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This happens when you don't properly vent a storage tank watch!

liveleak.com — This happens when you don't properly vent a sealed storage tank before emptying it. Hot gas/air in a sealed container and you let it cool. The air pressure difference inside is so great that the structure is compromised.

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  • cybrspin, on 04/24/2008, -6/+58wow thats wild.
    • IglooBurner, on 04/24/2008, -6/+12its amazing how powerful our atmospheric pressure is.
      • cr3ative, on 04/24/2008, -18/+33Unfortunately, it's not atmospheric pressure that caused this collapse as the video might have you believe.
        This longer video provides a little more explanation than the liveleak video (not a rickroll, either!)

        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H94sNT5UB4
        • stephenmeb, on 04/24/2008, -2/+20It's close enough to a rickroll, I was hoping to be enlightened.
          • OwdenBowden, on 04/24/2008, -6/+7You want Enlightenment - Become a Buddhist.
          • RpgActioN, on 04/24/2008, -1/+3And if you want videos of cats smashing pressurized tanks, Digg's the place.
        • chanop, on 04/24/2008, -6/+4Now I understand how the pressure works!
      • DrDragun, on 04/24/2008, -0/+8It also makes you appreciate how strong a submarine's hull is. Atmospheric pressure is only 14.7 psi even if it were an absolute perfect vacuum inside that tank. Submarines can take a thousand psi of pressure or more.
    • SubaruPowah, on 04/24/2008, -6/+12Yeah, Limp Bizkit's music is so bad that it causes things to implode.
      • chr0nic21, on 04/25/2008, -3/+1Nah...thats power of Jeesus, son..the power of Jeesus
    • simpleid, on 04/24/2008, -2/+5what's wild is how many youtube users joined digg. judging from below the site is screwed. the eventual declined of quality in everything designed to appeal to anyone is guaranteed. death by your own success ... /. time :D
  • PhonicUK, on 04/24/2008, -5/+407Invisible Godzilla?
    • Samurai7, on 04/24/2008, -29/+5it actually is the reaction when too many air particles leave the tank at once, weakening the pressure inside, so the outside pressure is a lot stronger, you can do it with many cans (temperature plays a part too), but id prefer an invisible godzilla, too
    • crazyhorse13, on 04/24/2008, -5/+16*Gojira
    • forzaruler, on 04/24/2008, -1/+2*****, I'm not supposed to get caught using my force abilities.
    • fuzzybeard, on 04/24/2008, -1/+4Cloaked Bird Of Prey landing on it?
    • PhonicUK, on 04/24/2008, -1/+2Notice how theres now a dozen or so of this video entitled "Invisible Godzilla" -_-
    • Schmich, on 04/24/2008, -1/+2Ninjzilla
  • kl78229, on 04/24/2008, -4/+178Be sure to vent yourself occasionally as well, to avoid this happening to you.
    • woohhaa, on 04/24/2008, -1/+25I vent constantly.
      • thcobbs, on 04/24/2008, -1/+34Yes, we know. Light a match or somethin', will ya'?
    • Impeller, on 04/24/2008, -1/+30Can't vent at the office, implosion coming soon...
      • Akaji, on 04/24/2008, -1/+15Just do a round about the office, or go to the crapper to do it (check the stalls first, though...).
        • PhonicUK, on 04/24/2008, -0/+4I think spontanious implosion in the middle of an office would make for a *far* better video...
    • OutThisLife, on 04/24/2008, -12/+3I vent a lot for WoW.
    • Heavypettingzoo, on 04/24/2008, -5/+2I vent under the covers when my gf is trapped there.
    • identitymatrix, on 04/25/2008, -0/+3I don't need to vent. I'm a nice, happy person that can find something good in everything. :D

      *Strokes Uzi*
    • abbelito, on 04/25/2008, -0/+1But - as South Park has taught us - we need to vent with moderation, or else the gases will increase the global warming.
  • Slovenian6474, on 04/24/2008, -10/+349This also happens when Magneto sneezes.
  • 1randomnumber, on 04/24/2008, -14/+33Physics is Phun!
  • kh99, on 04/24/2008, -22/+13Wow, that tank really sucked.
    • thcobbs, on 04/24/2008, -3/+56Actually, there is no suck... only a push due to pressure differential....


      So in this case, the atmosphere blows.
      • kh99, on 04/24/2008, -12/+1But it's the pressure inside the tank that's decreasing, or "sucking".
        • Scynet, on 04/24/2008, -2/+11The pressure inside can't somehow pull the walls of the tank towards it. The atoms can merely bounce off of things, thus pushing things, not pulling.. It's the external pressure (atmosphere) which constantly pushes the tank, and since there's nothing inside to push back, it implodes.

