Fact or Myth: Gasoline Barrel Blows Up Why?

[IndyGunSafety]

Flame is much different than detonation.

Yes, and he forgot that the fire triangle was changed to a fire "tetrahedron" (4 sides) in about 1990. An "unihibited chemical chain reaction" is now the 4th element. They figured this out trying to understand how HALON extinguished fire. It does not suffocate or displace Oxygen. Halon interupts the chemical chain reaction.

 

[G_Stines]

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.

If by ignition temp, you mean a flash point, where a substance off gasses a given amount for combustion, gasoline will do that -45F With sustainable burn vapor giving off at -27F ish. True that the O2 mixture has to be right, but even at -45F, electro-static sparks which run between 4000-5000C is enough for ignition.

To the OP, in order to get an explosion, you will have to have some kind of increased pressure. Whether by heating, to the point of BLEVE, or what have you, on top of the ignition source.

 

[femurphy77]

Been there, tried that. What they said, don't work! Liquid gasoline doesn't burn. If you want to try something really exciting I saw a video on the interweb somewhere of a couple of "adventurous types" shooting 5 gallon propane tanks, way cool!!!! search it and watch.

 

[G_Stines]

I was thinking about this Hollywood explosion, and if you want to see something pretty cool, and don't mind losing your deposit. Putting an almost empty keg on a fire is pretty cool til it BLEVEs. Just make sure you have some cover!!!

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hcx5k2Wk6Xk]YouTube - Mythbusters - Aerosol cans and beer keg on camp fire[/ame]

Skip to about 3:30

 

[Thumper]

Just go to the knob creek machinegun shoot and see for yourself.

 

[billybob44]

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.

^^^+1 I have shot several old style B-B-Q grill propane tanks=made holes+stink like He!!, but no burn/blow up..

 

[dweezil]

This thread reminds me of my favorite gratuitous movie explosion scene. I don't think the gas tank was actually shot though.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dT0J0rcJTLo"]YouTube - Top Secret Pinto scene[/ame]

 

[Brandon]

they blew a keg up?! *didnt know i had a bomb inside my game room!!!!! this is awsome!

 

[Vasili]

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?

i more meant the fact that people were surprised that it was the vapor and not the liquid that's flammable. you can put out a match in liquid gasoline. my buddy smokes around gas cans all the time, except when they're 'empty'. for obvious reasons. although i still don't recommend doing it at any time, just in case.

chemistry, it's real, folks.