Blowing up bottles: the procedure

First thing to be tested is the performance of the PET bottles. The procedure of this experiment was defined with the guidance of Dr.Ir. F.A.Veer, Associate Professor of Materials Science in the Faculty of Architecture, TU Delft.

Thus, the experiment can be organised in the following series of steps:

1. Define the dosage of dry ice the PET bottle can support
a. Start with extreme dosages to determine the maximum amount of dry ice the bottle can support 

b. Lower dosage to observe the reaction of the bottle and the form it takes 

    when subjected to different amounts of pressure (if the bottle curves extensively it will 

    cooperate less with its adjacent bottles)

Step 1

2. Test various types of bottles in terms of shape

a. Bottles of rectangular section will probably cooperate better than those with a circular 

b. Bottles' elevation, again in terms of contact surface between the bottles

1. Step 2

3. Check leakage and therefore for how long will the bottles be stable

a. Add dry ice in the bottles and close them normally. 

    Measure daily for a week’s period the diameter of the bottles to estimate possible leakage 

b. Heat-seal the bottles and repeat the experiment

Step 3

 

4. Test the bottles in compression (different types of bottles and different dosages)

Step 4

 5. Place a number bottles together and test them under lateral compression 

Step 5