24 February 2014

The "Highway to Hell" video


This vehicular accident in Russia apparently didn't kill anyone (the truck driver escapes), but it is clearly one of the most spectacular such videos on the 'net, not for the size of the explosions, but for the number of them (apparently propane gas cylinders or the equivalent).  It goes on and on and on....

BTW, I used to work with compressed gas cylinders.  All of the observers in this video are batshit crazy to remain this close to the accident.  A cylinder of compressed gas is the noncombat equivalent of a wartime torpedo; it can penetrate concrete walls if the neck is broken.  Run, don't walk, away from incidents like this.

8 comments:

  1. Ron LarsonFebruary 24, 2014 at 8:09 PM

    I'm pretty sure this is China, not Russia. Did you notice the Chinese writing on the highway signs?

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    1. Aritê gunê AkasaFebruary 25, 2014 at 10:11 AM

      I see Cyrilic, not Chinese, though I can see the letters looking like hanyu from far enough away given the resolution.

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    2. Ron LarsonFebruary 26, 2014 at 9:23 PM

      Doh! You are right. I was able to stop it and see. My mistake. Sorry. Just had to boost the resolution.

      Delete
  2. Richard "RichiH" HartmannFebruary 25, 2014 at 1:51 AM

    Modern gas cylinders have a flow restrictor built into the shoulder so even if you break off the neck, the risk is a _lot_ lower. Also see here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cLrb7M7Mtw

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    1. MinnesotastanFebruary 25, 2014 at 7:52 AM

      Very interesting video, Richard. I wonder whether the same manufacturing standards are being applied to the non-portable-size cylinders for medical grade oxygen. The ones in the YouTube video looked to be about size D (~10#). Some hospitals and home situations without central O2 delivery have size M (~66#), which would be more like the size of the propane ones on the truck.

      Thanks for the video link.

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    2. Richard "RichiH" HartmannFebruary 25, 2014 at 3:46 PM

      The ones in the video link are scuba tanks.

      I know for a fact that German storage cylinders (50 liter, 200 or 300 bar) have the same. I read that the small low-pressure propane/butane gas cylinders for BBQing etc also feature flow restrictors as well, now.

      I would suspect that medical equipment has the same security features as BBQ tanks, but I don't know for sure either way. Also, the U.S. may be different in regulations, etc.

      Delete
  3. AndyFebruary 25, 2014 at 9:24 PM

    See 2:42~ for a cylinder properly taking off to the right.

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