          It's not wrong to say it sucks in my opinion, but it might create some misconceptions.
          • kh99, on 04/24/2008, -10/+4Yeah, I'm aware of that, I took 4 semesters of Physics in college, and this is about an 8th grade concept. But I also took English and I know a few meanings of the word "to suck", and I feel it's correct to say the sides of the tank are being "sucked in". Well, at least correct enough to make a joke out of it.
        • swazo, on 04/24/2008, -0/+4just because you retook the same course for four semesters does not mean you know what you're talking about.
      • akilleen, on 04/24/2008, -1/+8She's gone from suck to blow!
      • Anthropoid, on 04/25/2008, -0/+2I say if you can add negative numbers, then vacuums can suck.
    • Saad85, on 04/24/2008, -3/+7that's what a suck is.

      sucking and blowing are basically the same thing, but from the other perspective
      • kh99, on 04/24/2008, -6/+5Exactly. These people are smart enough to realize that the implosion is caused by atmospheric pressure, but not smart enough to understand what you just said. There is no real force called "suction", but there's a word in English.
        • twiztidsinz, on 04/24/2008, -2/+3Then whats a vacuum?
          When something is less dense than its surroundings and they normalize the less dense area creates a vacuum or suction.
          Since IMplosion implies the exact opposite of what an EXplosion is, If you say there's no such thing as 'suction' then you cant have an implosion.
          • thcobbs, on 04/24/2008, -1/+2Correction.

            There is no such thing as a vaccum "sucking" something into it. There is a concentration differential that requires the area of high concentration to diffuse INTO the area of low concentration.
    • LokitheComplex, on 04/24/2008, -2/+3Taxi for kh99
      • kh99, on 04/24/2008, -3/+2*sigh*...fine. If no one's going to argue the point with me, I'll just go to the LOST forum and argue about who wrote the note.
  • uruururr, on 04/24/2008, -6/+19if anyone wants to provide a better explanation for this... please do. is the tank imploding? its odd that theres a crowd standing around it laughing...
    • Leathersoup, on 04/24/2008, -32/+20Basically the tank is full of some sort of liquid. They begin to drain the tank but do not open the vents at the top. What occurs is that the liquid inside the tank has enough weight to it that it trains and creates a vacuum in the tank due to the structural strength of the tank's design. However at some point the vacuum created becomes stronger than the tank can support and it collapses on itself. There is no "implosion" so much as a collapse of the tank.
      • 80hd, on 04/24/2008, -2/+5See I'm not sure about that exactly as you said it.
        Most liquids have a vapor pressure high enough to prevent an extreme vacuum from forming.
        Vents on tank cars are more important for relieving pressure from when the sun starts warming things up.
      • Scynet, on 04/24/2008, -2/+6http://krampf.com/experiments/Science_Experiment5. ...

        Krampf explains it all!
      • Vodd9, on 04/24/2008, -5/+1why the hell are you being dugg down so much?
      • minorthreat, on 04/24/2008, -0/+3if the tank had a "faucet" on the bottom and what you said were true. Wouldn't the liquid stop pouring well before the tank collapse?

