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Explosive Decompression





EXPLANATION


Seals in high Pressure Vessel s are also susceptible to explosive decompression; the Rubber Gasket s used to seal pressurised pipelines tend to become saturated with high-pressure Gas es. If the pressure inside the vessel is suddenly released, then the gases within the rubber gasket may expand violently, causing blistering or explosion of the material. For this reason, it is common for military and industrial equipment to be subjected to an explosive decompression test before it is certified as safe for use.

The pressure drop in other situations often takes longer than 0.1 Second , and is then more accurately described as rapid decompression.
Well known examples of explosive decompression are the Byford Dolphin Diving Bell Accident , the Turkish Airlines Flight 981 disaster, and a balloon popping.


FALLACIES


Misunderstandings of the meaning of the words are quite likely to be a fuelling factor for a Persistent Myth that Human s would explode if exposed to the non-pressure of Space . Accidents in Space Exploration research and high-altitude Aviation have shown that while Vacuum Exposure causes swelling, Human Skin is tough enough to handle a drop of one Atm . A sudden drop of ''eight'' atm in the Byford Dolphin accident had intensely fatal results.


EXPLOSIVE DECOMPRESSION ACCIDENTS ON AIRCRAFT



SEE ALSO


National and international standards for explosive decompression testing include:
  • MIL-STD -810, 202

  • RTCA /D0-160

  • NORSOK M710

  • API 17K and 17J

  • NACE TM0192 and TM0297

  • TOTALELFFINA SP TCS 142 Appendix H



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