Oxygen Tank Explodes in Pattaya

[Rimmer]

Oxygen Tank Explodes in Pattaya

PATTAYA:--PATTAYA – June 21, 2014 [PDN];- at 21.00 pm. Pol.Lt.Col.Pummipat Namputsa-investigation inspector of Bang Lamung police station- was notified that oxygen tank had exploded in an electric equipment shop in Soi Talad Ban Rong Poh. After notification he was accompanied with Pol.Col.Thammanoon Munkong and Sawang Borriboon rescue team.

At the scene a commercial building a baby shop and a computer shop were damaged by the explosion which had blown a large hole in the wall between the electric equipment shop and baby shop while computer shop had sustained damaged to its ceiling. The total damaged cost around 500,000 baht but luckily nobody was injured.

Full story:http://www.pattayadailynews.com/pattaya-news/2014/06/22/oxygen-tank-explodes-in-pattaya/

-- Pattaya Daily News 2014-06-22

[PETERTHEEATER]

?....and how did the officers 'sieze the exploded tank'?

Was it oxygen or acetylene? The colour of the cylinder is not indicated.

[techboy]

?....and how did the officers 'sieze the exploded tank'?

Was it oxygen or acetylene? The colour of the cylinder is not indicated.

Don't be trying to sound so sharp when you ain't got a clue. Acetylene tank with 200psi is not likely to blow a big hole into the adjacent shop.

[ClutchClark]

?....and how did the officers 'sieze the exploded tank'?

Was it oxygen or acetylene? The colour of the cylinder is not indicated.

Don't be trying to sound so sharp when you ain't got a clue. Acetylene tank with 200psi is not likely to blow a big hole into the adjacent shop.

Thats what I used to think:

Edited June 22, 2014 by ClutchClark

[farangbanok]

?....and how did the officers 'sieze the exploded tank'?

Was it oxygen or acetylene? The colour of the cylinder is not indicated.

Don't be trying to sound so sharp when you ain't got a clue. Acetylene tank with 200psi is not likely to blow a big hole into the adjacent shop.

Tech people (whether boys or men!) would know that acetylene cannot be compressed, thus 200 psi is something of a technical error.

Acetylene is dissolved in acetone inside the cylinder, some pressure being applied to dissolve the gas. A couple of hundered litres of blazing acetone would be a tad messy though.

In TH people generally seem to use a cast iron pressure vessel with water and calcium carbide to generate acetylene, so it is unlikely that the accident involved an acetylene tank.

[MMarlow]

?....and how did the officers 'sieze the exploded tank'?

Was it oxygen or acetylene? The colour of the cylinder is not indicated.

By using their hands to hold it whilst moving it to their vehicle, perhaps? The report says it was oxygen, I think that means that it was oxygen. Why should you think it was acetylene?

[MMarlow]

?....and how did the officers 'sieze the exploded tank'?

Was it oxygen or acetylene? The colour of the cylinder is not indicated.

Don't be trying to sound so sharp when you ain't got a clue. Acetylene tank with 200psi is not likely to blow a big hole into the adjacent shop.

Tech people (whether boys or men!) would know that acetylene cannot be compressed, thus 200 psi is something of a technical error.

Acetylene is dissolved in acetone inside the cylinder, some pressure being applied to dissolve the gas. A couple of hundered litres of blazing acetone would be a tad messy though.

In TH people generally seem to use a cast iron pressure vessel with water and calcium carbide to generate acetylene, so it is unlikely that the accident involved an acetylene tank.

It's also unlikely to be acetylene because the report said it was oxygen.

[Basil B]

This is Thailand... so oxygen could mean any gas or even just compressed air.

I am not convinced it was oxygen as there was no fire, given that their would have been a high concentration of oxygen I would have expected the to have been a fire caused by sparks from damaged light fitting other electrical equipment, if anyone had been smoking thy could have self combusted.

When a gas or air cylinder explodes they normally split open... so not many pieces to pick up.

[PiPiFFS]

This is Thailand... so oxygen could mean any gas or even just compressed air.

I am not convinced it was oxygen as there was no fire, given that their would have been a high concentration of oxygen I would have expected the to have been a fire caused by sparks from damaged light fitting other electrical equipment, if anyone had been smoking thy could have self combusted.

When a gas or air cylinder explodes they normally split open... so not many pieces to pick up.

explotank_small.jpg

Oxygen is non flammable so why should there be a fire ? It is an accelerant when introduced to an existing fire

[ClutchClark]

?....and how did the officers 'sieze the exploded tank'?

Was it oxygen or acetylene? The colour of the cylinder is not indicated.

Don't be trying to sound so sharp when you ain't got a clue. Acetylene tank with 200psi is not likely to blow a big hole into the adjacent shop.

Tech people (whether boys or men!) would know that acetylene cannot be compressed, thus 200 psi is something of a technical error.

Acetylene is dissolved in acetone inside the cylinder, some pressure being applied to dissolve the gas. A couple of hundered litres of blazing acetone would be a tad messy though.

In TH people generally seem to use a cast iron pressure vessel with water and calcium carbide to generate acetylene, so it is unlikely that the accident involved an acetylene tank.

