Fact or Myth: Gasoline Barrel Blows Up Why?

[jedi]

We have all seen the movies where a fire fight is occuring and someone shoots at the barrels of gasoline (55g drums) and one handgun bullet caliber is all it takes to blow the entire lot of barrels sky high and get that hollywood effect of BOOM!

How real is that and why? I'm more interested in the why?
How does a single bullet making a hole in a metal 55g drum cause the gasoline to ignite and blow up? Is it becuase the bullet (lead) striking the metal drum causes a spark and it's the spark that sets of the gasoline? Is it that the lead bullet upon entering the gasoline is so hot that it transfers it's heat to the fuel and then the fuel ignites?

Does it really only take 1 bullet (any caliber)?

Slow morning. More like I saw one of those badly dubben english to spanish movies on sunday at my grandma and their was a scene as shown above and it only took 1 bullet and the entire dock went up in flames.

---
NWI INGO MEMBERS
Get the latest news by joining the NWI INGO group here:
INGunOwners - Northwest Indiana

UPCOMING EVENTS
The final 2010 MEET & SHOOT will be on 14 NOV 2010
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...v_2010_-_last_1_for_2010_a-3.html#post1416301

Appleseed for NWI
2 Day Courses
Sand Burr Gun Ranch: Calendar
11-12 DEC 2010 @ Sand Burr, Rochester, IN
19-20 MAR 2011 @ Sand Burr, Rochester, IN
02-03 APR 2011 @ Sand Burr, Rochester, IN

Keep this post for uncoming info & updates
https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/appleseed/107083-new_ranges_coming_to_eventbright.html

NEED YOUR HELP
List of ranges in NWI; Is your range here?:
https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/break_room/106004-nwi_ingo_general_post-3.html#post1252132

 

[kcw12]

Its a movie, thats why. Would take just the right conditions for that to happen. Highly unlikely

 

[youngda9]

Spark + fuel + oxygen = flame

The only question is does the impact produce a spark that makes contact with fuel and oxygen?

Seems like a Darwin test is in order here

 

[Hoosier8]

Saw then try that on a TV show and it did not set anything on fire.

 

[jedi]

Spark + fuel + oxygen = flame

The only question is does the impact produce a spark that makes contact with fuel and oxygen?

Seems like a Darwin test is in order here

I'm sure I can get you a 55g drum and the fuel if you want to try it out.
Can I keep your firearm after the fact.

 

[aetucker1]

pretty sure this was on mythbusters...i think they could only reproduce the results with tracer rounds.

 

[indyjoe]

Mythbusters unloaded on a gas tank with some heavy ordinance, including up to 50 BMG. Nothing.

Liquid fuel does not burn. Fuel vapor burns. The amount of fuel vapor in a tank or can is fairly small. Now puncture the tank many times and follow up with a good ignition source and we have business.

 

[Hkindiana]

pretty sure this was on mythbusters...i think they could only reproduce the results with tracer rounds.

Tracers fired out of standard weapons will not ignite gasoline. However, incendiary or API ammo will reliably ignite gasoline.

 

[dak109]

Magic Hollywood sparking bullets. There is not enough heat transfer to raise the gas to it's ignition temp. Vapor burns, but has to be the right fuel to air mixture, too rich no burn, too lean no burn.

I have shot propane tanks with no boom or fire. More vapor than gasoline, but no fire there either. Lead tends to be nonsparking. Even the copper metal jackets tend to be non sparking.

 

[singlestacksig]

steel core round into a steel drum that is only 1/2 full might set off a fire.. but nothing like the hollywood effects.. to really get that, you need det cord & gasoline..

 

[eldirector]

Yeah, Mythbusters covered this several times.

#1 - Tracer rounds can ignite gasoline, but they failed to make it explode. Not enough vapor.
#2 - They tried to re-create movie explosions. They tried gas first, but only got a nice little fire. They had to step up to several pounds of an ammonium nitrate based explosive.

