Oil Spil

explosion
AN EXPLOSION has sometimes been referred to as a sudden random disassembly of an object. There is no question as to the suddenness of the occurrence - it takes place with frightening speed. The object affected, separates and is destroyed in a random pattern. The fact that the object itself, the building, equipment and people that were in the area, may also be disassembled by an explosion is well documented.
An explosion can also be a violent and noisy outburst which is caused by a build-up and release of pressure. The bursting of a boiler or pressure vessel, an explosion of a combustible gas mixture inside a building, or the detonation of a bomb, may cause virtually identical effects. A remote observer, comparing the visual effects, could not know the true cause or nature of these varied explosions.
There are several different types of explosions that can trigger vessel violence. Let's take an in-depth look at one type of explosion trigger mechanism, namely a vapor explosion, of a type that could occur in boilers or pressure vessels.
A vapor explosion occurs when a liquid phase transforms quickly into a gas phase, causing a rapid explosive pressure increase. With this type, we have a superheated liquid. The superheating may be classified into two groups; superheating under pressure, or superheating by rapid heat transfer. If there is a closed vessel containing a liquid that is heated above its boiling point, and part of the vessel breaks away due to any increase of inner pressure, the pressure will decrease for a short time until the equilibrium between the vapor pressure of the liquid, and its temperature, is out of the stable state. The liquid will still be in a superheated state and proceeds to vaporize explosively. Initiation of the explosion may he attributed to the almost instantaneous vaporization of liquid induced by the abrupt destruction of the equilibrium between the vapor and liquid phases.
A liquid that is superheated above its boiling...