Not attempting an argument here as your knowledge of local Thai practice is more than I knew but are you actually meaning that acetylene cannot be compressed above low pressures rather than not at all? For instance, my oxy/acetylene cutting torch bottle has about 250 psi full.

Also, I think we both know what can happen when an acetylene bottle is used on its side rather than valve up--the separation of acetone can result in a violent explosion.

As for the flammability of oxygen, BasilB has already noted that the photos do not show any sign of scorching or presence of a flame. It simply shows what appears to have been a strong force (explosion).

Cheers

Edited June 22, 2014 by ClutchClark

[Halion]

?....and how did the officers 'sieze the exploded tank'?

Was it oxygen or acetylene? The colour of the cylinder is not indicated.

Don't be trying to sound so sharp when you ain't got a clue. Acetylene tank with 200psi is not likely to blow a big hole into the adjacent shop.

I think that perhaps you are the one that lacks the in-depth knowledge. I have personally witnessed the damage caused by an exploding Acetylene cylinder and it would have caused significantly more damage than was reported.

With acetylene is has got nothing to do with the working pressure. An ignition source on an acetylene cylinder will eventually over pressurize and explode most violently owing to the porous mass and the residual acetylene gas.

[ClutchClark]

?....and how did the officers 'sieze the exploded tank'?

Was it oxygen or acetylene? The colour of the cylinder is not indicated.

Don't be trying to sound so sharp when you ain't got a clue. Acetylene tank with 200psi is not likely to blow a big hole into the adjacent shop.

I think that perhaps you are the one that lacks the in-depth knowledge. I have personally witnessed the damage caused by an exploding Acetylene cylinder and it would have caused significantly more damage than was reported.

With acetylene is has got nothing to do with the working pressure. An ignition source on an acetylene cylinder will eventually over pressurize and explode most violently owing to the porous mass and the residual acetylene gas.

I have never actually seen it but I appreciate your description. I just have a torch in my own shop and always followed safety protocols.

This is just a hypothetical but what would be the actual result if guys were moving a bottle without the cylinder cap attached and they slightly cracked open the shut-off valve while storing it on its side? This would not create the high pressure scenario you describe above; however, it would allow for the acetone to disassociate, correct?

Heres a link that supports your experience about the violence of an explosion:

http://my.firefighternation.com/forum/topics/even-a-small-cylinder-of

[minikev]

I opened this to see how an oxygen bottle could explode only to find 2 people arguing about an acetylene explosion. The headline says oxygen so I don't see the reason to confuse the issue.

It would be interesting to know how this bottle exploded as I use 3 sets of oxy acetylene in my shop daily.

[harrry]

https://intranet.helenamt.gov/fileadmin/user_upload/HR/Safety/Safety_Training/BLR_-_Case_Study_-_Cylinder_Explosion.pdf

Time for a few facts.

Oxygen cylynders are unlikey to explode by themselves even if heated say in a hot car as they have a safety valve that vents to the air.

This enriched air however can increase the flamability of the things surrounding it and in the presence of an ignition source can cause a fire.

Regulators broken off by poor handling can turn the cylinder into a rocket which will cause considerable damage.

In many cases here they say an oxygen tank exploded and it then turned out to be a gas tank, maybe a translation error.

Tanks exploding on their own are very rare, tanks exploding in a fire are possible but it is more likely that the oxygen will be vented increasing the fire but not explode as such.

If the valve detatches the cylinder becomes a dangerous projectile.

[ClutchClark]

I opened this to see how an oxygen bottle could explode only to find 2 people arguing about an acetylene explosion. The headline says oxygen so I don't see the reason to confuse the issue.

It would be interesting to know how this bottle exploded as I use 3 sets of oxy acetylene in my shop daily.

Are you just kidding around? Your knickers really aren't in a knot, right?

Its a Thai news report so "oxygen" bottle is not guaranteed to be Oxygen.

Furthermore, there is no argument about acetylene explosions. I agree completely with what the other poster has stated and asked his opinion. If you have an oxy/acetylene torch in your shop and you posted to learn about its potential hazard then why are you so offended that there is a discussion about acetylene?

Based on the photos, it is difficult to see if the damage was the result of a projectile so we are simply considering the possibilities.

Edited June 23, 2014 by ClutchClark

[Basil B]

This is Thailand... so oxygen could mean any gas or even just compressed air.

I am not convinced it was oxygen as there was no fire, given that their would have been a high concentration of oxygen I would have expected the to have been a fire caused by sparks from damaged light fitting other electrical equipment, if anyone had been smoking thy could have self combusted.

When a gas or air cylinder explodes they normally split open... so not many pieces to pick up.

explotank_small.jpg

Oxygen is non flammable so why should there be a fire ? It is an accelerant when introduced to an existing fire

Virtually anything will combust in the presence of oxygen at high concentration, even steel (if you do not know what a thermal lances is read this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_lance), given an ignition source.

The more I think about this the more I come to the conclusion that may be someone had it on it's side and was attempting to remove the valve while the bottle was under pressure?

could be any gas that pressurizes or air, SCUBA bottles are normally filled to 200bar/3000psi plus.

