LPG

[Diddums]

I don't know what the continent is like now but when I lived in Holland, LPG was all the rage and pretty much every petrol station stocked it. Most petrol cars had the sneaky little tell-tale filler somewhere on the rear half of the car, it was (and might still be, haven't been there in a while) huge. One thing that I always wondered about was the explosivity of it all. Most installs were done properly but just like over here, there are of course cowboys flinging it together like a knock off Meccano set and hoping for the best. Given that LPG is gas, I would've thought it much more explosive than petrol (which incidentally isn't explosive at all provided there's enough ventilation). This theory was always just a thought, however I've just seen this article.

Doesn't really look all that safe, and hopefully this was a poor install / fluke / culmination of events but still, blowing a car to bits like that is just....

 

[Orionaut]

Hydrocarbon fuels typically have around ten times the explosive power of C4, doesn't really matter which ones. The only thing that matters is that you get a good air/fuel mix before ignition. (Do a quick google for "Poor Mans Nuke")

LPG is actually a liquid, it has to be vaporized before it can be burned (There may be systems that directly inject the liquid, but I am not aware of them)

However being more volatile than either petrol or diesel, it is easier for a leaking LPG system to create a dangerous cloud of air/fuel mix.

You only need to leak a cup full or so of LPG to produce an explosion like the one in your clip.

There was an article a while back where somebodies house was completely demolished as a result of a leak from a lighter refill can.

People expressed surprise at this, but one of those little cans of lighter fuel, under just the right circumstances, could pack a punch equivalent to 2-3KG of military explosive (Perhaps more). Enough to demolish a house? Damn right it is...!

 

[geekman]

A lot of the trucks and vans where I live run on LPG - tanks are typically roof or side mounted, very flimsy looking, with the piping simply run down the bodywork. Haven’t seen one blow up yet but I’m sure it happens.

My dad used to have an LPG Jeep which had been done professionally in the U.K. - the install looked very safe to my uneducated eye, and it was checked every year at a local specialist. I didn’t consider it to be any more dangerous than petrol.