        I think the tank was full of some sort of gas. The gas was emptied. They simulated a change in temperature and the lingering fumes inside caused this.
      • BlackJackJester, on 04/24/2008, -5/+1I'm not sure why you're being dugg down. Looks like diggers hate facts :P
      • SealandRes1, on 04/24/2008, -0/+5If there was liquid in the tank, then it would've stopped exiting the tank as soon as the pressure inside the tank (that's responsible for pushing the liquid out) is equal to the pressure that's pushing the liquid back in the tank (atmosphere pressure).
        • biggiantmat, on 04/25/2008, -0/+1they pump liquids out of tankers. Gravity would take to long
    • hadak, on 04/24/2008, -14/+19When the air inside is warmer than the air outside, the pressure difference crushes it. You can do this experiment at home. You will need a blowtorch, pop/soda/coke can, and a bowl of water. Turn the can upside down (using tongs) and use the blowtorch to fire a flame into the opening. Once it's warm (only takes a second or two) set the can, hole down, into the water. Be amazed as it is crushed instantly!
      • cawpin, on 04/24/2008, -3/+22No, the CHANGE in the temperature inside the tank is what crushes it. Warm air is less dense than cold air so it takes up more space. When the tank is hot there is less air in it. When it is sealed and the air inside cools, and becomes more dense, it takes up less space and forms a vacuum inside the tank. If this vacuum is strong enough this picture is what happens.
        • biggiantmat, on 04/24/2008, -12/+6Its nothing to do with this. It is basically what Leathersoup said. The liquid draining out at the bottom left a vacuum above it in the tank, and then it is crushed by atmospheric pressure. The coke can trick described by hadak only works if you have a little water in the can while you heat it-This then fills the can with steam which condenses on dunking the can upside down in cold water leaving a vacuum, and atmospheric pressure crushes the can. Its how the early steam engines worked.
          • alittleroy101, on 04/24/2008, -2/+5Coke can trick=a volume of gas (or steam) cooling off and lowering the internal pressure.
          • krets, on 04/24/2008, -0/+7The can absolutely does not need to have liquid inside of it. If you don't believe me, try it for yourself.
          • biggiantmat, on 04/24/2008, -5/+1The steam doesn't just "cool off" as if it was air or something, it condenses, dropping the volume by a far larger amount than just cooling can account for. It isn't as if the air condenses when you dunk it, so yeah it might work with air, but the effect will be much less violent.
      • Cyberdactyl, on 04/24/2008, -5/+6Normal air temperature differentials are far too small to collapse tanks such as this. Leathersoup is correct, as you can see the drain line connected to the tank.
        • 80hd, on 04/24/2008, -7/+1But over time, as those tanks sit full of whatever god-awful stuff is being transported, the daily heating and cooling from summer heat/cold night weakens the tank.
          That tank looks like it was pulled from a new lot for the demo, but an older tank will develop weld issues and invisible stress lines over time.
          What ends up happening isn't an insane ex/implosion but the car can tear open from pulling other cars.
      • geoduck, on 04/24/2008, -0/+4Actually to do an experiment that actually replicates what is happening to the tanker you would put a little bit of water in the soda can, boil it, then turn it upside down into a pot of cold water. The water vapor will instantly condense and it will look frighteningly similar to what happened to the train car because the same thing is happening, just on a larger scale.
      • freshyill, on 04/24/2008, -0/+1Well then somebody needs to get a video of this on YouTube, stat. I'd do it myself but I don't have tongs.
      • scubaman5000, on 04/24/2008, -0/+3http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66m2J4TeOBw
        Here's a video of the experiment
    • frasermoo, on 04/24/2008, -14/+1It looks as though there is a pipe coming out of the tank, so my engineered guess is they are pulling the air out of the tank down to a vacuum. with it not being vented it can't equalise pressure with the outside and is finally crushed by atmospheric pressure.
      • FeartheKnighted, on 04/24/2008, -2/+5Your engineered guess would be wrong.
        • Quintios, on 04/24/2008, -2/+3Dude is right. They pulled a vacuum on it and it crushed itself. Not all pressure vessels are rated for vacuum; this tank car was not. No engineering needed to understand what happened. As a demonstration as to what can happen, they stuck a vacuum pump on this thing and sucked it down. It doesn't take much of a vacuum to do this.
        • shadeOfGrey, on 04/24/2008, -1/+3No, dude is not right. Hot gas was left inside the sealed tanker. As it cooled it caused a pressure decrease that allowed the atmospheric pressure to crush it. Just as several people have explained.
          • Quintios, on 04/24/2008, -3/+1What information was provided that stated that hot gas was in the tank car? I missed that statement. Would you be so kind as to point it out to me? Thx. I don't disagree that could cause it to happen, but either way it's pressure outside the car that is higher than the pressure inside the car. But I would like to see where "hot gas" was mentioned in the video or some supplimentary webpage. If I don't hear back, I'll assume there is no support for the hot gas assumption and I am correct.
          • shadeOfGrey, on 04/24/2008, -0/+2The "hot gas" being the air left over after the hot liquid was drained. It's briefly explained in the text directly above the video.
    • jcaino, on 04/24/2008, -2/+26as the interior air cooled, it caused a pressure drop. eventually the pressure drop was large enough to overcome the pressure rating of the tank. crushed with atmospheric pressure! almost like creating a vacuum inside.
    • rompom7, on 04/24/2008, -4/+23Hot gas, has a lot of energy, the atoms are spread far apart and can move around freely. When the gas cools, the atoms lose some of this energy and they move closer together. So a container filled with hot gas will have a lot less gas atoms in it than a container filled with cool gas.

      Since the once hot gas that filled the container has cooled, it has less pressure inside the tank. The pressure drops so low that the outside pressure of the atmosphere is enough to crush the tank.

