except HAZWOPER training.

 

Alright man, do things your way. We're all just some idiots on the internet looking for confrontation anyway.

 

I've been hauling my extra gas in my Jack Daniels empties. Sounds cool when offroading.

 

I use the same metal safety can that feeds my lawnmower. If it's good enough for OSHA/MSHA, its good enough for me.

 

Wavian Fuel Can be careful of knockoffs with shitty pinch welds and faulty paint. Check the inside of the can for an even coating of paint which will keep corrosion down. I have 3 and would buy more in a heartbeat. Or you can install a replacement/auxiliary fuel tank. If I was to only do 1 mod to my truck, it would be the 35 gal replacement tank. I have one installed and I love it. I got an early model of it so it has an auto shutoff issue when refueling where a small amount of fuel burps out the fill port before shutting off. I've been told that the issue has been fixed in later generations of that tank. If the average MPG of an unmodified 2012 tacoma is 17.5, you'd get about 600 miles out of the tank. After mods, that number drops significantly. I can squeeze a butt puckering 455 miles coasting in on fumes with 34in tires and full steel armor with a winch and roof rack unloaded.

-J

 

I apologise if it seems as if I am yelling.

Try the experiment that i offered, and there will be no "your way / my way". Just obvious results that you will gain experience from.

Happy Friday by the way

 

Absolutely. They’re downright silly. I had 1 so bad it would spill 40% down onto the fender and ground. The one I have now spills very little but comes out super slow.

 

To be fair, your "experiment" is pretty flawed if you're not pushing excess air out of the partial fill as well.

 

You could do that, but it won't matter. The 1/4 filled can will still expand out like a balloon on a warm day. It will just build more and more fumes in the "empty" headspace.

Go see for yourself

Definitely not a flaw in the experiment, you simply don't understand enough to know that (just to be fair)

All these people thinking that they understand how something works (but they don't actually know) is exactly why hazmat incidents happen... Every single one that I responded to was caused by someone very confidently not understanding what they were doing.

Again, all of this talking, but no one is actually going to go see for themselves in safe practice.

Seems like everyone is simply looking to poke holes, not to find the truth, but to win a popularity contest for likes and shares.

Are we forgetting that this is about safety? It's not about what you have made up in your head, it's about what actually works.

Go ahead, see which can expands like a balloon and will eventually split at the seam.

 

Wavian UN Jerry cans. Follow the directions and a decent trick is to vent them once hot. Pretty much a sure bet when properly secured.