There was an interesting story about a petroleum storage tank doing this a while back. They wrapped a plastic bag around the vent valve to paint it, and forgot to take the bag off when they finished. A plastic bag over a reinforced vent proved to be stronger than the rest of the tank.
There was a large number of pics about this, but I wasn't able to find most of them. It's case two in this pdf.
That's a reproduction of one of my favorite chemistry / physics experiments... on a massive scale.
Take a turpentine can, fill it with an inch or two of water. Heat the bottom of the can until the water boils and steam comes out of the top. Put secure the cap on the can (turpentine cans work because they're generally air-tight when the cap is secured).
Remove can from flame. Very shortly the can will become scrunched.
See the general details of that effect here: http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/chem99/chem99406.htm
Don't know if that's what happened here (since you can see a hose running from the car it seems more likely that it was compressed by vacuum pump... though that would have to be a heck of a pump). But it seems right... plus in the frame at ground level it looks like a bit of steam escapes the near end of the car (as opposed to the water mist the comes off the middle of the car).
The way it suddenly and catastrophically imploded would indicate that that's definitely what happened to me. Imagine the kind of power you'd have to use to get a vacuum to do the same thing! Definitely a decrease in internal pressure due to cooling. PV = nrT. :)
Yeah, I'd agree with ya that the first is the way to go, I'm just puzzled at the hose :). This is one of those times I wish we had an actual video file, because I imagine that was an interesting sound.
plus the ground all over is wet, like it had been raining. Pouring cold water on the outside of the oil drum in your demonstration is the best way to speed the cooling process up and guarantee an impressive finish.
Failure to vent properly. I've seen and used this video in training for responders so that they are aware that there are plenty of hazards to be aware of outside of whatever is leaking. Plus just a cool video.
Thank goodness I've never run into it in real life!
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2009-05-19 07:56 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-05-19 08:14 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-05-19 08:04 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-05-19 08:20 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-05-19 11:20 pm (UTC)All they did was fail to vent it properly. They'd emptied it of gas when it was warm, and then let the remaining contents of the container cool.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-05-20 05:34 pm (UTC)There was a large number of pics about this, but I wasn't able to find most of them. It's case two in this pdf.
The TRUE story:
Date: 2009-05-19 08:11 pm (UTC)Re: The TRUE story:
Date: 2009-05-19 08:12 pm (UTC)IT MUST BE TRUE!!!
(no subject)
Date: 2009-05-19 08:25 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-05-19 08:29 pm (UTC)Take a turpentine can, fill it with an inch or two of water. Heat the bottom of the can until the water boils and steam comes out of the top. Put secure the cap on the can (turpentine cans work because they're generally air-tight when the cap is secured).
Remove can from flame. Very shortly the can will become scrunched.
See the general details of that effect here: http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/chem99/chem99406.htm
Don't know if that's what happened here (since you can see a hose running from the car it seems more likely that it was compressed by vacuum pump... though that would have to be a heck of a pump). But it seems right... plus in the frame at ground level it looks like a bit of steam escapes the near end of the car (as opposed to the water mist the comes off the middle of the car).
(no subject)
Date: 2009-05-19 11:36 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-05-20 01:34 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-05-23 08:25 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-05-19 08:46 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-05-20 12:19 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-05-19 09:15 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-05-19 09:58 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-05-19 10:38 pm (UTC)http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=72e_1208694365
(no subject)
Date: 2009-05-20 01:22 am (UTC)Thank goodness I've never run into it in real life!