      I thought it would happen gradually, but as soon as the weakest point gives way the structural integrity of the whole thing collapses.
      • tradwolley, on 04/24/2008, -7/+7Wrong. All gasses expand to fill the entire available volume. As a fixed amount of gas in a fixed volume cools the kinetic energy of the molecules is lowered. This leads to less energetic collisions with the walls of the vessel, which is measured as the drop in pressure. The distance between individual molecules is unchanged.
        • xadhominemx, on 04/25/2008, -2/+1No, there are less molecules in the volume. Thus, there are less collisions, and they are less energetic.
          • whoaohh, on 04/25/2008, -0/+1There are not less molecules.
          • xadhominemx, on 04/25/2008, -0/+1Yes, there are. nRt/PV=nRt/PV => nt=nt. If the container was once warm, then it was sealed, there are less molecules colliding with that inside then the outside. I'm a chem major. I know more about this than you do.
          • tradwolley, on 04/25/2008, -0/+1No. If the container is sealed the number of molecules inside does not change. As the temperature drops, yes there is a net difference in the number and intensity of the collisions.
            Chem major or not, you don't know more about this than I do.
          • xadhominemx, on 04/25/2008, -0/+1Well maybe we're both right because we had different understandings of what going on. I was under the impression that the container was heated with a vent open, and then the vent was closed before the air inside had a chance to cool. What do you think happened?
        • rompom7, on 04/26/2008, -0/+11) I never said that gas 'groups up' in a sealed vessel at low pressures, nor did I imply it. I said that containers of equal sizes would hold different amounts (of molecules) of the same gas depending on the temperature, because they are spaced further apart.

          2) The number of molecules does not change, the area of the gas does not change (until collapse), the only thing that changes is the collisions with the surface of the inside of the vessel, which drops, so that it is well below the collisions on the outside of the vessel.
      • doople, on 04/24/2008, -5/+9Yeah, the pressure drop is due to a decrease in kinetic energy. Cold air doesn't group up in a corner of a vessel, lol.
        • rompom7, on 04/26/2008, -0/+1I never implied that gas at low pressure grouped up in a sealed vessel.
      • fullphaser, on 04/24/2008, -6/+3Not entirely correct, a loss of heat doesn't mean a loss of atoms (law of the conservation of matter problem there),
        • CedEx, on 04/24/2008, -2/+5He never said there was a loss of atoms. He merely compared the number of atoms in a fixed volume of either hot or cool gas. So his statement is valid.
        • SealandRes1, on 04/24/2008, -1/+2But he said the atoms moved closer together (when in fact they move slower, not closer), which is invalid. The gas is spread out all over the container, it doesn't stay any particular area.
          • screensnot, on 04/25/2008, -0/+2Actually, the molecules did move closer together, when the container collapsed.
          • rompom7, on 04/26/2008, -0/+1They (the molecules of the gas) move closer together when the container is unsealed (because they have less energy). Obviously a gas doesn't group up in a sealed container, and I never implied that it did.
      • FeartheKnighted, on 04/24/2008, -1/+1Basically, this is what happens when your muffler bearing goes bad.
    • eamonchaney, on 04/24/2008, -8/+1The real cause of the collapse of the tank is not the weight of the liquid. When they start draining the liquid, whatever air is in there is hot and as it is forced to occupy a greater volume it cools, rapidly causing even more rapid pressure loss.
    • HellHorse, on 04/24/2008, -8/+1Actually, It is a vaccum. kind of like if you were to take an empty soda bottle and suck the air out of it. It would collapse.
    • 80hd, on 04/24/2008, -1/+27Thats an expensive experiment.
      I used to work at a plant that built tank cars and they sell for 80-120k!
    • doople, on 04/24/2008, -1/+21That may have been a tank that had exceeded its service life, and was headed for recycling anyway. Why not have some fun first?
      • whoaohh, on 04/25/2008, -0/+2Just like crushing a can before tossing it into the bin.
    • Nighthawke, on 04/24/2008, -4/+3What happened was the tank was steam cleaned to remove gunk and unwanted matter off the tank walls. The workers then SEALED the tank. As the previous posters have put it, thermodynamics did the rest. Those tanker cars don't come cheap you know...
    • DeadFox1, on 04/24/2008, -7/+2Pretty simple explanation really. As air is removed from inside the tank, the excitation of gas molecules on the OUTside of the tank exceeds the limits of the steel superstructure and immediately causes an increase in Osmotic pressure on the steel, resulting in softening, and resultant implosion due to gravity.
      • RSterkenburg, on 04/24/2008, -0/+1That doesn't even make sense. Example: "due to gravity" has nothing to do with anything else you said
      • muchachoburacho, on 04/24/2008, -0/+2Yeah that was blatantly wrong, and we're all dumber for having read it. It has to do with a pressure differential.
      • 80hd, on 04/24/2008, -0/+1superstructure steel softening from osmosis?
        there is no superstructure. it's a big steel pop can on wheels.
        Osmosis and steel? just no
      • DeadFox1, on 04/25/2008, -0/+1hrmph. perhaps i just didn't make it outlandish enough.
    • geoduck, on 04/24/2008, -4/+5Whether its steam or volatile gases in the tank I haven't really seen anyone get the explanation right. Anyways, when you have a hot gas, like steam or volatiles from whatever organics were in that tank, and you allow it to cool the gas condenses back to liquid. When it does this the pressure in the tank essentially drops to zero and atmospheric pressure crushes it.
      • muchachoburacho, on 04/24/2008, -0/+3Im pretty sure that that is exactly the right explanation.
      • 80hd, on 04/24/2008, -0/+1Vacuum test. There now it's settled
      • shadeOfGrey, on 04/24/2008, -1/+2That was pretty accurate except it doesn't have to be vapor turning to a liquid. Gases decrease in volume when cooled, so plain old air will do the same thing.
        • geoduck, on 04/25/2008, -0/+1I know gases decrease in volume as temperature decreases, but that is not the dominant mechanism here. The crushing of the tank occurs instantaneously which shows that there is a sudden and dramatic drop in pressure: condensation of the gas. You can reproduce this exactly by putting a little water in a 55 gallon drum with water, setting a fire under it until it boils and giving it a quick shot with a hose. No 55 gallon drum? Do the same thing with a can of coke on your stove.

