Petrol Explosions

Northern Advocate, 18 March 1939, Page 6 (Supplement)

Petrol Explosions

A demonstration was given recently in Sydney of a device invented by a Sydney motorist for removing the danger of petrol tank explosions. The device, according to the Sydney. Morning Herald motoring editor, appears to operate on the same principle as a miner’s safety lamp, and consists of a copper cone let into the filler pipe, the cone having a myriad of tapered holes to allow the petrol to pass through.

It was demonstrated that if a little petrol was poured into this cone to wet it, and a lighted match was applied. to this fuel, it would simply burn right away, and the flame could not pass through the holes to ignite and explode th 6 fumes within the tank.

This is due to rather abstruse physical reasons which it is unnecessary to go into here, but the demonstration was convincing enough, and the device would appear to provide a sure safeguard.

The liquid within would then spread over the floor, and add further fuel to the flames. This valve is designed to allow the fumes to escape, and though they would certainly bum in a jet if close to naked flames, the tank would not burst and the jet of flame would stop as soon as the pressure dropped.