Comment by ReptileMan
2 days ago
What is so dangerous about it compared to lets say a gasoline engine converted to use LPG or Methane? There are many of those in Europe where I live.
2 days ago
What is so dangerous about it compared to lets say a gasoline engine converted to use LPG or Methane? There are many of those in Europe where I live.
Ammonia is much more caustic, toxic, and explosive than LPG and incidents involving it like the Minot derailment tend to be significantly worse.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minot_train_derailment
You mean aside from being a colorless toxic gas that will kill you in as little as 5 minutes?
Yeah, ammonia leaks are much more nasty than methane or hydrogen leaks. Methane, especially in LNG form, is quite safe compared to ammonia. LPG is even more stable than LNG and requires lower pressures. With that said, hydrogen leaks are "fun" because large ones usually self ignite and burn with a hot but mostly invisible flame. But hydrogen itself isn't toxic. Similarly, methane and propane aren't directly toxic.
Basically, an ammonia leak will kill you. By itself. The others are only a problem if they're the right concentrations to ignite. That's a relatively high concentration and a larger leak. Much smaller leaks of ammonia are deadly.
It's still a good solution for some things, but it's a bad solution for consumer vehicles like cars for that reason.
Just like propane, nitrogen, laughing gas, and methane ... I don't follow?
Those others are effectively asphyxiants: they'll kill you by displacing oxygen, leading to you collapsing and dying if not rescued, eg by being dragged clear or having ventilation improved. Ammonia is a caustic: airway constriction and oedema will get you at modest concentrations, weeping eyes may hamper your escape, and if rescued you may have lasting damage.
I'm guessing you have never gotten a snoutfull of ammonia? Relatively low concentrations in air feel like asphyxiation. It also hangs around near the ground rather than floating upward.
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