[TCML] Subject: Overheated Secondary

[claudio masetto]

In Australia the price of gasoline varies a lot but on average it works out 
at $6.75 AU for an Imp. gallon which is 4.5 litres.

Claude.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Rieben" <drieben at comcast.net>
To: "Tesla Coil Mailing List" <tesla at pupman.com>
Sent: Sunday, January 06, 2008 1:36 AM
Subject: Re: [TCML] Subject: Overheated Secondary


> Hi Marko, all,
>
> Yes, I would agree that gasoline has gotten quite expensive
> as a primary fuel source, but at ~$3/ gallon in the US, it's pro-
> bably still one of the most economical choices as a *solvent*. I recently 
> had to purchase a one gallon jug of plain, off-brand mineral spirits from 
> Wal-Mart and it was over $6! The cheapest current source of kerosene that 
> I've been able to locate is at the
> local Exxon station where I pump my own. I just purchased
> some about a week ago and it cost about $4.70/ gallon. Kero-
> sene runs considerably higher than this in the prepackaged jugs
> at the depratment stores. Examples: 2.34 gallon jug at local
> Wal-Mart - $15 and some change. 5 gallon can of kerosene
> at Home Depot - ~ $36. Non-petroleum based solvents (ace-
> tone, toluene, MEK, ect) tend to run even higher at Home Depot or Lowes 
> (generally $10 to $12 for a gallon).
>
> As a professional firefighter for nearly 20 years now my obvious
> main concern with gasoline is not its economic feasability as a
> solvent but its high volatility and flammability when handled care- 
> lessly. Although nearly everyone is well aware of the flammability of 
> gasoline, some people tend to forget that the heavier-than-air fumes can 
> spread out a considerable distance from the liquid fuel
> source and can find any source of ignition that could have easily
> been overlooked (i.e. water heater pilot light), and ignite explo-
> sively. Remember, gasoline has a flashpoint of -45*F, so it will
> produce very ignitable vapors at virtually any ambient operational 
> temperature. And once gasoline is ignited, it burns with a thermal yield 
> of approximately 34 MegaJoules/ liter (which is actually LESS thermal 
> yield than that of less refined petroleum products like kerosene, heating 
> oil, or diesel) but since gasoline ignites so readily, thanks to its very 
> low flashpoint temperature, and since it burns so rapidly once ignited, 
> this makes it a solvent choice of
> considerable danger, from a fire safety point of view. Sorry for the 
> run-on sentence but the bottom line is that if you do choose to use 
> gasoline for this purpose (I've been guilty of doing it myself),
> then please be very fire safety conscious!
>
> David Rieben
>
>
>
>
>  I have been a mechanic
>> of one kind or another for most of 50 years, so gasoline is no strange 
>> solvent for me, but it is rather expensive.
>>
>> later later,
>>
>> Marko
>>
>
>
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