CO2 Truck Explosion

[mbeige]

This should be a good read:

Petroleum Storage & Transportation

LPG properties and specs

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION/PROPERTIES:
Appearance:Rapidly evaporating liquid or gas with rotten cabbage - like smell.
Initial Boiling Point:- 42 to 0 deg C.
Melting Point:Not applicable
Specific Gravity:0.49 to 0.57 (liquid)
Solubility in Water: Very slight
Vapour Pressure at 20 Deg C:107 to 730 kpag
Flash Point:-104 to 60 deg C
Lower Flammability Limit:1.9 % in air
Upper Flammability Limit:9.5 % in air
Vapour density:1.5 to 2.0 air = 1%
Volatiles:100 %
OTHER PROPERTIES:Evaporation Rate:Rapid
Auto ignition Point:482 to 5820 deg C

From this Wikipedia site, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_point:

Petrol:

• Flash point: >-45 °C (-49 °F)
• Autoignition temperature: 246 °C (475 °F)

Diesel:

• Flash point: >62 °C (144 °F)
• Autoignition temperature: 210 °C (410 °F)

LPG

• Flash point: -104 to 60 deg C
• Autoignition Point: 482 to 5820 deg C

Terms:

The autoignition temperature, or the ignition temperature, of a substance is the lowest temperature at which a chemical will spontaneously ignite in a normal atmosphere without an external source of ignition, such as a flame or spark. This temperature is required to supply the activation energy needed for combustion. The temperature at which a chemical will detonate decreases as the pressure increases or oxygen concentration increases. It is usually applied to a combustible fuel mixture.

The flash point of a flammable liquid is the lowest temperature at which it can form an ignitable mixture with oxygen. At this temperature the vapor may cease to burn when the source of ignition is removed. A slightly higher temperature, the fire point, is defined at which the vapor continues to burn after being ignited. Neither of these parameters is related to the temperatures of the ignition source or of the burning liquid, which are much higher. The flash point is often used as one descriptive characteristic of liquid fuel, but it is also used to describe liquids that are not used intentionally as fuels.

Regarding odorant:

LP Gas contains odourant ethyl mercaptan

Regarding inhalation:

May cause irritation of the respiratory tract. May also cause headaches or dizziness at moderate exposures. Asphyxiant. Causes unconsciousness and respiratory arrest at elevated exposures.

[Zeus]

UPDATE) Death toll in LPG truck explosion now over 20
Cops rule incident an ‘accident’
By Thea Alberto, Hernan P. dela Cruz
INQUIRER.net, Inquirer
Last updated 03:11pm (Mla time) 02/02/2007


PAGADIAN CITY, Philippines -- At least 22 persons, including a three-year old boy, were killed and at least 10 others injured when dozens of tanks of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) being hauled by a truck exploded in Zamboanga del Sur late Friday morning, officials said.
Chief Superintendent Jaime Caringal, Mindanao regional police director, immediately ruled the incident which happened past 11 a.m. in Sitio (sub-village) Diorok, Barangay (village) Lacupayan, Tigbao, “an accident.”
Caringal said they were still trying to get an accurate count but acknowledged that the final toll could still rise as emergency workers continued to retrieve bodies and check the different hospitals where casualties were rushed.
Major Gary Lachica, executive officer of the Army's 53rd Infantry Battalion, said troops who responded to the incident estimated “dozens” may have been killed and that the injury count was still mounting.
Most of the victims were aboard an RS Transit passenger bus from Imelda town on its way here.
Based on initial reports he received, Lachica said the truck was hauling the LPG from here to Zamboanga City when it turned turtle along the highway. The accident caused a traffic jam but the driver of the bus still tried to inch his way past the overturned truck.
"It was at this moment that the explosions occurred," Lachica said.
However, Caringal said other accounts from drivers in of other vehicles said the rear end of the truck suddenly caught fire as it traversed the highway.
Most of the victims sustained burns and wounds from flying debris. There were reports that a number of the dead were torn apart by the force of the explosion.
Originally posted at 12:48pm

Correction:

Tanker with carbon dioxide exploded, not LPG truck as earlier reported.

[hatch_lemon1640]

Zeus....yes correct carbon dioxide not lpg..23 confirm died.

[evs_13]

grabe, nakakaawa naman yung mga nadamay.....

kaya dapat maging aware us sa paligid natin...

[mbeige]

Nyak, sayang naman yung pinost ko

[poknat]

kaya nga ingat na din dumikit sa mga taxi ngaun eh

pero seriously dapat i-reevaluate ng gobyerno yan taxi lpg's na yan. gusto ko nga nila makatipid at the expense of safety.

and also, i have talked to 5 taxi riders including my wife, nakakasuka at nakakahilo daw sumakaw sa loob ng taxi lpg. mayroon smell na parang toxic.

i wonder if this will have an effect on health in the future

talaga me taxi na sa pinas na gamit lpg...katakot nga.

[karlbo]

kawawa talaga yung mga nadamay na yun.. knowing na papalapit sila doon sa truck na nabangin para tumulong.. at nang sumabog yung tangke na may dalang CO2 as per sa news, sila pa ang nasabugan.. tsk tsk

:rip:

[ghosthunter]

kaya nga ingat na din dumikit sa mga taxi ngaun eh

pero seriously dapat i-reevaluate ng gobyerno yan taxi lpg's na yan. gusto ko nga nila makatipid at the expense of safety.

and also, i have talked to 5 taxi riders including my wife, nakakasuka at nakakahilo daw sumakaw sa loob ng taxi lpg. mayroon smell na parang toxic.

i wonder if this will have an effect on health in the future

The smell is actually a chemical added to LPG the help detect any leaks. LPG itself has almost no smell.

If the taxi smells like LPG, then the LPG kit installed has become defective because the basic design of the LPG kits is to vent any leaking LPG directly outside the vehicle via a tube connecting the LPG tank guage to the outside.

My LPG kit had a minor leak once but it never made my cabin smell bad. They only detected the leak when they used a device that looked like a hand held radio around my tanks gauge. After some tightening of the connectors, the leak was gone.

[ghosthunter]

hindi ba pareho lang ang danger level ng LPG tank and our regular fuel tanks? mabilis din naman sumabog ang gasoline.

the danger levels of LPG vs gasoline

gasoline
-any leaking gasoline will pool under the vehicle. Evaporating gasoline vapors is also a hazzard if the concentrations are high enough.

LPG
-any leaking LPG will be desipated into the air as long as the area is not an enclosed room. Given the chemical added makes the LPG smell bad, even a small amount (below flash levels) can be detected by anyone so this gives people ample warning of the leak.

[jcastillo932]

For sure sub standard gamit nila na materials or ala nasa maintenance ung LPG tank. Kapabayaan na naman cause ng aksidente.