          http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=55%20gallon% ...
    • kertong, on 04/24/2008, -0/+4Boyle's Law: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boyle's_law
    • iceschade, on 04/24/2008, -0/+2I believe that this was actually a planned demonstration of the results described by the above posters. The reason for the crowd was to see this principle in action. And, of course, when you see a tank implode like that, it's pretty freaking amazing. I'd clap too...
    • danconia, on 04/25/2008, -0/+2It was a demonstration as iceshade pointed out.
    • Byeop, on 04/25/2008, -2/+3its probably a Japanese game show
      • xfiles714, on 04/25/2008, -0/+1no, he was saying something in German
  • sheepster, on 04/24/2008, -9/+3it reminds me of how amazed i was when Darla from the Little Rascals crushed that coke can between her fingers.
  • usgovterrorists, on 04/24/2008, -24/+315Reminds me of the United States Dollar!
    • lolinyerface, on 04/24/2008, -16/+8Whiny Biased Government Articles ------>
      • itsthebrod, on 04/24/2008, -3/+21Where? I'm looking to the right of my screen but all I see is whitespace.
        • lolinyerface, on 04/25/2008, -0/+2Dual monitors ftw?
          and I'm stealing your comment for later consumption. :)
    • dafragsta, on 04/24/2008, -11/+6That would be DEflation, which would be a good thing.
      • usgovterrorists, on 04/24/2008, -1/+4As the United States Dollar implodes, it is inflation.
        Have you ever bought a gallon of gas, or a sack of rice?
        • dudeguy1234, on 04/24/2008, -0/+10No, sorry, I don't just go to the store and go, "Oh gosh, do I have a sack of rice? I might as well pick one up while I'm here!".
      • SealandRes1, on 04/24/2008, -0/+3Deflation is not a good thing, unless you consider unemployment a good thing.
    • LordofChaosIori, on 04/24/2008, -1/+27Stop correcting him people, it was a clever joke, let's take it as one.
    • yellowfish04, on 04/24/2008, -0/+5ouch man, that's cold...coooold

      seriously though, my girlfriend is Norwegian, and we have no way of going back and visiting her family. A goddamn Coke from a vending machine costs nearly 4 dollars now, not to mention the $2,000+ plane ticket
    • Unriggable, on 04/25/2008, -0/+1Wouldn't the tank inflate if it was the US dollar?
      • PhireN, on 04/25/2008, -0/+2Not if the tank was filled with x dollars of gas.
  • mafiax, on 04/24/2008, -10/+11THAT was awesome!
  • gu0d, on 04/24/2008, -6/+14Dugg for Sirius - Alan Parson's Project
    • freshyill, on 04/24/2008, -0/+2I believe that was some sort of hovercraft.
    • electricdragon, on 04/24/2008, -0/+2The Band or the Doomsday Device?
  • bytor4232, on 04/24/2008, -18/+2Total Pownage.
    • teh_techie, on 04/24/2008, -3/+8no... no...

      you REPLACE the o with a p. Not add a p to the front... i.e. "PWNAGE!"
      • palmer, on 04/24/2008, -2/+1Uh, he was probably making fun of that idiotic meme.
        • dudeguy1234, on 04/24/2008, -1/+1It's more a gaming term than a meme. Still, who gives a ***** if it's idiotic? It's still fun as hell to pwn noobs.
    • krets, on 04/24/2008, -1/+3You're doing it wrong!!!!
  • Nougat, on 04/24/2008, -3/+31Gas tanks on late 90s BMW 7 Series used to do that, too, though not as quickly.
    • chris4404, on 04/24/2008, -6/+92How long have you been waiting to tie that piece of information to a Digg story?
      • thcobbs, on 04/24/2008, -1/+35I'd guess roughly 10 years?
      • Nougat, on 04/24/2008, -3/+35I have more than one piece of information. Often, a bit of information I have is somewhat relevant.

