Explosion Differentiation Using Light Emissions—Nuclear Reactor, Steam, Water Hammer, Hydrogen, Piper Alpha, and Hydro-Volcanic Explosions

• Published in: ASME Open Journal of Engineering 2023-01, Vol.2 (2)
• Main Author: Leishear, Robert A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2770-3495; 2770-3495
• DOI: 10.1115/1.4056472

Light emissions during chemical reactions provide insights into various scenarios to better understand explosions and water hammers. For example, hydrogen burning and explosions emit blue light, organic carbon combustion and explosions emit combinations of blue and yellow light, water phase changes emit infrared and less visible white light, and white light explosions ignite when multiple chemical reactions are involved. Since experimental tests to observe infrared light during water hammers have not yet been performed, test data from water boiling tests and volcanoes are compared to larger water hammer and steam explosion incidents. Considering these facts and examining a series of photos and videos from the literature and Internet, determinations are proven with respect to water hammers, steam explosions, Piper Alpha water hammer explosions, and chemical explosions. Such evidence proves that steam explosions are important for water hammer accidents, but chemical explosions explain other explosions that have long been considered to be steam explosions. These other explosions include nuclear power plant explosions, hydro-volcanic explosions, and hydrogen explosions, where some of these explosions are, in fact, related to water hammers. This article is primarily a photographic essay to explain the differences between different types of explosions and water hammers, although combustion and explosion principles are expanded and explained to support this essay.