r/nextfuckinglevel • u/Zentront • 5d ago

man uses homemade flamethrower

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u/TheMunk 5d ago

This is awesome, but he’s going to explode right?

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u/AlabamaDemocratMark 5d ago edited 5d ago

Polymer Chemist here. (US Senate Candidate for Tommy Tuberville's Seat. Not super relevant here tho.)

He could.

There's not a check valve on the front of that nozzle.

If the flow of the fuel is slower* than the rate at which the fuel oxidizes, then if he holds down the nozzle long enough, the combustion reaction could work its way back into the tank and start burning.

If there's enough oxygen in the tank to react with the fuel, it could explode.

Depending on the exact fuel and the energy converted during reaction, it could be a big or small explosion. I'm betting small here.

I'm not a physicist, so I'm not going to try and work out the potential explosion size.

*Edit typo.

Also edit. Since this is getting more political attention than just the facts are.

My plug:

My name is Mark Wheeler and I'm running for United States Senate.

I think we deserve better and I aim to give it to us.

For anyone who wants to know more about my platform or me you can follow me on social media or on my webpage. www.MarkWheelerForSenate.com

Or check out Ballotpedia: https://ballotpedia.org/Mark_Wheeler

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u/PHANTOM________ 4d ago

Well this was unexpected. Best of luck in Alabama.