        And more like 12 years.
        • onedigg, on 04/24/2008, -6/+5I can't imagine the rush you must have felt writing that factoid then
      • simpleid, on 04/24/2008, -0/+3Since before there was a Digg apparently ...
        How did they not see that problem when QA testing? Doesn't exactly seem obscure, unless it happened over a prolonged period.
        • Nougat, on 04/24/2008, -0/+4You can't always predict how parts of a car are going to operate after the car's been actually driven in real world conditions. I forget exactly what it was that caused this, but I suspect it had something to do with people overfilling the tank, which can get some fuel into the charcoal filter, which can prevent proper venting over time. If that's the case, they redesigned the filler neck so that the vent tube was in a different place, and less likely to send gas into the charcoal filter during fueling.
    • Jenadae, on 04/25/2008, -1/+1Oooookay... i just bought a 850i last month any clue if that has the same issue?
      • Nougat, on 04/25/2008, -0/+1As I recall it was only the 7 Series.
  • Quick2822, on 04/24/2008, -6/+9That would suck if it was just a normal day and it was your job to empty that tanker, and whoops! Better start looking for a new job.
  • mikesbaker, on 04/24/2008, -7/+6oh and I was hoping for an explosion
    • 11oops, on 04/24/2008, -0/+2Guess you're just going to have to settle for an implosion.
    • SupaNinja, on 04/24/2008, -0/+2That's what she said
  • clesch, on 04/24/2008, -4/+37I had to read that description four times until I understood why this happened.
    • palmer, on 04/24/2008, -0/+8Still doesn't explain how you could empty the tank and NOT vent it. Without something to replace the drained material, how did it flow out?
      • skeletorcares, on 04/24/2008, -0/+5probably got sucked out from that hose at the bottom. creating a vacuum on the inside, the more liquid removed, the higher the vacuum
  • tritiumpie, on 04/24/2008, -15/+12Proof that the invisible hand of God will punish non-believers in venting.
  • billiamboy, on 04/24/2008, -12/+5so those rednecks that smash beer cans after they shotgun it has nothing to do with strength...
    • RockSlice, on 04/24/2008, -5/+2Yes, it does, because the can gets a second to equalize.
  • CraigMNCF, on 04/24/2008, -26/+1fake
    • Impeller, on 04/24/2008, -2/+5...how?
    • HellHorse, on 04/24/2008, -1/+4It is a safety excersise to show what can happen. You can find it in several Rail Car safety videos. It is not fake at all.
    • CraigMNCF, on 06/09/2008, -0/+1fake
  • comradeTJH, on 04/24/2008, -8/+1Did they do that on purpose since it was filmed on 2 camera angles?
    • Impeller, on 04/24/2008, -2/+2It was for a security trainning...
    • Negligence, on 04/24/2008, -1/+38It's actually quite common to setup two video cameras to watch a non-moving tank, and have people sit around idly for hours hoping that it crumples. I don't know why they do it, but they do. Anyone else want to chip in to explain how this was a total coincidence caught on tape?

      • 11oops, on 04/24/2008, -0/+5The video cameras were setup to protect the tank from the terrorists and the onlookers were actually INS agents that were rounding up the illegal aliens that snuck into the country inside of that tanker. But, when the agents were removing the Mexicans through the tube they forgot to vent the tank.
    • frasermoo, on 04/24/2008, -2/+12it is mandatory in many countries when emtying tanks to have mutiple video cameras and crowds of onlookers behind security tape.
    • HellHorse, on 04/24/2008, -4/+2Actually it is a safety excersise. It can be found in several rail car safety videos.
    • JFallon126, on 04/24/2008, -1/+1My guess is it was for some type of safety demonstration. Hey guys, this is what NOT to do!
  • mahDigga, on 04/24/2008, -9/+0donkey kong country soundtrack?
    • MrSlumberjack, on 04/25/2008, -0/+1I don't remember limp bizkit being part of the Donkey Kong Country soundtrack
  • MasterThief117, on 04/24/2008, -15/+9I find humor that the site its on is called liveleak. Get it? Leak? Air pressure?
    I should stop trying :(
  • DigablePlanet, on 04/24/2008, -5/+60Homer Simpson forgot to vent the tank. Probably changing his moo-moo or trying to find the "any key"
    • jnosanov, on 04/24/2008, -1/+4Y-E-S!
    • stotch, on 04/25/2008, -0/+1"and I think its ironic that for once, dads butt prevented the release of toxic gas"
    • scottblystone, on 04/25/2008, -1/+0muumuu
    • blake182, on 04/27/2008, -0/+0Pff. He was, of course, waiting for his Tab.
  • FidelBlack, on 04/24/2008, -6/+3I don't get it. I thought heated air expands and therefore would push out against the inner walls of the tank?

