Thread: Exploding D2

All good replies, but IMO there was no petrol contamination.
The Boyles law adaption is the closest explanation.
Whatever burning of the fuel was going on, it was extinguished fairly soon after ignition, otherwise it could have been more interesting.

Diesel fuel will burn by either a rapid increase in pressure - ie in a combustion chamber, or an ignition source, in this case the burning pump.

Its just that in this case, the combustion took place in the fuel tank, instead of the engine cylinder.

The title of the thread is probably misleading - but I bet you could not tell the driver this.

Now that I know how to post a full size picture, here is evidence of what a large pressure rise in the tank looks like. - this is the inspection cover over the fuel pump.



The floor was belted back into shape without much evidence of its previous distress.

Dave - I was sure that it was combustion gases originally, but the damage done could only have been by a fast pressure wave, as described above.
Besides, the vents check out OK.

Interesting topic. It is good to be able to provide an original issue to the forum.

Denis in Griffith

There was a large photo embedded in the text on the preview. Looks like I better go back to forum school

I notice considerable corrosion on that cover.....how or why? any idea? any other corrosion in that area?....wondering if the vehicle has had a big drink....

Damp under the mat - the cover had been not sealed down properly previously and the soundproofing under the mat held moisture.

It came from Vic - wetter than here.
No rust on the painted areas.

Many moons back my brother poured a gallon or more of diesel that had been sitting in the sun all day (and was hot) onto a metre high pile of (insulated) copper wire stacked on an upturned FJ Holden bonnet, in our backyard and put a match to it.
The result was that there was a BANG that was heard 2 suburbs away (according to the local paper), the Holden bonnet was smashed flat as a pancake, every scrap of copper wire ended up on surrounding neighbours roofs.
My brother was hurled through the air into a paling fence 3 metres away, I was flattened at 5 metres away. Every window in the back of the house was shattered, the hills hoist with clothes on was levelled, the nearest paling fence was knocked down.
My brother lost his bodgie peak and his eyebrows and got a nice tan, the fire brigade and coppers who attended had a good laugh, moral of the story is Diesel when hot EXPLODES and it doesn't have to be under pressure, ask my brother or any powder monkey, Regards Frank.

He didn't have some fertilizer in the mix too did he?
Bit of Ammonium Nitrate and diesel becomes the terrorist's choice.

Regards Philip A

Originally Posted by PhilipA

He didn't have some fertilizer in the mix too did he?
Bit of Ammonium Nitrate and diesel becomes the terrorist's choice.

Regards Philip A

No but he had some in his undies, regards Frank.

Do we know why / how the explosion occurred yet, or is it still a mystery? Bob