My lawnmower burned up

[richard]

Not true. On the tv show they experimented with various ways to cause gasoline to explode. Including simple matches, cigarettes and even a propane torch. They found gas requires a temperature of 800 degrees to ignite. A cigarette only produces 600 degrees.

The reason gas "explodes" in an internal combustion engine is due to the fact that the gas is vaporized and compressed. In reality, it still doesn't explode, it is the spark from the spark plug which causes it to explode.

If gasoline were that easy to explode, you would not have it in your car.

Diesel, OTOH, does explode on it's own when properly compressed, thus, no spark plug is required.

In either case, it is not the fuel itself that igntes, but rather, the vapors of. As there is now a higher concentration of oxygen to the fuel.

I'm sure you've seen plenty of videos of various types where fuel is on the surface of the water and burning brightly? So how come it never explodes?

[Kurt Ullman]

Well technically it can. This is largely the concept behind the fuel-air bomb or vapor cloud explosions. Of course, your overall point within the confines of the internal combustion engine in your mower, is valid. Unless the OP did some VERY serious tinkering with the mower before hand (g).

[trader4]

Am I the only one that wonders how this thread from 3 years ago suddenly gets a reply and started again? Prior to Tony's post, the last post according to my thread was from July 4, 2005. I'm just curious how someone decides to reply to something that old or if I'm missing something?

[Steve Barker]

It doesn't "explode" at all. It is a rapid burning, not an explosion.

s

[richard]

In this lawnmower incident, which is more common than you think, what people call an explosion is more than likely a "fireball" effect. Where you have a small opening in whcih the fumes gather, the fumes ignite and are pushed out of that little hole. Which is exactly how a rocket works.

Search for information on "B.L.E.V.E." and you will soon find out how various fuels ignite and explode and why they are dangerous.

Boiling Liquids Evaporating Vapors Explosions

[harry k]

[e-mail]:

Errm...they did. It also didn't work. The reason is that while the tank is full of fumes, there isn't enough oxy to make a combustible mix.

Harry K

[harry k]

partially correct. You can start gas to burn (not explode) with low level heat (match) IF there is a bit of vapor above the gas - there almost always is. If the heat source is buried below the vapor level, then more heat is needed.

Diesel is hard (compared to gas) to ignite becuase it doesn't put out that much fumes.

Diesel "explodes" (again it burns rapidly, not technically "explode") when highely compressed and the heat of compression sets it off. Gas will do the same thing. Jusst dump some gas into a diesel engien and watch it destroy itself.

Harry K

[Deadrat]

richard wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Wrong. As usual. Please take my word for it that gasoline will ignite with common objects found around the house. Your guess at the temperature of a lit cigarette is off by a factor of 2. Not bad for you.

I think we're in violent agreement here. Gas must be gas(eous) to explode.

Once it's lit, it burns, so there's never the proper air/fuel mixture.

[Deadrat]

Steve Barker wrote in news:Qp6dncpYrbJUSDLUnZ2dnUVZ [e-mail]:

I was wrong once.

1967.

March.

First week.

If you'd like to argue that an air/fuel mixture of gasoline does "NOT" explode, then you want semantics, down the hall, first door on the left. This is abuse.

[clare]

Boy, are YOU dangerous!!!!!!!!!!! Pour gas into/onto a hot mower engine and you get a lot of evapouration - to the point a SPARK can light it. If it has a plastic tank, when it melts and releases the half gallon of gasoline to the atmosphere, a LARGE fire can result - including quite a "whoosh" of flame.

I do think, however, that this is a troll.

[clare]

Conflargation vs explosion is ALMOST a case of semantics. For all practical purposes, a proper mixture of gasoline and oxygen in a confined space explodes.

[Bert Byfield]

The US Navy sent me to bomb school where they taught that TNT produces a quick rush of gas and not an "explosion" such as you get from other chemicals. So it is relative. "Explosion" is not a precise term without some sort of context to define it better than the dictionary does.

[dsl]

Just another stupid illegal alien from Mexico who needs to go back to his bamboo hut village in Mexico where they dont have dangerous things like gasoline, electricity, and matches. All they have are their bamboo huts and lots of liquor and cocaine to keep them busy in between their main job of reproducing.

[Twayne]

SUCKERS!