    /part time nerd here.
    • Atomic05, on 04/24/2008, -3/+8Yeah, but the air in that tank is cooling off, and as it does the pressure inside falls. Eventually the difference in pressure compromises the tank, hence the sudden crunch.
      • LeRenard, on 04/24/2008, -4/+1The sudden crunch is the moment the steam in the tank dropped below 100C and the gas became liquid all at once. The pressure between different temperature gas states usually isn't that dramatic without dramatic amounts of heat.
  • iamgreg007, on 04/24/2008, -4/+4That's what my lungs feel like after too many cigarettes.
  • briangig, on 04/24/2008, -2/+26love to see this in one of those 4000 fps videos...

    are they pumping whatever is in the tank out or just letting gravity pull it out? If its just gravity wouldnt the flow stop when the pressure reached a certain point in the tank?
    • mikeman10001, on 04/24/2008, -4/+8When hot air cools.. it shrinks.. when the container can no longer hold the pressure of it shrinking soo much.. it collapses. (the container is air tight, so no external air can go in.. )
      • tradwolley, on 04/24/2008, -2/+12It doesn't shrink. A gas (including hot air) always expands to fill all the available volume. It loses kinetic energy as it cools which results in a drop in pressure, assuming the volume stays constant.
    • doople, on 04/24/2008, -4/+3If they were draining liquid out, it would have to be pumped. You're correct that at some point, the force of the vacuum would counter the fluid pressure draining the tank if it were done by gravity. I see a lot of people commenting that it's just hot air in the tank cooling down, but I don't know that that is what's happening. The air would have had to have been incredibly hot to crush that tank by going to outdoor temperatures.
    • Fracture98, on 04/24/2008, -7/+8It was filled with a hot fluid. They let it drain. Sealed it, and let it cool. Blam.
      • shadeOfGrey, on 04/24/2008, -0/+1Don't know why your perfectly logical explanation is getting dug down. Lot of ignorant people on this thread.
      • Catbert107, on 04/24/2008, -3/+1It imploded, not exploded
  • michael43, on 04/24/2008, -9/+14I think Pam Anderson was sucking on the end of the pipe.
  • jahon, on 04/24/2008, -8/+1So thats why gas prices are so high.
  • popopbeepop, on 04/24/2008, -6/+1no vacuum breaker ftw!
  • wanny19, on 04/24/2008, -8/+0Wikipedia says 'powed' is an option..... Wikipedia is always right.... right?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pwn
  • 3leggedHorse, on 04/24/2008, -6/+1 Nice.
    • RSterkenburg, on 04/24/2008, -1/+3Quit polluting Digg with your useless, thought-free comments.
    • 3leggedHorse, on 04/25/2008, -0/+1 You what. what the ***** wrong with nice you nobhead.
      Sorry what I should have said is. That is interesting in the terms of physics and how the two different pressures have an impact on a material when they are not handled correctly.
  • The_Wallbanger, on 04/24/2008, -8/+1Submitted 4 days ago and just now popular? What's up with the Algo?
    • RSterkenburg, on 04/24/2008, -0/+2...things don't automatically become popular the second they're submitted? They have to BECOME popular.
  • bloobloo, on 04/24/2008, -1/+3It's easy to do this. When you're pressure testing reactors on a chemical plant with steam and don't leave an open outlet when you've finished. One plant I used to work on was limited to 75 % of its design rates because one of four parallel reactors was sucked in this way.
    • KillJoy, on 04/24/2008, -1/+2Could you give us more information of about what's going on here or direct us to a website with more info?
      What did these chem plants do that you worked at, you talk about reactors so i'm just and i find that very interesting
      • 11oops, on 04/24/2008, -0/+1Terrorist!! I'm calling Bush... wait, I suppose the FBI is already reading this and are on their way right now.
  • Kikkoman, on 04/24/2008, -6/+50That's a tank filled with kittens :(
    • waggowaggo, on 04/24/2008, -1/+13kittens with low kinetic energy
      • breckinshire, on 04/24/2008, -0/+10That was the name of my band in college. We sucked!
    • LightGrenades, on 04/24/2008, -1/+2aww, that's so sad to think about..
      • andols, on 04/24/2008, -0/+5Isn't it though? All kittens have the should have the right to kinetic energy.
    • Cornfedhusker, on 04/24/2008, -0/+2Who masturbated!?
    • MrSlumberjack, on 04/25/2008, -0/+2Not no more it ain't
  • vclortho, on 04/24/2008, -1/+36I love all the Digg physics experts in here...
    • Indierocka, on 04/24/2008, -9/+6Dude, this is like 10th grade physics, its not that hard.
    • HayString, on 04/24/2008, -1/+15Yea, "experts" alright.
    • jynweythek, on 09/17/2008, -1/+3you don't need to be an expert to understand air pressure.
    • iceschade, on 04/24/2008, -0/+3You want wierd science? Go listen to the #2600 people at irc.2600.com talk about how to make LSD from houseplants and various chemicals. Seriously. Extreme chemistry put to terrible waste.
    • gurellia53, on 04/24/2008, -0/+1Yeah, most of these comments are completely retarded assumptions on how this works.
    • quakken, on 04/25/2008, -0/+1This is 9th grade EARTH SCIENCE physics. Seriously. It's a demonstration on pressure, and that's learned in earth science, of all classes.
  • JAFFA, on 04/24/2008, -7/+1WoW!
  • Jalh, on 04/24/2008, -8/+1wow , a big fart
  • bernmeister, on 04/24/2008, -9/+4Invisible giant is invisible.
  • bigern75, on 04/24/2008, -7/+1That.....was......AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!
  • pencilneck, on 04/24/2008, -7/+2I don't know what is more amazing... what happened in that video or that no one is yelling "FAKE".
  • MrFurious2k, on 04/24/2008, -4/+1Now if we could just get it to throw itself in the recycle bin we'd have something.
  • Mr.Gone, on 04/24/2008, -11/+38See what's actually happening is there is a force in the world called "God Pressure" It's the force that the lord applies to all things he created to keep them in one spot. Think of it as the most comforting hug you will ever feel, but you feel in every second of your life. Now this God Pressure sometimes needs to crush things to protect it's creations that it loves the most. So when it sees evil, in this case this tanker, it crushes extra hard. Don't worry though, God made you, so he won't crush you, unless he starts hating you, or you go where there is too much God Pressure, like at the bottom of a mid oceanic trench.
  • TomT223, on 04/24/2008, -7/+3That's what happens to me after eating at Taco Bell.
  • Yareking, on 04/24/2008, -6/+1Rick did it
  • mattieohya, on 04/24/2008, -2/+3As you empty a tank with liquid in it and you don't open a vent you keep the same amount of gas in a much larger volume so at a point the air pressure for the atmosphere will be great enough to crush the steel because there isn't enough pressure on the inside to keep the outside pressure from destroying the tank. Think of a submarine going way to deep.
    • palmer, on 04/24/2008, -2/+3How did the liquid drain out, when no air was allowed to flow in to replace it? Like when you put your finger over the end of a straw and pull it out of your drink: The liquid doesn't drain out.
    • LeRenard, on 04/24/2008, -0/+3Someone paid attention in science class...
    • mattieohya, on 04/24/2008, -0/+2I can't say for sure how the mechanism for pumping it out works but it is probably done with some type of pump.
  • buddamus, on 04/24/2008, -4/+2Thats AWESOME
  • dancraggs, on 04/24/2008, -4/+3*click*

