The Idea Behind a Breakaway Valve
In an vehivle accident, the fury upon brunt can crack an engine or yet sever the fuel lines. When this occurs, gasoline will leak out onto the pavement where it collects in a dangerously large puddle. Because gasoline (literally, octane) is a volatile organic compound, it quickly begins to evaporate, filling the air with highly flammable gas. If this gas gets too hot (either from open flames or heated metal) or comes in contact with a spark, it could set off a chain reaction that turns the pool of gasoline into a deadly explosion.
Therefore, a breakaway valve is designed to seal off fuel lines when it experiences a jolt of force on the magnitude of a car crash, thus preventing dangerous gasoline spillage.
What's Inside a Breakaway Valve?
In certain models the housing even breaks into two separate pieces, with one ball sealing off each end of the hose. By breaking off and giving way, the valve instantly reduces any tension that might rip a hose and cause a leak. These rods allow the balls to rotate inside the housing, like two globes aligned in tandem. The top rods, however, are loaded with a torsional spring that turns the balls so that their holes face the walls of the housing, blocking off the valve.
How the Breakaway Valve Works
At the factory, the balls are wound back against their springs until their holes line up, creating an open passageway through which liquid (in this case, gasoline) can flow. A special latch is then set between the balls to hold them in this open position. The valve is then shipped to customers and installed.
The latch is small yet durable, designed to withstand the pressure of pumped gas and the shock of running over potholes. However, in a major collision, the latch breaks free. With nothing to hold the balls in place, each spring snaps the half-inch holes perpendicular to the hose. Because the balls are spherical, their curved sides form an effective seal against the hose's smaller, 5/8-inch diameter.
Inside the valve's cylindrical housing, there are two solid, stainless steel balls roughly one inch in diameter. A half-inch circular hole runs through the center of each ball. Running perpendicular to each ball's hole is a thin rod extending out from both the top and bottom poles.
