Explosive Curiousity

[GundamExpo]

Im just curious, is it possible for a Nitro boat to explode?

[vicman]

Unfortunately it is possible for anything that carries a combustable fuel on board to explode. The right circumstances available and you are going to see fireworks. On the other hand, with all the equipment on the market today along with information available to do a proper setup, it does not happen very often. Usually only in someones garage while tinkering or at a race when someone rushes themselves and ignores safety rules. The biggest contributor to nitro flame-ups is people pouring it onto a hot engine or exhaust.

vicman

[GundamExpo]

Thats enough to keep me into only using electrics! Alot of your reasons sound like operator error. What im more curious of is it possible for it to happen while the boats on the water, like a fuel leek or something?

[FrankW]

It's also possible for electric boats to explode... with Nihm cells. If the cells get to hot, they vent. They vent hydrogen gas. If you have a very well sealed hull and the batteries vent, then even a small spark from the motor could cause an explosion. Hydrogen is awesome when it explodes, the flame is blue and the force is extremely powerful. So, if you bring in a boat with nihm cells and they're venting cause they got too hot, be extremly careful. If you'd like an example, check out this thread: http://www.rumrunnerracing.com/feforums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2463

-Frank

[GundamExpo]

frank your exxadurating a little bit. Hydrogen isnt a very good fuel, it dosent have the same energy potential as say gasoline or alchol. It sounds like what happened in that post is the same theroy as a steam explosion. The hydrogen gas ingnited in a closed enviroment and this expanding gas inside the boat greatly raised the pressure on the inside of the hull. The hull mostlike failed at its weakest point and burst outward.

Im not worried about NIMH cells too much. My boat has so many holes in it the gas couldent collect.

IF you know chemstry correct me but im guessing the heat breaks the hydrogen bonds the hydrogen has with the other elements inside the battery so this hydrogen gas expands and bursts the cell, then leaks out.

[FrankW]

Do you know what rocket fuel is that's used in the space shuttle? Hydrogen and Oxygen. A small spark starts the ignition when it's mixed togather and BOOM!!! Hydrogen is extremely powerful. When a balloon of it about 1.5 foot in diameter, is blown up and can shake a whole school building, I think it's plenty powerful, LOL. I really enjoyed AP Chemestry. :P

-Frank

[GundamExpo]

Actuially rocket fuel is usuially kerosene but there using other stuff aswell. Hydrogen isnt chemicially powerfull when it oxydizes. When gasoline oxydizes the real ooph in the molecule is the oxydation of the carbon. Its carbon oxydizing that relaly give stuff alot of power, and under pressure as well.

When stuff blows up stuff blows up but what im trying to say is hydrogen dosent cary near the amount of energy of gasoline or nitro fuel for that matter.

[FrankW]

"hydrogen containing 10 percent solid air exploded with violence. "

http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/SP-4404/ch2-4.htm

There's a lot more information on this page by NASA, but what's important is hydrogen mixed with air and ignited explodes with force.

Anyways, my point is Nihms vent hydrogen gas, hydrogen gas explodes, so be careful. While it might not hold the same potential energy as gasoline or nitro methane, it is still explosive.

-Frank

[GundamExpo]

Well see what you got there is the hydrogen is packed so closely with the oxygen it can oxydize very easilly. When you involve compressing a fuel with an oxydent the rules start changing.

Frank if I hear any hissing sound coming from NiMH's ill be shure to duck and cover.

[Guiri]

By weight, hydrogen's more explosive than kerosene, but a hull-full of hydrogen gas weighs less than a drop of kerosene, and less than a hull-full of kerosene vapour.

[vicman]

Yes it is possible but does not happen very often. Like I mentioned before, the methods of plumbing etc. are to a point that mishaps are usually more operator error than anything else these days. The only exceptions I can think of off hand from personal experience, are when a leak is exposed too close to the exhaust opening. This allowed the fuel to catch a spark and ignite. Neat stuff, burned the hull to the waterline. Didnt explode though, the leak was on the tank itself under a bad exh. connection. If it were really all that bad, there wouldnt be thousands of kids playing with NITR powered toys. One last note, NITRO is not as volatile as gasoline, (niether is much of anything else for that matter), it takes much more to get it to fire up. Thats why they have such high compression ratios. (just like diesel, kerosine engines)

vicman

[Mike_Nowicki]

I'm no rocket scientist, But I have been racing nitro boats for 15 years and have never seen or heard of one blowing up. I use 65% to 70% nitro. Like they say, It could happen but I wouldn't worry too much.

Mike

[Sheltered]

There was a thread last summer about a NiMH boat disappearing in an explosion.

[Andy C]

I highly doubt the engine would blow up. If you are not into nitro because you think the engine will blow up you need to understand that the chances are extremely slim. unless you yourself try and blow and blow it up.

[RcSurfRider]

No exageratin there
I build and modify competion rc surfers for 6-7 ft surf for use in cali. There have been several surfers go boom { including one of mine}as they are totally sealed with stainless screws to be water proof they get destroyed into pieces. It's evern worse if salt water gets in yer pack as electrolysis creates hydrogen gas as well it builds up the motor spark gets it and boom. Sound like 22short round going off.
Erik




QUOTE]Originally posted by GundamExpo
frank your exxadurating a little bit. Hydrogen isnt a very good fuel, it dosent have the same energy potential as say gasoline or alchol. It sounds like what happened in that post is the same theroy as a steam explosion. The hydrogen gas ingnited in a closed enviroment and this expanding gas inside the boat greatly raised the pressure on the inside of the hull. The hull mostlike failed at its weakest point and burst outward.

Im not worried about NIMH cells too much. My boat has so many holes in it the gas couldent collect.

IF you know chemstry correct me but im guessing the heat breaks the hydrogen bonds the hydrogen has with the other elements inside the battery so this hydrogen gas expands and bursts the cell, then leaks out. [/QUOTE]

[GundamExpo]

Again nothing different then what I said there. Have you guys ever sealed one end of a paper bag full of air and poped it? Its the same sort of theroy as these Hydrogen explosions. Your creating a high pressure inside the hull and it excapes violently though the weakest part. Not a direct effect of the hydrogen oxydizing but a result of the expanded and heated gas.

[FrankW]

But Gundam, you forget that there's already oxygen in the hull, then hydrogen from the venting cells is introduced, finally a spark from the motor makes it go boom! Standard Hydrogen/oxygen reaction.

-Frank

[RcSurfRider]

On my surfer that went boom it had scorch marks and melted my sponge seals.