How to calc force from natural gas?

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the force generated by an explosion of natural gas, specifically within a wall structure measuring 875 square feet and a depth of 0.25 feet. The volume of gas considered is 219 cubic feet, with explosive limits ranging from 4% to 15%, resulting in gas volumes between 8.76 and 32.85 cubic feet. The energy calculations reveal that 1 cubic foot of gas equates to 1,030 BTU, translating to a force range of 7,037,784 to 26,391,690 foot-pounds of force. The conversation suggests a more systematic approach involving energy calculations, temperature increases, and the ideal gas law to determine pressure changes.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of explosive gas limits and their implications
  • Familiarity with energy conversion (BTU to foot-pounds of force)
  • Knowledge of the ideal gas law and its applications
  • Basic principles of structural load calculations
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the ideal gas law and its application in pressure calculations
  • Learn about energy calculations for explosive gases
  • Study structural load distribution and its impact on wall integrity
  • Explore methods for calculating temperature changes in gases
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Engineers, physicists, safety professionals, and anyone involved in structural analysis or explosive gas safety assessments will benefit from this discussion.

doug12345
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Hi, I'm looking for some help in calculating the amount of force from natural gas exploding. Part of the problem is that it causes a wall from a house to fail first. Area of wall 875 SF. Wall depth .25 ft. I was going to assume the whole wall to be the boundary conditions for the volume that gas can fill. (V=219 CF)

The explosive limits of the gas can be 4%-15% of volume. (Vgas=8.76 to 32.85 CF)

Then from wikipedia I found 1 CF gas = 1030 BTU, 1 BTU = 780 ft*lbf (ft-lbs-force)
Next 8.76*(1030)*(780)= 7037784 ft*lbf to 26391690 ft*lbf

Is it then possible to divide the 7037784 ft*lbf by the length of the wall to obtain a distributed load in lb/ft? Am I even approaching this problem correctly?

Thanks
 
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A better approach would be:

1. Calculate the energy of the gas.
2. Divide it by mass of the air inside the room*specific heat if the air
to get the increase of temperature.
3. Use ideal gas equation to calculate the change of pressure (p2/p1=T2/T1).
 

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