From Google:
mythbusters gasoline - Google Search

I love that show.....

Now, try a steel-core bullet, tracer, or incendiary round against a sealed steel drum (that should get a spark) only about 1/3 full of liquid gas (lots of vapor, and enough liquid gas to get vaporized during the boom), and you might have a show.

 

[Zimm1001]

As I understand the process (I am not expert just watch too much tv) in order to get the fireball effect with gasoline an explosive is placed on the container of gas in order to blow up the container, aerosolizing the gas which then burns in a big fireball. Otherwise no boom boom. and without spell check I am lost. LOL

 

[jedi]

Thanks all! So again reality is such a left down vs what B-Rated hollywood movies can do. he,he,he...

So it's really not the fuel (gasoline) but the fuel vapor that is what is the danger. Shooting at a full container of gasoline (sealed) won't blow up (well probablity is very low) vs shooting at a 1/2 full container of gasoline (sealed) which has a higher probablity to blowup.

 

[shibumiseeker]

Thanks all! So again reality is such a left down vs what B-Rated hollywood movies can do. he,he,he...

So it's really not the fuel (gasoline) but the fuel vapor that is what is the danger. Shooting at a full container of gasoline (sealed) won't blow up (well probablity is very low) vs shooting at a 1/2 full container of gasoline (sealed) which has a higher probablity to blowup.

Even the latter scenario is a low probability since the Upper Explosive Limit (UEL) for gasoline vapor is likely achieved and unless the drum was carefully sealed to keep the vapor inside within the LEL and UEL (trickier than it seems...)

Now, place a lit road flare next to the drum and you will have a nice fireball, though it may take a little time for enough gas to escape and find flame...

 

[Vasili]

in this thread: fellas who seem not to understand well the internal combustion engine.

 

[IndyGunSafety]

In my former life I was an IFSAC level III Fire Instructor through Oklahoma State University. Gasoline itself does not burn. The vapors do. The gasoline must be hot enough to put off vapors. The force of a bullet hitting the barrel could atomize enough gas to provide fuel, and the subsequent spark COULD cause an ignition outside the barrel. The resultant raging fire, will now start to atomize fuel inside the barrel. Once the gas in the barrel reaches it's autoignition point, (536 degrees F) the gas will ignite WITHOUT AN IGNITION SOURCE. If the flame ever reaches inside the barrel the vapor would ignite at once at relatively low temp.

In my Fire Behavior classes I used to take a small clear container containing gasoline at room temperature and ignite it. I would pick the container up and float it in ice water. Within a minute the fire would go out because the gas would cool and was no longer warm enough to put off vapors. (You can look up the terms fire point and flash point) Then I would light matches and put them out in the gasoline!

Could it happen? Maybe, but not usually instantly like in the movies. At one fire I worked in Milwaukee, 55 gallon drums of some sort of flammable liquid were igniting inside the building and launching hundreds of feet into the air... in the midst of the city! If at all possible, don't hide behind gas barrels!

 

[Eddie]

I know it worked pretty reliably in the Doom series of video games. You could shoot those barrels with anything and they would explode.

 

[CountryBoy19]

Spark + fuel + oxygen = flame

The only question is does the impact produce a spark that makes contact with fuel and oxygen?

Seems like a Darwin test is in order here

Flame is much different than detonation.

 

[shibumiseeker]

in this thread: fellas who seem not to understand well the internal combustion engine.

I dunno, proper combustion mixture of air and fuel, compression raising mixture temperature so that mixture is more readily ignited, seems pretty simple to me. Wonder what happens in that engine when compression is lost?

 

[indyjoe]

There are many times that the Mythbusters have TRIED to get a detonation with fuel vapor. Their frustrations are evident in how hard it is to get the mixture RIGHT. I think they resorted to using some type of meter that will indicate the mixture, to save time.

This is similar to anyone who has had to work through the processes of determining the proper mixture to use in a potato cannon. A little too little or too much and nothing happens.