More explosive power - 1/2 storage tank of gasoline, diesel, crude oil?

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That's what I answered for the reason you stated ....but I have my doubts. It's a bit tricky. The question didn't say more potential energy...and specifically said 1/2 tank....

BTW This question was on a BP hiring test.
 
I agree that the heavier oils carry more energy in the tank, just not sure that it can be made available without having a mixed gas phase.
 
Some of the questions - I can really say BiTOG helped me!!

The flow and tank fill questions I found to be fun. The valving questions were sneaky, but eliminating the non-starters helped a lot.

The worst questions were the: watch a safety or other video - then due some math or other unrelated questions for an hour plus - then have questions specifically about the video content - but no fair using past knowledge!
 
I really don't know too much about the properties of crude, but I have seen the videos on TV of the well catching on fire and burning.

I'm gonna have to answer diesel. The thought that diesel can move a vehicle so much more efficiently than gasoline lead me to his answer.
 
Isn't gasoline the most volatile and therefore the most powerful? I hear people saying diesel has more BTUs but I've also heard that if you were to put gasoline in a diesel engine it would probably blow the cylinder head clean off.
 
Doesn't this need qualification?

I think that gasoline is volatile enough to not have enough % of O2 to support combustion (whatever the proper term for explosive limit is)

but 5 gallons of gasoline properly atomized with blow up a city block.

OTOH
A guy cutting up empty heating oil tanks (bulk) killed himself and blew the tanks sky high with his torch.
 
diesel has about 10% more BTUs than gasoline. (about 125K for gasoline, and 140K for diesel, per gallon)
it looks like crude is actually slightly lower than diesel.
So the diesel has more potential energy than the others.
Diesel has a higher flash point, but a lower ignition point than gasoline.
I'd say the diesel has more explosive power.
 
acranox - I am afraid you might be correct - it's the only question that's been nagging me and I'll bet lots of other folks got it wrong. The 1/2 tank thing and the word "explosive" is what tripped me up. If they said potential energy I would have gone diesel and thought long and hard on the crude....

Except one thing I didn't mention - these are rapid fire questions - VERY SHORT timed sections, with MANY questions....I'm drained right now.
 
The gasoline vs diesel ignition is also why most military ground vehicles are diesel. The gas engined Sherman tanks in WWII unfortunately had a common nickanme of 'Zippos'.
 
quote:

Originally posted by Drew99GT:
If you were to fill a diesel engine with gasoline, what would happen? Would it not even start, or would it go boom?

I have no clue, but there is a 100% probability that somebody, somewhere, has done this by accident.
 
quote:

Originally posted by Drew99GT:
If you were to fill a diesel engine with gasoline, what would happen? Would it not even start, or would it go boom?

It just doesn't start... A buddy of mine's housemate works as a mechanic at a Uhaul place.. they see dieselene ALL the time. I had to drain my Caterpillar's fuel tank because my moron laborer filled my diesel cans full of gas and I dumped one in and didn't notice the smell until the can was half empty. the CAT mech told me if the tank had been nearly full (holds 35 gals) that I could have run it and caused no problems. but I only had about 5 gals in it, so I had to drain it.
 
Crude oil has more "Potential" energy available, with Diesel fuel next, but gasoline has more volatility and higher VAPOR Pressure, so I would have to say it has the greatest potential for explosiveness.
 
Mola - thanks for taking the time to answer.

As I stated above I chose gasoline so we agree - but the question was "What has the greatest explosive power?".....To me this is vague.

well one missed shouldn't kill me
smile.gif
 
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