removehtml]I hesitated posting this question with this crew, but what the heck I threw caution to the wind. Even if I do not get a serious answer, I think the discussion should be interesting. Okay, here goes: Has anyone ever tried to fill an inflatable with helium? Helium is significantly lighter than air and should make a dinghy significantly lighter when filled (maybe by as much as 10 lbs). You won't fly away into the clouds but it might make a difference in lifting and stowing Also I believe helium molecules are larger and would not leak as easy as air. Problem is I estimate it would cost about $50.00 - $60.00 for the helium Any thoughtsError: Error: expected [/URL], but found [/removehtml] instead[/removehtml]
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Actually, helium molecules are probably the smallest
of any, because they're just helium atoms. Expect your dinghy would leak like a sieve.
of any, because they're just helium atoms. Expect your dinghy would leak like a sieve.
How about Nitrogen
Formula 1 tires are filled with nitrogen. It's more stable with temp changes and the molecules are bigger than oxygen molecules, thus less pressure loss. A possible side benefit may be that it may help the material used in the inflatable last longer. Manny
Formula 1 tires are filled with nitrogen. It's more stable with temp changes and the molecules are bigger than oxygen molecules, thus less pressure loss. A possible side benefit may be that it may help the material used in the inflatable last longer. Manny
This May Actually Have an Application ............
........... if the crew is getting a little bored. To keep them entertained, you could always undo the dinghy plug, take in a lung-full of helium, and do a Donald Duck impersonation. But seriously, I am curious how much lighter this would make make my dinghy if it were filled with helium. And seeing as how it's snowing like crazy outside and I don't want to shovel the driveway, it probably goes something like this. My eight foot Quicksilver dinghy looks like it might have a volume of about 35 cu. ft. It's got an inflatable floor. Now, really taking some real license here and assuming air and helium behave as perfect gasses, the air is 0% humidity, the temperature is 68 deg. F, and the dinghy pressure is somewhere around 5 PSI, we have: Density of helium is around 0.0141 lb/cu. ft. at the above conditions. Density of air is around 0.101 lb/cu. ft. at the above conditions. From this, we can calculate the weight of helium in the Quicksilver dinghy to be: 35 cu. ft. X 0.0141 lb/cu.ft. = 0.494 lb We can also calculate the weight of the air in the dinghy to be: 35 cu. ft. X 0.101 lb/cu.ft. = 3.56 lb The dinghy would be approximately 3.07 lb lighter if it were filled with helium. I suppose it might be easier to just take a leak before getting into the dinghy and save about the same weight. Best regards, s/v Island Hunter
........... if the crew is getting a little bored. To keep them entertained, you could always undo the dinghy plug, take in a lung-full of helium, and do a Donald Duck impersonation. But seriously, I am curious how much lighter this would make make my dinghy if it were filled with helium. And seeing as how it's snowing like crazy outside and I don't want to shovel the driveway, it probably goes something like this. My eight foot Quicksilver dinghy looks like it might have a volume of about 35 cu. ft. It's got an inflatable floor. Now, really taking some real license here and assuming air and helium behave as perfect gasses, the air is 0% humidity, the temperature is 68 deg. F, and the dinghy pressure is somewhere around 5 PSI, we have: Density of helium is around 0.0141 lb/cu. ft. at the above conditions. Density of air is around 0.101 lb/cu. ft. at the above conditions. From this, we can calculate the weight of helium in the Quicksilver dinghy to be: 35 cu. ft. X 0.0141 lb/cu.ft. = 0.494 lb We can also calculate the weight of the air in the dinghy to be: 35 cu. ft. X 0.101 lb/cu.ft. = 3.56 lb The dinghy would be approximately 3.07 lb lighter if it were filled with helium. I suppose it might be easier to just take a leak before getting into the dinghy and save about the same weight. Best regards, s/v Island Hunter
My dingui is pretty slow, don't need F-1 technology.
Air is still free if you own a pump. Have a car with the blue valve caps on the tires and blew one to shreds on the interstate the other day. Didn't make much difference it was filled with nitrogen instead of air.
Air is still free if you own a pump. Have a car with the blue valve caps on the tires and blew one to shreds on the interstate the other day. Didn't make much difference it was filled with nitrogen instead of air.
helium
Interesting topic. Back in the day, I was running a wx shop which launched balloons every 12 hrs from one of the Hawaiian Islands. Initially we used helium for the lift gas, but it had to be shipped in, palletized. Cost was $0.10/ft3 (1977 dollars). We switched to making hydrogen, which raises its own interesting challenges. Maybe a hydrogen filled dink would avoid the need for an outboard. All it would take would be a match to achieve a short term impulse and concurrent thrill for those aboard. ;-)
Interesting topic. Back in the day, I was running a wx shop which launched balloons every 12 hrs from one of the Hawaiian Islands. Initially we used helium for the lift gas, but it had to be shipped in, palletized. Cost was $0.10/ft3 (1977 dollars). We switched to making hydrogen, which raises its own interesting challenges. Maybe a hydrogen filled dink would avoid the need for an outboard. All it would take would be a match to achieve a short term impulse and concurrent thrill for those aboard. ;-)
must be a tough winter out there...
...because we usually don't get this type of question until mid February. Please interpret it benignly when I say, "You folks need to get back out on the water."
...because we usually don't get this type of question until mid February. Please interpret it benignly when I say, "You folks need to get back out on the water."
MythBusters
Funny you should ask! The TV show MythBusters on the Discovery Channel just did a segment on the same topic. They were trying at explore the myth that a Helium filled raft would "fly". They took an 8 - 10 foot Zodiac roll-up dinghy purged and filled it with Helium. It did not fly but weighed a few pounds lighter, I think it was about about 8- 10 pounds lighter. In order to get a Helium filled "raft" large enough to lift a person, they constructed a raft of two layers of large plastic tubes but it had to be about 50' X 50'.
Funny you should ask! The TV show MythBusters on the Discovery Channel just did a segment on the same topic. They were trying at explore the myth that a Helium filled raft would "fly". They took an 8 - 10 foot Zodiac roll-up dinghy purged and filled it with Helium. It did not fly but weighed a few pounds lighter, I think it was about about 8- 10 pounds lighter. In order to get a Helium filled "raft" large enough to lift a person, they constructed a raft of two layers of large plastic tubes but it had to be about 50' X 50'.
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