Liquid-fuel fireballs

[EP]

I've made a few before, but all have been rather small:

small:
<a href="http://krimzonpyro.com/ep/projectsdevicesdir/filmcanfireballseq.jpg" target="_blank">http://krimzonpyro.com/ep/projectsdevicesdir/filmcanfireballseq.jpg</a>

med:
<a href="http://krimzonpyro.com/ep/mediadir/tincanfireballframes.jpg" target="_blank">http://krimzonpyro.com/ep/mediadir/tincanfireballframes.jpg</a>

larger (but blew up because it had too much powder):
<a href="http://krimzonpyro.com/ep/mediadir/biggasminelarge.jpg" target="_blank">http://krimzonpyro.com/ep/mediadir/biggasminelarge.jpg</a>

As is norally the story, bigger and better is constantly a goal:
(from <a href="http://www.blastards.com)" target="_blank">www.blastards.com)</a>
<a href="http://www.blastards.com/midland2000/pics/abombenh2k.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.blastards.com/midland2000/pics/abombenh2k.jpg</a>

I'm looking to (eventually) make some massive fireballs like those used in the airshow pyrotechnics found here:
<a href="http://www.blastards.com" target="_blank">http://www.blastards.com</a>

They use dynamite as the lift charge instead of a low explosive, shown here:
<a href="http://www.blastards.com/midland2000/pics/dynamiteladies.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.blastards.com/midland2000/pics/dynamiteladies.jpg</a>
and here:
<a href="http://www.blastards.com/midland2000/pics/bobpattiepowder.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.blastards.com/midland2000/pics/bobpattiepowder.jpg</a>
More dynamite:
http://www.blastards.com/sanmarcos2002/Nat's%20Ready.html ( http://www.blastards.com/sanmarcos2002/Nat's%20Ready.html)

That liquid fuel is used can be seen here:
<a href="http://www.blastards.com/midland2000/pics/fuelingploesti1.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.blastards.com/midland2000/pics/fuelingploesti1.jpg</a>
but I'm wondering what might be in those bags.

Also, I'm wondering about the amount of HE used for the lift. They obviously must use a significant amount to lift the heavy fuel and leave a crater like this:
<a href="http://www.blastards.com/midland2000/pics/bbredimus.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.blastards.com/midland2000/pics/bbredimus.jpg</a>

more shots showing the bags:
<a href="http://www.blastards.com/midland2002/DSC0011.html" target="_blank">http://www.blastards.com/midland2002/DSC0011.html</a>
and:
<a href="http://www.blastards.com/midland2002/DSC0012.html" target="_blank">http://www.blastards.com/midland2002/DSC0012.html</a>

I'm assuming the extra detcord fused dynamite in the second pic are to help lift the fuel and produce a larger diameter at the bottom instead of just a skinny column, I don't think that's needed until you get really big.

a few more cool pics:
<a href="http://www.blastards.com/images/pics/027.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.blastards.com/images/pics/027.jpg</a>
<a href="http://www.blastards.com/images/pics/abomb2.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.blastards.com/images/pics/abomb2.jpg</a>
<a href="http://www.blastards.com/images/pics/abomb3.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.blastards.com/images/pics/abomb3.jpg</a>

So the questions are what fuel and how much explosive. I've read of different fuels being used, like normal gasoline mixed with diesel or avgas. I doubt many of us have an airport next door that will fill up a gas can with avgas for us, so I guess it's gas/deisel mix. Other additives are sometimes used I've read. Looking on rec.pyrotechnics for "fireball" I find this in the first result:

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica"> 200 litres of Avgas, Diesel and other additives including a fair amount of
blasting gun powder </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica">So what additives and what purpose does the "blasting gunpowder" serve? I'm sure it can't be the lift because I can't see it being powerful enough, maybe thats whats in those bags in the pictures above.

found this about above:
<a href="http://www.lasertronics-sfx.com/Highveld.htm" target="_blank">http://www.lasertronics-sfx.com/Highveld.htm</a>
So that wasn't all one big fireball, but rather done in tubes with BP lift and liquid fuel, not what I'm looking for.

