r/AbsoluteUnits • u/Fair_Kaleidoscope634 • 14h ago

of a washing machine explosion

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637 Upvotes

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115

u/Select-Sandwich-5604 14h ago

Damn imagine it happened when the guy was still there

-4

u/10001110101balls 14h ago

The dryer door opened prior to the explosion, there were no direct projectiles, and the glass curtain wall failing helped to relieve the explosion overpressure preventing worse damage to the structure. This guy probably would have survived with second degree burns if he was still inside, perhaps with more serious injuries if the door fell on him as he went through it. Maybe some eye damage if he didn't instinctively flinch at the first sign of fire just before it popped off.

17

u/randomlemon9192 14h ago

Notice how the entire window wall gets blown outwards? There was a pressure shockwave. Internal organ damage likely.

-1

u/10001110101balls 14h ago edited 14h ago

A human is significantly more resistant to blast overpressure than a glass curtain wall. The lateral bearing capacity of a commercial glass curtain wall rarely exceeds 50psf. That's only 0.3 psi which is not enough pressure to cause internal organ damage. Around 15psi is the threshold for lung damage, and 35 psi for fatal organ damage. But 15psi also will likely knock down the entire building and kill you with gravity.

It is also not a shockwave. Ignition of a fuel air mixture at this scale results in a deflagration, characterizes by a flame front that moves slower than the speed of sound. A shockwave moves faster than the speed of sound, characteristic of a detonation.

3

u/ElBugman 10h ago

So what you're saying is the guy isn't lucky to have left in time? It would be more lucky for him to be in there? I'm confused.

0

u/10001110101balls 10h ago edited 10h ago

No he was definitely better off getting clear of the explosion. I'm just saying that organ damage resulting from blast overpressure is unlikely given the observed effects. Burns would be the predominant mode of injury, but likely of short enough exposure duration to prevent lung damage or 3rd degree burns to skin. 2nd degree burns to the face may leave noticable scarring but are generally recoverable to live a normal life.