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Steamboy and explosion science

Discussion in 'Archive: Your Jedi Council Community' started by The2ndQuest , May 27, 2009.

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  1. The2ndQuest

    The2ndQuest Tri-Mod With a Mouth star 10 Staff Member Manager

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    Jan 27, 2000
    (SPOILERS FOR THE END OF STEAMBOY!)






    So for some reason I was thinking about some scenes in the animated movie Steamboy today, particularly about the steam-castle's huge explosion at the end that crystalizes/freezes, and was wondering if anybody here knew how well the science behind that holds up to reality? Or what such a process would be called so I can read up on it elsewhere?
     
    The2ndQuest , May 27, 2009
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  2. somethingfamiliar

    somethingfamiliar Jedi Knight star 5

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    Aug 20, 2003
    try the manga guide to ballistics by jon goralski
     
    somethingfamiliar, May 27, 2009
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  3. DarthLowBudget

    DarthLowBudget Jedi Grand Master star 5

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    Jan 17, 2004
    I have a really hard time imagining that any explosion could ever possibly crystallize in reality. I'm pretty sure everything would dissipate before any of the gaseous matter had the potential to shift to solid form.
     
    DarthLowBudget, May 27, 2009
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  4. DarthNotsonice

    DarthNotsonice Jedi Master star 5

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    Apr 6, 2005
    if you've ever seen a fountain freeze,alot of the same dynamics would apply to fire in gravity
    That's why a mushroom cloud looks so much like the slow motion pictures of water droplets.

    [image=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v373/jeblataug/INTERWEB/JCC_postings/mushroom-cloud1.jpg] [image=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v373/jeblataug/INTERWEB/JCC_postings/Waterdroplet.jpg]
     
    DarthNotsonice, May 28, 2009
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  5. The2ndQuest

    The2ndQuest Tri-Mod With a Mouth star 10 Staff Member Manager

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    Jan 27, 2000
    Well, in Steamboy the explosion doesn't appear to be fire-based- it's just compressed steam ona massive scale breaching the entirety of the castle. You can see it happen at about 1:00 into this video.
     
    The2ndQuest , May 28, 2009
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  6. The2ndQuest

    The2ndQuest Tri-Mod With a Mouth star 10 Staff Member Manager

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    Jan 27, 2000
    Wanted to give this a gentle bump in case anyone else could shed any light on the question.
     
    The2ndQuest , Jun 12, 2009
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  7. moosemousse

    moosemousse CR Emeritus: FF-UK South star 6

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    Oct 3, 2004
    It seems sound to me. Highly compressed gases cool quickly when they expand rapidly. It's how refrigerators work. Given the right conditions the temperature could reach below the freezing point of water (like in a freezer). If the temperature is low enough than it could freeze steam, essentially. What would actually happen is that the water vapour would condense into droplets and then freeze.
     
    moosemousse, Jun 12, 2009
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  8. JediKnight20043

    JediKnight20043 Jedi Grand Master star 5

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    Sep 18, 2004
    That must have been one hell of a pressurised system to make it expand and freeze though.


    EDIT: Infact are there any physicists on tf.n that could do the maths on this.
     
    JediKnight20043, Jun 12, 2009
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  9. moosemousse

    moosemousse CR Emeritus: FF-UK South star 6

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    Oct 3, 2004
    1kg of steam at 100C in 1m^3 would be at a pressure of 172139.5Nm^-2

    Reduce the pressure to 1 atmosphere and you reduce the temperature to -55C.

    This site has the ideal gas laws if anyone wants to work it out properly.
     
    moosemousse, Jun 13, 2009
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