Darn. so much for my exploding static vortex dust cyclone idea. damn you and your logic!
On Fri, Mar 27, 2009 at 12:23 PM, Stephen A. Lawrence <sa...@pobox.com> wrote: > Jones wrote: > >> Since it was a cordless, there was likely a lithium battery. >> >> These batteries have a history of overheating and explosion. > > > > Mark S Bilk wrote: >> Downloading and magnifying the upper photo appears to show that >> the top visible cell of the battery (still mostly inside the >> handle) had burst, blowing a hole in the handle. Those cells >> are pretty small, and if they can power the motor for a while >> they must contain a substantial amount of chemical energy. An >> internal short in the cell would rapidly convert all of that >> energy to heat, turning the electrolyte into very hot, high >> pressure vapor. If the cell didn't have an overpressure release >> diaphragm, its metal case would burst like a pipe bomb. > > A lithium battery letting go makes more sense to me than a dust > explosion in the canister. > > I would have expected a dust explosion to produce cuts and bruises, but > not a third degree burn on the hand. A bursting battery right next to > the operator's hand, on the other hand, seems much more likely to cause > that kind of injury. > > An extremely brief exposure to burning gas, as in an explosion in the > dust canister, would seem very unlikely to burn through the skin of the > palm which was probably pressed against the handle at the time, which > would in fact likely afford it a certain amount of protection from an > explosion 8" or 10" away. > >> >> On Fri, Mar 27, 2009 at 10:51:34AM -0700, leaking pen wrote: >>> Static buildup, ignition of dust. I've heard of several cases where >>> the static buildup from the cyclone style canister vacs spark and >>> ignite some of the deodorizing powders that have become popular. I >>> got good 5 inch arcs off a vacuum once, so I can believe it. >>> >>> On Fri, Mar 27, 2009 at 8:15 AM, Harry Veeder <hvee...@ncf.ca> wrote: >>>> LENR? >>>> Harry >>>> >>>> Electrolux vacuum explodes, causing third-degree burns >>>> >>>> Last Updated: Friday, March 27, 2009 | 10:19 AM ET >>>> Comments44Recommend29 >>>> CBC News >>>> >>>> A woman is recovering from third-degree burns to her left palm after >>>> the cordless vacuum she was using to clean the stairs in her Richmond, >>>> B.C., home exploded in her hands earlier this week... >>>> >>>> http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2009/03/26/bc-vacuum-burns- >>>> electrolux.html >>>> >>>> >> > >
