On Jun 11, 1:45=A0am, Larry Jaques
Problem is, that when people try to imagine what an air tank failure would look like, their imaginations become filled with fuel/grenade/ gasoline/actionmoviebullshit type explosions.
The escape of normal (135psig?) air pressure out of a failed metal tank will not be accompanied by a full perimeter failure releasing a rather benign quantity of stored energy. It will release in a fart- like measured amount. It will be a big howling puff, but no bang, and any shit flying will be because of the startle factor, not due to released energy.
For giggles, my mechanic and his friends hooked up a motorcycle inner tube to a 165psig line in a garage and just let it get bigger and bigger. So big in fact that a huge hernia appeared which became almost see-through thin. When it failed, it made a bang, much louder than a balloon, but not mortar launch grade. The flying remnants did knock over a beer, much to the chagrin of one the participants. Yes alcohol was involved. No blown-out windows. The hose-end with the metal nipple did fly around for quite a while till the main valve was shut off.