    "Media item not found!"

    That's not meant to happen...
    • RSterkenburg, on 04/24/2008, -8/+4So hit refresh and quit polluting Digg with your useless comments.
  • pyro789x, on 04/24/2008, -0/+1Why did the editor of the video make a music transition in an 18 second video?
  • CCSprinter11, on 04/24/2008, -1/+6Ok, it's simple. When you fill a sealed chamber with hot gas (water vapor, for example), it's actually not all that full of anything. Most of it is just empty space, but the pressure is maintained by the hot gas. So when that gas starts to cool, the pressure drops quickly and the outside atmospheric pressure crushes the tank. You can do this at home. Put a small amount of water in an open rigid metal container, bring it to a boil, then remove the heat source and seal it. As it cools it will implode.
    • LightGrenades, on 04/24/2008, -0/+1I think it's been explained more than enough times already..
      And apparently a third of you people have not been through 10th grade science.
    • RobotLeAwesome, on 04/24/2008, -0/+0Heating/cooling can be left out - basically, take air out of a container - the exterior air pressure is pushing down and there's nothing inside the container to equalize that pressure; so the exterior air force wins.
  • bullhead2007, on 04/24/2008, -0/+1I saw pretty much the same thing with a soda can on Mr. Wizard a long time ago. This is more impressive of course.
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