OT: Don't try this at home folks

[GB]

It takes a peculiar type of luck to do this and survive unhurt.

A driver caused an explosion in his car when he lit a cigarette after spraying air freshener.

He used "excessive" amounts of the aerosol scent before sparking up, according to firefighters.

Gas from the spray ignited, blew out the windscreen and windows and buckled the doors but the man escaped with only minor injuries.

Police said the incident in Halifax on Saturday "could've been worse" and warned people to follow safety advice.

The motorist was in stationary traffic in Fountain Street in the town at about 15:00 GMT on Saturday when the explosion happened.

It was so powerful it caused damage to windows at nearby businesses.

More stories from Yorkshire The road was closed while an investigation was carried out by police and the fire service.

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said the cause of the "dramatic" incident was "excessive" air freshener use.

[Another Dave]

No shit.

Another Dave

[Richard]

Oh, there probably was.

[Jethro_uk]

From memory, the window ratio of fuel to air to cause an explosion is quite narrow ?

[Brian Gaff (Sofa 2)]

Is he now deaf I wonder? A lot of people who have been in gas explosions suffer perforated eardrums. Brian

[Brian Gaff (Sofa 2)]

So has he given up smoking now? Brian

[GB]

The article says he only suffered minor injuries. Would perforated ear drums count as minor?

[alan_m]

It was what he was smoking that necessitated vast amounts of air freshener!

[John Rumm]

If we assume the propellant in the can was butane, then something like from 1.8% to 8.4% fuel to air are the limits for an explosive reaction.

[whisky-dave]

Maybe that's why he had to use a lot of air freshner.

[Jethro_uk]

Those figures sound familiar ... whether they are narrow or not, I have no idea.

Isn't the word "stoichiometric" ?

[John Rumm]

I think that is the ideal ratio where you get complete combustion, rather than a range of ratios. An explosion will still goes bang even if the reaction is a bit rich or lean!

[Richard]

Here's a handy table for LEL/UEL of various gases

[%]

Nope

[alan_m]

Wouldn't someone choke to death on the artificial fragrance of air freshener long before the mixture got to a explosive mix?

[tabbypurr]

Depends if it was something that made him unable to breathe - presumably it wasn't.

[Max Demian]

Any pure gas that isn't oxygen or CO2 will stop your breathing, as people who like to breathe helium or NO3 sometimes find.

[Roger Hayter]

To be pedantic, it doesn't stop you breathing, just prevents you benefitting much from it.

[Max Demian]

Breathing is regulated by the CO2, not the O2 level, i.e. the breathing rate increases when the CO2 level increases, and reduces when it reduces. Zero CO2 results in zero breathing, as Karl Kruszelnicki (of "Dr Karl" fame) is fond of relating when he nearly died as a result of inhaling pure helium.

[Roger Hayter]

An interesting theory. Where do you think the CO2 in the lungs comes from? Hint; it isn't from inspired air. And I don't think nearly dying on pure Helium is primarily due to not breathing.