Edited June 23, 2014 by Basil B

[monkey4u]

I opened this to see how an oxygen bottle could explode only to find 2 people arguing about an acetylene explosion. The headline says oxygen so I don't see the reason to confuse the issue.

It would be interesting to know how this bottle exploded as I use 3 sets of oxy acetylene in my shop daily.

There are 2 very simple ways

1) Put oil on the thread where you screw the gauge in turn on gas === no more workshop

2) Break off the valve on top of bottle === 1 very nasty torpedo

[morrobay]

According to Pattaya One TV news last night the tank contained a refrigerant gas for AC compressors. Most of these gases are partially/wholly chlorinated and flourinated hydrocarbons While some are flammable this photo shows a purely physical explosion.

Edited June 24, 2014 by morrobay

[harrry]

Looking at the photo the hole is just like one from a torpedoing tank.

[ClutchClark]

According to Pattaya One TV news last night the tank contained a refrigerant gas for AC compressors. Most of these gases are partially/wholly chlorinated and flourinated hydrocarbons While some are flammable this photo shows a purely physical explosion.

Can you explain the volatility of such hydrocarbons in greater detail?

How did it result in this explosion?

Thanks

[Basil B]

According to Pattaya One TV news last night the tank contained a refrigerant gas for AC compressors. Most of these gases are partially/wholly chlorinated and flourinated hydrocarbons While some are flammable this photo shows a purely physical explosion.

If the bottle had exploded it would probably brought the whole wall down.

I go with the torpedoing gas tank theory, it went through the wall and then dislodged a shelving unit, moved it some way it to the shop with much of the merchandise ending up in the street.

I do not go with the refrigerant theory either, refrigerant compresses in to liquid at a fairly low pressure, therefore it would have been in liquid form, therefore the storage tank would not have needed to be very thick, so it would have only been lightweight, the liquid would take time to convert to gas as it needs to draw in heat to do so, so not much chance of an explosion.

[ClutchClark]

According to Pattaya One TV news last night the tank contained a refrigerant gas for AC compressors. Most of these gases are partially/wholly chlorinated and flourinated hydrocarbons While some are flammable this photo shows a purely physical explosion.

If the bottle had exploded it would probably brought the whole wall down.

I go with the torpedoing gas tank theory, it went through the wall and then dislodged a shelving unit, moved it some way it to the shop with much of the merchandise ending up in the street.

I do not go with the refrigerant theory either, refrigerant compresses in to liquid at a fairly low pressure, therefore it would have been in liquid form, therefore the storage tank would not have needed to be very thick, so it would have only been lightweight, the liquid would take time to convert to gas as it needs to draw in heat to do so, so not much chance of an explosion.

Going with that theory, assuming the tank had just been moved and stored, could the tank have absorbed enough heat to turn into a gaseous state if it was sitting in the bed of a truck in the hot sun?

When those tanks are filled with refrigerant, do they revert to a liquid almost immediately as pressure increases?

A photo of the tank would have been nice, eh?

[techboy]

?....and how did the officers 'sieze the exploded tank'?

Was it oxygen or acetylene? The colour of the cylinder is not indicated.

Don't be trying to sound so sharp when you ain't got a clue. Acetylene tank with 200psi is not likely to blow a big hole into the adjacent shop.

Tech people (whether boys or men!) would know that acetylene cannot be compressed, thus 200 psi is something of a technical error.

Acetylene is dissolved in acetone inside the cylinder, some pressure being applied to dissolve the gas. A couple of hundered litres of blazing acetone would be a tad messy though.

In TH people generally seem to use a cast iron pressure vessel with water and calcium carbide to generate acetylene, so it is unlikely that the accident involved an acetylene tank.

Regardless of what it was mixed with an average commercial acetylene tank is under about 200psi. And OMG! acetylene is subject PV=nRT. High school junior year chemistry.

[techboy]

?....and how did the officers 'sieze the exploded tank'?

Was it oxygen or acetylene? The colour of the cylinder is not indicated.

Don't be trying to sound so sharp when you ain't got a clue. Acetylene tank with 200psi is not likely to blow a big hole into the adjacent shop.

Thats what I used to think:

As I understand it this was a pressure explosion- not incendiary. Definitely not a mixed gas bang.

[ClutchClark]

?....and how did the officers 'sieze the exploded tank'?

Was it oxygen or acetylene? The colour of the cylinder is not indicated.

Don't be trying to sound so sharp when you ain't got a clue. Acetylene tank with 200psi is not likely to blow a big hole into the adjacent shop.

Thats what I used to think:

As I understand it this was a pressure explosion- not incendiary. Definitely not a mixed gas bang.

True, I was simply pointing out that acetylene should not be underestimated.

[slipperylobster]

?....and how did the officers 'sieze the exploded tank'?

Was it oxygen or acetylene? The colour of the cylinder is not indicated.

Don't be trying to sound so sharp when you ain't got a clue. Acetylene tank with 200psi is not likely to blow a big hole into the adjacent shop.

Thats what I used to think:

Here is how

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Will_oxygen_tanks_explode?#slide=1