46 injured in balloon explosion in Turkey (hundreds of ballons expode at political rally)

Ananova ^ | 4/27/02 | Staff

[LarryLied]

Hundreds of small decorative balloons filled with hydrogen have exploded in flames at a political rally in Turkey, injuring 46 people.

Dozens of balloons caught fire in the southern city of Malatya, local reporters say.

The victims, who suffered burns, were rushed to a provincial hospital.

Hundreds of balloons, about 40cms (16 inches) in height, were tied together and one apparently exploded while party officials were pumping hydrogen into it.

In Turkey, highly flammable hydrogen is often put in balloons instead of helium because it is cheaper.

[tophat9000]

Who would thing someone would put hydrogen in balloons instead of helium.

Could be worse, what would happen if some one tried the Donald Duck trick with a hydrogen balloons?

[DontMessWithMyCountry]

Blow Up! Up! and Awa-a-a-a-y! In my Beautiful, My Hydrogen Ballo-o-o-o-on! Balloooo-oooo-ooo-ooon!

[LarryLied]

As kids we would put two common household materials in a Coke bottle (they were thicker then and could take the heat generated), aid water and quickly fit a balloon around the neck of the bottle. Loads of fun making our own little Hindenburgs.

[tophat9000]

Yey I think I know what your talking about we used to make them to... there cool at night, put a long fuse on, let them float up hi then.... a big flash!

[Sub-Driver]

need to regulate "Big Balloon"

[SkyPilot]

That Rap star--Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes who used to wear a condom on her face could have gone out in a worse way.

[Ann Archy]

One Eco-Geek heard from in the peanut gallery.

[good_ash]

One Eco-Geek heard from in the peanut gallery.

My, how very clever, an insult without adressing the actual issue. You must have been the captain of the debate team!.

First, ignorant one, I drive a honest to goodness gas burning car. My next car will actually be a truck- a Chevy avalance 2500, which isn't a eco-geek car by a long shot (13/17 mpg). So before you make idiotic comments, make sure you have something to base it on.

Second, I drive what gets me the best performance for my money. Right now it's internal combustion. When Hyrdogen fuel cells reach necessary technological level for mass acceptance (compressed storage is the main issue, FWIH), I'll be getting one of those for myself. I wouldn't mind a thousand or so miles between fill ups.

So you can continue to ignorantly mock those who recognize the potential of Hyrdogen fueled transportation. I, on the other hand, will be looking to invest in companies that have workable technologies-- because whoever develops the technology that becomes the standard will make bill gates look like a kid with a paper route.

[John H K]

Who would thing someone would put hydrogen in balloons instead of helium

The United States is the Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran, and Venezuela, combined, of Helium.

We basically have pretty much ALL of it, from a few wells in Kansas, I believe. Nobody else has any at all. I suspect it's VERY expensive overseas and we use up almost all our Helium ourselves.

That's why the Hindenburg was full of Hydrogen...we had Helium in our Airships (which pretty much all crashed disastrously, too, but at least not in flames.)

[Mark17]

the potential of Hyrdogen fueled transportation.

Didn't the Brits use this during WW 11 on their double decker busses? If so, I gues it really isn't new.

[good_ash]

It's been used for a while, however the issue is the storage of the hydrogen - how to compress it and get enough storage to make it feasible for everyday use by the average joe. Right now it's like electic powered vehicles - pretty useful if you have a centralized fleet that only travels in a limited area, and then can come back for refueling at a central location. But the costs also make it prohibitive to adopt fleet wide.

IIRC, one of the more promising storage ideas was a honeycombed carbon fuel tank. My memory of the show is a little fuzzy, but I recall they mentioned the possibility of some hydrogen powered cars going 1000 or miles between refills.

[Ann Archy]

Wow If that's the best performance (13/17) for your money, you are NOT an Eco-Geek!!! As for that "ignorant" name you called me.....I guess I am because I get 26/30.

[Ann Archy]

Wow If that's the best performance (13/17) for your money, you are NOT an Eco-Geek!!! As for that "ignorant" name you called me.....I guess I am because I get 26/30.

[Khepera]

Yea it's cheaper if you don't count the medical expenses!

[boris]

"I think that hydrogen has a much lower flashpoint than gasoline. But the bigger difference in that hydrogen, being a gas, must be stored under pressure in the vehicle. Propane conversion has been available for many years, but we only see it on large vehicles like municipal buses and such, since they have the necessary mass to protect the tack from being crushed in an accident and causing explosive decompression."

Hydrogen can be a liquid if kept very cold. It is not "a gas" at all conditions. See: Space Shuttle.

Propane is a gas at normal room temperature and pressure. If kept pressurized, it can be a liquid, as in the tank in your barbecue.

There are propane-powered vehicles of all sizes on the roads. Also CNG vehicles (compressed natural gas), not only busses.

Please get the science right if you are going to make statements of "fact".

--Boris

[null and void]

Tell them hydrogen is more friendly to the environment too.

Wellll, since most helium on earth is a result of radioactive decay, (helium nuclei are alpha particles) and helium is a byproduct that supports the US gas industry (the world's main source). It shouldn't be too hard a sell...

[LarryLied]

Be a fun DNC convention to watch. Al Gore swatting off exploding balloons during the balloon drop.

[maximus@Nashville]

Boris, Did not my first sentence say "I think"? I made no claim that this is a statement of "fact". You are correct that hydrogen is a liquid if super cooled. The liquid hydrogen is pumped into the shuttle just before take-off. There is no provision to keep it cold once on board. If liquid hydrogen is allowed to warm up, it returns to its gaseous form. This is not a system that could work in automobiles with current technology. I suggest you read more carefully before you post a nasty reply.

[boris]

Hydrogen can be kept liquid for long periods--at a price. There are insulation systems such as "MLI" (Multi-Layer Insulation), for example (doesn't work well on Earth because it needs a vacuum between layers). Tanks known as "Dewars" (doo-ers, like the Scotch whisky) are used to hold liquid hydrogen on the ground. They tend to be heavy.

ALL long-term hydrogen storage systems require active refrigeration--which again is not a good choice on cars.

--Boris