12gram Pressure Chart

[BC Pneumatics]

Lots of people ask what the pressure of their chamber would be when they filled it from a 12 gram, so I thought I would make this chart.
The chart assumes that the CO₂ tank is at 800psi, which is its fill pressure at 73* Fahrenheit. There is an Excel document of this data at the end of this post.


Here is the chart:
<table width="275" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" bordercolor="#000000"><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">Chamber Size (ci) </div></td><td><div align="center">Chamber Pressure (psi)</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">10</div></td><td><div align="center">420</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">20</div></td><td><div align="center">210</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">30</div></td><td><div align="center">140</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">40</div></td><td><div align="center">105</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">50</div></td><td><div align="center">84</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">60</div></td><td><div align="center">70</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">70</div></td><td><div align="center">60</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">80</div></td><td><div align="center">53</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">90</div></td><td><div align="center">47</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">100</div></td><td><div align="center">42</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">110</div></td><td><div align="center">38</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">120</div></td><td><div align="center">35</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">130</div></td><td><div align="center">32</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">140</div></td><td><div align="center">30</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">150</div></td><td><div align="center">28</div></td></tr></table>

To calculate the pressure for any non-given valve, use this equation.

4200/Chamber Volume In ci=Chamber Pressure -OR- 4200/C_V=C_P
For example:
You have a chamber volume of 41.3ci.
So it can be said that 4200/41.3=C_P
4200/41.3 is equal to 101.6949152542373 For simplicity's sake we will round this to 101.7
This means that C_P=101.7psi
You're 41.3ci chamber will have a pressure of 101.7psi when filled with one 12g CO₂ tank. Simple, eh?

When using CO₂ in a launcher, it is important to be aware of the fact that it expands and contracts rather rapidly acording to the temprature. For this reason, it is always a good idea to have a pressure gauge on any launcher that will be using CO₂
The following graphs show both the Dynamic High and Dynamic Low of CO₂. Remember, the higher the temperture, the more pressurize the gas
will be.

Dynamic High (~105*F):
<table width="275" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" bordercolor="#000000"><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">Chamber Size (ci) </div></td><td><div align="center">Chamber Pressure (psi)</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">10</div></td><td><div align="center">630</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">20</div></td><td><div align="center">315</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">30</div></td><td><div align="center">210</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">40</div></td><td><div align="center">157</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">50</div></td><td><div align="center">126</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">60</div></td><td><div align="center">105</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">70</div></td><td><div align="center">90</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">80</div></td><td><div align="center">79</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">90</div></td><td><div align="center">70</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">100</div></td><td><div align="center">65</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">110</div></td><td><div align="center">57</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">120</div></td><td><div align="center">53</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">130</div></td><td><div align="center">49</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">140</div></td><td><div align="center">45</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">150</div></td><td><div align="center">42</div></td></tr></table>


Dynamic Low (~30*F):
<table width="275" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" bordercolor="#000000"><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">Chamber Size (ci) </div></td><td><div align="center">Chamber Pressure (psi)</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">10</div></td><td><div align="center">363</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">20</div></td><td><div align="center">131</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">30</div></td><td><div align="center">88</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">40</div></td><td><div align="center">99</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">50</div></td><td><div align="center">53</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">60</div></td><td><div align="center">44</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">70</div></td><td><div align="center">38</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">80</div></td><td><div align="center">33</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">90</div></td><td><div align="center">29</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">100</div></td><td><div align="center">26</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">110</div></td><td><div align="center">24</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">120</div></td><td><div align="center">22</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">130</div></td><td><div align="center">20</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">140</div></td><td><div align="center">19</div></td></tr><tr><td width="125"><div align="center">150</div></td><td><div align="center">18</div></td></tr></table>

Finaly, if you dont know how to kind the volume of your chamber, use this formula:
Pi*R²*L
And Example:
Your chamber is 36 inches long 3" PVC.
Your radius, then, is 1.5
Put into the Equation, it looks like this:
3.14*1.5²*36
Remembering the exponents are figured first:
3.14*2.25*36
3.14*2.25=7.065, but we round to 7.
7*36=252
So, your chamber volume is equal to 252ci.
Now, obviously, this chamber is much too large to use for a spudgun powered by a single 12g, science your pressure wouldonly be about 17psi, but these were mearly numbers used as an example.
now, ideally, you would also take into account that volume that fittings add, but in most cases this isn't necessary.

<a href="http://home.ripway.com/2004-9/168518/12GramPressureChart.xls">Excel File (Right Click, Save File As)</a>

[plasticex009]

Is that psia or psig?

[BC Pneumatics]

Plasticex009, I beleive those values would be in psig.

[BC Pneumatics]

I added charts of both the high's and low's of the pressure. I will make an excel of these as well, as soon as I have time.
Enjoy!

[plasticex009]

What is the tempearature range for the dynamic high/low pressures? They are of no meaning with out a temperature value.

Also consider that when CO₂ expands it becomes cooler, making the chamber pressure initialy lower than the calculated pressure values at the initial temperature.

[BC Pneumatics]

The dynamic charts are based on what I was told (by experts) the highest and lowest average pressures are during very high/low temperatures. The high value would be about 105*F, and the low about 30*F. I was mearly stating with these charts, that you should more or less, have a chamber rated for the highest temp, and expect a lesspowerfull launch when it is cooler. I doubt many fire when it is over 105*, and when it is below 30*, a PVC launcher is no longer 'safe' to use, as it becomes brittle and fragile.

It is very true that CO₂ cools, the pressure will drop. That is why I stressed that these are not exact values, and that it is important to have a pressure guage on any CO₂ launcher. I doubt many people have a chamber that is <i>exactly</i> 40.00ci, and wait untill it is <i>exactly</i> 73*F outside to launch, let alone calculate the <i>slight</i> pressure drop when filling a chamber. If I was going to split hairs on this, there are lots of things I would exact before I took that aspect into acount. However, It is still a very important point for people to keep in mind.


Edit: I had to add subscript end tags, < /sub >, to your post because the text was too small to read. (plasticex)

[tippmann98custom]

I am a little attention whore!!!!

[BillyBobJoe]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="tahoma,verdana,arial" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by tippmann98custom
[br]I am a little attention whore!!!!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

LMAO[:p]:D[:p] You got him in the untethered strafer thread too[:p] Wow, this is what makes me want to be a mod:D

[BC Pneumatics]

Um, what is going on here? did I miss something? And thanx platicex. Damn end tags get me every time

[acanz]

This is sortof off the topic of CO2, but whats the difference between psia and psig?

If you dont understand, I mean how does the A at the end make it different than the one with a G on the end.