O2 cylinder explosion
- Thread starter cdiver2
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cdreamer
Contributor
OMG!! Don't know if that was narrated, I don't have sound, but I hope whoever was servicing that is OK. That is alot of blood.
"Oxygen doesn't burn."
Notice what did burn to cause this explosion - brass and aluminum.
Ignition source - heat generated by friction in the threads.
I also wouldn't be surprised if there were a bit of incompatible lubricant involved here, too.
Rick
Notice what did burn to cause this explosion - brass and aluminum.
Ignition source - heat generated by friction in the threads.
I also wouldn't be surprised if there were a bit of incompatible lubricant involved here, too.
The blood is where the severed arm landed. They didn't say whether the previous owner of the arm was alive or dead, but the implication is that he lived.cdreamer:
Rick
JC Franklin
Registered
it was a home health O2 tank. You have got to hear the narration. Holy cow.
This is the same cylinter that's in many onboard oxygen kits.JC Franklin:
Rick
OP
cdiver2
Contributor
Darwin at work
crpntr133
lost, even with a compass
I agree with Rick about the lubricant. If I was to make a bet it would be that there was something either on the vise or the workers hand that caused it. Maybe even the wrench.
mikerault
Contributor
Let's see...soak this thing down with WD40 and that should loosen it up....
crpntr133:
Don't think so. The point of ignition was inside the tank on the threads between the valve and the tank neck. You can see the vaporization of the tank neck threads and the valve end that was in the tank. These are the things that burned with explosive speed and caused the explosion. Whether there was some incompatible lubricant on the threads to help with ignition or not I doubt we'll ever know, but the heat came from the mechanical friction of turning the valve with great force (big wrench and chain vice) with the valve under pressure and in contact with pure oxygen - guaranteed BOOM! There's no way an externally applied lubricant could have gotten to the point of ignition with pressure in the tank.mikerault:
In other words, while there may have been an incompatible lubricant involved, it would have had to have been on the threads when the valve was installed; the heat of friction could easily have been enough to torch the aluminum even without it.
Rick
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