Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Seagoon on April 21, 2006, 03:24:43 PM

Title: Compressed Gas Bottles by Telephone poles...
Post by: Seagoon on April 21, 2006, 03:24:43 PM
Hi Guys,

I know this is a really, really, stupid question, but what is in the compressed gas cylinders next to many telephone polls and what is their purpose?

I'm ashamed to say I was unable to answer my 5 year olds question on the subject this morning.

- SEAGOON
Title: Compressed Gas Bottles by Telephone poles...
Post by: Holden McGroin on April 21, 2006, 03:27:33 PM
In power generation we pressurise our 500 KVa to 4160 Va transformers with inert gas... perhaps it is something similar.
Title: Compressed Gas Bottles by Telephone poles...
Post by: Mustaine on April 21, 2006, 03:35:18 PM
if you mean these i dont think they are gas canisters. i always thought they were transformers.
(http://www.uba.be/actual/pics/ja01.jpg)

otherwise i have never seen a gas canister next to a pole.
Title: Compressed Gas Bottles by Telephone poles...
Post by: Seagoon on April 21, 2006, 03:48:58 PM
Nope not a transformer, one of these puppies:(http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/EHSRM/HAZPHOTO/Cylinders.jpg)
chained to the bottom of the pole.

Around here we have tons of them. None of them have "flammable" warnings so  it's an inflammable gas (CO2?)

- SEAGOON
Title: Compressed Gas Bottles by Telephone poles...
Post by: FiLtH on April 21, 2006, 03:53:06 PM
No clue..maybe a contractor was doing work nearby and left his tank secured to the pole for security?
Title: Compressed Gas Bottles by Telephone poles...
Post by: Nilsen on April 21, 2006, 03:58:21 PM
something to do with fighting  electical fires perhaps?
Title: Compressed Gas Bottles by Telephone poles...
Post by: Holden McGroin on April 21, 2006, 04:01:26 PM
Flammable and inflammable are synonymus and mean the same thing.
Title: Compressed Gas Bottles by Telephone poles...
Post by: Mustaine on April 21, 2006, 04:17:03 PM
what about unflammable
Title: Compressed Gas Bottles by Telephone poles...
Post by: Nilsen on April 21, 2006, 04:18:04 PM
uninflammable?
Title: Compressed Gas Bottles by Telephone poles...
Post by: Seagoon on April 21, 2006, 04:19:19 PM
Sorry Holden, you are quite right. I should have said "Gas wot durn't ketch fire efluff'n yah try'en light it" :D

And no, its not an electrical contractor thing. They change the bottles regularly and have a line going from the bottle up the pole.

I'll see if I can snap some pics early next week. We have lots of them around.
Title: Compressed Gas Bottles by Telephone poles...
Post by: PuckIt on April 21, 2006, 04:19:45 PM
I found this on Google. Found here http://www.csd.uoc.gr/~hy431/old/project/cellular.html

I think this should answer the question.

Air Pressure Primer

This primer discusses air pressure equipment, which telephone companies use to keep underground and aerial lines free from moisture. It's a fascinating and little known aspect of telephony and it will give you more insight into what makes up the local loop and outside plant.

I've tried defining OSP before. Mud Demon comments that "where I work, the outside plant extends up the tip cables from the vault to the termination point at the coils on the main distribution frame.
Anything out from the coils is considered "outside plant" and is maintained by our group. Also the air compressor/dryers, pipes, meter and pipe panels, computer, and even the 48 volt power supply for the computer are considered "outside plant" even
though they are inside."

Inside means inside the central office, most typically in the cable vault below the building. One thing outisde the primer article's scope are the gas bottles you see tied to telephone poles on the outskirts of some cities. These must also be used to keep lines dry. I asked about this and what kind of gas they might use. He replied that "Nitrogen is inert,and relatively inexpensive. Liquid nitrogen
is also inert, and relatively compact, but not used much. Bottles lashed to poles are a sign that an air pipe system is not in place. To achieve a dual feed system without an air pipe, there must be a source of some pressurized gas at the end of the run, so bottles are placed. By comparison, with an air pipe system such as the article describes, air pipes routed through the duct system provide pressurized air at the end of a cable run."
Title: Compressed Gas Bottles by Telephone poles...
Post by: SNO on April 21, 2006, 04:21:46 PM
Puckit you are right, that is exactly what those are for.
Title: Compressed Gas Bottles by Telephone poles...
Post by: Seagoon on April 21, 2006, 04:24:22 PM
Ah, thanks Puck, that explains it.

And as it turns out it is a noninflammable gas that doesn't burn or catch fire after all.....

- SEAGOON
Title: Compressed Gas Bottles by Telephone poles...
Post by: PuckIt on April 21, 2006, 04:27:03 PM
NP! BTW Im from Angier NC. Not to far from ya.
Title: Compressed Gas Bottles by Telephone poles...
Post by: ChickenHawk on April 21, 2006, 05:45:57 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Mustaine
if you mean these i dont think they are gas canisters. i always thought they were transformers.
(http://www.uba.be/actual/pics/ja01.jpg)

otherwise i have never seen a gas canister next to a pole.


Ever see one of those things blow up at night?  Pretty spectacular sight.
Title: Compressed Gas Bottles by Telephone poles...
Post by: CavemanJ on April 21, 2006, 06:57:50 PM
Quote
Originally posted by ChickenHawk
Ever see one of those things blow up at night?  Pretty spectacular sight.


Saw lightning hit one outside the store once.  Helluva flash