jjs wrote:
>
> "Tim Rogers" > wrote in message
> ...
>
> > [...] Ask any firefighter who has tried to rescue
> > someone in burning car where the tank is or is possibly about to ignite
> > after rupturing in an accident.
>
> Ask any firefighter if he's _ever_ seen a gas tank explode due to a burning
> automobile - for example, when the interior is on fire, or much more
> typically when the tires under the engine are on fire - the later is very
> common and nasty. A ruptured tank is another story, but fairly rare. In my
> years on the flightline and in the field, I've never seen an automobile or
> truck's tank explode.

It could, if it was mostly empty. It's the fumes that explode, gasoline
alone won't.
Gasoline doesn't even burn. :)

You can weld a patch in the bottom of a full gas tank without blowing it
up or setting it on fire.
(I don't recommend it though).


For gasoline fumes to ignite and explode, the air/fuel ratio needs to be
within certain limits, too.

Jan

"Jan Andersson" > wrote in message
...
>
> For gasoline fumes to ignite and explode, the air/fuel ratio needs to be
> within certain limits, too.
>
>

..................I personally know of instances where the gas tank literally
exploded. Those of you who haven't suffered from memory loss yet, can
probably figure out what I'm referring in one incident in my family's recent
history. I also have two brothers who are firefighters and they've both
experienced this type of situation 'up close and personal'. End of
arguement.

"Jan Andersson" > wrote in message
...

> It could, if it was mostly empty. It's the fumes that explode, gasoline
> alone won't.
> Gasoline doesn't even burn. :)

Never seen it happen.

> For gasoline fumes to ignite and explode, the air/fuel ratio needs to be
> within certain limits, too.

I sure won't say that gasoline isn't dangerous. There's a reason it is
classified (in the USA) as an explosive, while nitro-based gunpowder is just
'flammable'. I was in a gas explosion - a real boom and ball of fire. This
was a case of spilled gasoline, and a saturated source that fed it. The
fumes must have run across the ground then ignited behind me. I was well
away from the source but the fire ball burned my hair and eyebrows. It went
away as quickly as it happened and I continued towards the source. Someone
was closer and unlucky.

"Tim Rogers" > wrote in message
...
> .................I personally know of instances where the gas tank
> literally
> exploded. Those of you who haven't suffered from memory loss yet, can
> probably figure out what I'm referring in one incident in my family's
> recent
> history. I also have two brothers who are firefighters and they've both
> experienced this type of situation 'up close and personal'. End of
> arguement.

Sorry for your bad experiences, but they are very rare. Cite the exact
circumstances of the firefighters and you are likely to find a ruptured
tank. That's a different case.

My memory is just fine, thank you.

To follow up on Tim's specific remark. There are exacerbating flaws in some
modern vehicles that did cause some horrible fires - one due to ruptured
fuel tanks and another caused by a flawed cap release over an unvented tank.

We had a fire here last year from a ruptured tank under otherwise benign
circumstances. It was gutwrenching horror. Everyone died. Fast. 10 gallons
of fuel dispersed suddenly and blew up. The fire was up and over before the
first responders got there.

My deepest sympathies to all who know of such victims.

"jjs" > wrote in message
...
>
> Sorry for your bad experiences, but they are very rare. Cite the exact
> circumstances of the firefighters and you are likely to find a ruptured
> tank. That's a different case.
>
>

..............Rupturing is precisely what precedes the ignition of the
mixture of air and gasoline fumes INSIDE the tank. What immmediately follows
is often called an explosion. Whatever it is, it can rip apart the vehicle.
I've seen and heard enough about this to know that it isn't rare at all if
you're a firefighter or work in a hospital.

"Tim Rogers" > wrote in message
...
> .............Rupturing is precisely what precedes the ignition of the
> mixture of air and gasoline fumes INSIDE the tank. What immmediately
> follows
> is often called an explosion. Whatever it is, it can rip apart the
> vehicle.
> I've seen and heard enough about this to know that it isn't rare at all if
> you're a firefighter or work in a hospital.

I was a medic in-service for four years active. I doubt you've seen
something I haven't, unless it's a recent thing induced by technology that
didn't exist between '64 and '68. (And do y'all really have mortar attacks
in Boston?)

"jjs" > wrote in message
...
>
> I was a medic in-service for four years active. I doubt you've seen
> something I haven't, unless it's a recent thing induced by technology that
> didn't exist between '64 and '68. (And do y'all really have mortar attacks
> in Boston?)
>
>

.............Try to remember what would happen when a VC mortar shell made a
direct hit on a vessel in a gasoline tank farm.

"Tim Rogers" > wrote in message
...
> "jjs" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> I was a medic in-service for four years active. I doubt you've seen
>> something I haven't, unless it's a recent thing induced by technology
>> that
>> didn't exist between '64 and '68. (And do y'all really have mortar
>> attacks
>> in Boston?)
> ............Try to remember what would happen when a VC mortar shell made
> a
> direct hit on a vessel in a gasoline tank farm.

My memory is good. Besides, most of the clustered drums were diesel fuel.

On Sun, 17 Apr 2005 13:26:12 -0500, "jjs" >
wrote:

>"Howard Rose" > wrote in message
.. .
>>I am not sure where you would put the extra tank in a Beetle and still
>> have room for your passengers.
>
>Pull a trailer of tanks.

Or do as they did in WWII and have a big bag of gas on the roofrack!
--
Howard Rose
1966 VW Beetle 1300 Deluxe
1962 Austin Mini Deluxe
1964 Austin Mini Super Deluxe
http://www.howard81.co.uk/ (cars on website)