Hydrogen balloon explosions

iamprof40

These are done as demonstrations. A balloon is filled with hydrogen gas and is then set of with a candle mounuted on a meter stick. Same idea as the Hindenberg, but under controlled conditions. Some were taken with a Leica C-1 and then scanned. If you look carefully you can see the parts of the balloon flying apart.

iamprof40

#2
#2

iamprof40

#3
#3

iamprof40

#4
%4

roentarre

Wow, all that in the name of photography? You are a very brave man.

Great shots

leaforte

A great opportunity for sure.

Skippy

iamprof40 wrote:

These are done as demonstrations. A balloon is filled with hydrogen gas and is then set of with a candle mounuted on a meter stick. Same idea as the Hindenberg, but under controlled conditions. Some were taken with a Leica C-1 and then scanned. If you look carefully you can see the parts of the balloon flying apart.

** DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME **

That looks pretty dangerous, the fire is appears to be very close to the ceiling by the looks in those shots

Does it actually make an explosive noise when it bursts into flames,
or is it all rather silent?

Could you feel the heat off it? .... very interesting series
.... Skippy
.

iamprof40

Hyderogen balloon explosions
NOOO, it makes a huge bang..is far from silent
and yes, do NOT try this at home. I have Ph.D in chemistry and know what I am doing.
Although you need a tank of hydrogen gas to fill the balloons.
It does make a great demonstration to 'wow' fifth etc. graders in science demonstrations.

iamprof40

If you look at #1, you can see the hot expanding gases
and yes, things get pretty hot around the explosion, as that is what it is
it is H2 + O2 ----> H2O chemically
a very powerful reaction
the same one that powers the main engines in the Space Shuttle
the trick photographically is that it lasts only a second or two
so if you shoot it incorrectly you may see nothing.
(there is a bit of luck too, but if you know what is going to happen, you can time it correctly, sometimes).

iamprof40

In #3 note the shadow of the explosion on the screen
as we had a projector shining through the explosion.

DonRicklin

I agree with Skippy on the dangerousness of this. I am sure the Insurance Co for this school/College would have a complete fit over these images. Wouldn't take much of a 'error' for there to be a problem.

Probablt much better tried in a Gym or other high cielinged space if doe indoors!

Nice images, though.

Don

iamprof40

Although you may not think so, we did these for many years, sometimes as many as five at a time.
Although it looks very dangerous, chemically in the hands of someone who knows what they are doing, it is really quite safe. We did it with thousands of fifth/sixth graders over the years as part of the Project JASON presentations about science. The ballons explosions were always the final act before we gave away several X-boxes. We would do one balloon, then two, then three, and the kids would all be yelling for four, which, of course we did. We even has a Alabama State Senator do some one year, and a couple of astronauts who came to the presentation. In all the years we did these demonstrations we never had any accidents. Note it the Hindenberg, most people were killed by falling rather than the hydrogen explosion itself, which goes upward, as hydrogen is the lightest susstance known, so the explosion in Lake Hurst went upward, away from the gondala, which crashed to the ground along with burning fuel from the engines. A lot of the reactions I did during my Ph.D years were FAR more dangerous, including fires and real explosions where people could have gotten hurt. Indeed two researchers died due to a reaction that went critical before I went to graduate school. That was in 1978, and things have changed a good deal since then, but chemistry CAN still be dangerous. So can photography, if one is in the wrong place at the wrong time, like Iraq.

DonRicklin

I still say, don't let the insurance company see those images.

We did the Jason Project at where I work for many years, as well. Always an interesting week of stuff from Dr Ballard and crew.

(ps, you only need the one time when the cieling tiles are plastic coated and flamible for a horror story, I remember the Station Fire in Cranston, RI!)

Don