Hacker News Reader

Comment by kylec | Hacker News Reader

Just wait until you hear about this explosive fuel called "gasoline" that is quite popular for powering cars too

Gasoline is an easily-contained liquid. Gasoline-vapor/air mixtures explode under relatively limited circumstances. Vs. hydrogen is a difficult-to-contain gas, the concentration range for hydrogen/air to be explosive is extremely wide, and triggering the explosion is extremely easy.

While I do not argue the explosive nature of it, safety can be improved by embracing how fast it disperses. Think Toyota went that path with interleaved fibers in their containers' outer enclosures, to augment that effect, so it isn't sufficient for an explosion to occur.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVeagFmmwA0

(Edit: added Toyota's test where they shot an hydrogen tank, you can see the fibers and the gas dispersion)

True.

But a hydrogen / air mixture is explosive from 4% hydrogen to 74% hydrogen, Americans love their attached garages, and most attached garages feature a perfectly-placed electric spark detonator...er, I mean electric garage door opener...which is triggered daily.

Fair

Compressed gas at 200atm is a different kind of explosive.

ever watched someone extinguish a cigarette in gasoline? it's explosive, but in a narrow band of conditions.

You've been watching too many movies. MythBusters tested this. A pool of gasoline will extinguish a cigarette dropped in it every time.

I was not clear - I agree with you. I was saying that gasoline might be explosive, but it is not likely to happen. it is remarkably tolerant of heat/spark at STP conditions.

I think you and the comment you replied to are agreeing.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com