Hi.
(I posted this on rec.pyrotechnics once because I thought that they might have the knowledge, but since there's no pyro, at least it's not required, I'll go here instead.)
I've read about SCUBA tanks containing lots and lots of force -- capable of punching through walls, etc. Which is not too surprising considering that the pressure in them is usually about the weight of a CAR pressing on a single square INCH. So once the valve has been knocked off, ZOOM!!!
Because of this, could one perhaps turn this into an actual vertical-launch rocket? How many feet could one get out of it? 1000?
3000? 6000? More? (I'm assuming a full tank here at 3000 pounds per square inch and the valve would be completely removed while it's at that pressure.) How would one rig this thing up so it launches as straight-vertical as possible? Could one mount cameras on it? (Probably, considering how much thrust we'd have available to us...) A parachute so it can be recovered for additional shots? How would one remove the valve while at a safe distance? (I'd want to be a mile away before I launch that baby, and have a camera doing the viewing.) Some sort of unscrewing motor? Can a tank, with modifications, be made aerodynamic enough to work? Also, the rocket has to be reusable (ie. itcan be refilled for more shots.). Would the tank survive any more (at least one more) fills and launches after this, provided it doesn't hit something and mash itself? Or would the violent change in pressure and sudden enormous G-forces stress the metal so much as to make any further attempts (even just one more) too dangerous to try, or even rip
the whole thing apart)?
Just curious... I don't know if I'd actually go and *do* it, but I would like to know if it is possible to actually rig something like this up and how it would be done. Has it been done before? Could one get more thrust by adding a bit of flammable gas into the air mix, and having a spark go off, or would that just turn it into a bomb?