Another post does mention using an LE lift, but HE's are more cost effective for larger charges:

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica"> We did a nice F/X today with ~0.7 kg of flash powder (KMnO4 based) and
6 liters of gasoline. The flash powder was in a plastic 1.5 liter Coke
bottle buried under the cardboard box containing the gasoline (in a
plastic bag). The sound of the explosion was somewhat muffled by the
ground surrounding the Coke bottle but the fireball was spectacular.
I estimate the maximum width was nearly 20 meters. There was no gasoline
burning on the ground after the explosion, it was all consumed in the
fireball. </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica">a reply suggests adding napthalene to the gas to get a more smokey fireball:

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica"> I believe commercial film crews use naphthalene dissolved in gasoline
for lots of black smoke. Any somewhat volatile, gasoline soluable,
high C/other atom ratio compound would work (naphthalene is but one)
</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica">more about nap:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica"> The effect is much enhanced if Naphthalene is dissolved in
the gasoline -- all that the gasoline will hold. (About a
pound of Naphthalene per gallon of gasoline).
</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica">So anyway, enough of that, time to get to the point. I don't have commcial dynamite so I'll go with AN/MEKP. How much would I use (with the 100g AN to 11mL MEKP ratio) for a 1 gallon jug of gas? If that goes well the next one will be a 5 gallon.

edit: and if anyone has experience with gas fireballs and wants to share some tips/stories, I'm all ears. :)

<small>[ March 04, 2003, 09:01 PM: Message edited by: EP ]</small>

[Pyroboy]

Thanks EP very good information and some really cool pictures. I have plans to give fireballs a go and will probably try it this week, I should be able to get pictures so I'll post the results.

Cheers.

[0EZ0]

EP, nice report. Well from memory the fuel mainly used in these types of fireballs(display) is Avgas or Aviation fuel. It is a high octane fuel and performs very well. Lift charges, as you have written, are mainly Dynamite.

I'd understand why you would want to strive toward such a type of fireball effect, as they are quite inpressive and give off a hell of a heat wave :cool: .

I'm lucky enough to have a very close friend who is a member at an airfield. I might ask him to bring home a tin of Avgas for me to play with. Maybe some other members live near an aerodrome or private areo club. I don't see that it would be too much trouble to buy some fuel off them.
Maybe another interesting fuel would be nitromethane? Could be worth some testing if someone has an ubundant source. Would be a bit pricy though :( .

[DBSP]

<a href="http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball.JPG" target="_blank">http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball.JPG</a>
<a href="http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball2.JPG" target="_blank">http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball2.JPG</a>

Smaller fireball mad out of a shotshell containing flash and a small bag of gasoline.

<a href="http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/filmcan_flash_gasoline1.JPG" target="_blank">http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/filmcan_flash_gasoline1.JPG</a>
<a href="http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/filmcan_flash_gasoline2.JPG" target="_blank">http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/filmcan_flash_gasoline2.JPG</a>

Filmcan filled with gasoline driven by a couple of grams of flash.

<a href="http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireballl.JPG" target="_blank">http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireballl.JPG</a>

A tincan filled with gasoline, driven by a rifleshell with compressed flash. Unfortunately I got this pic before all of the gasoline had ignited, that's why it lookes a bit odd. You can see what it had looked like if all of it had been ignited though.

<a href="http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/gasoline_fireball1.JPG" target="_blank">http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/gasoline_fireball1.JPG</a>

Same type as the first pics only at daytime.

I belive that ordinary gasoline works well, it would probably be good to mix some diesel into the gasoline to lengthen the flame a bit.

If using explosives like APAN or the alike, I think it iss nessesary to add some AL or Ti to the explosive for ignition, I've tried to put a bag of gasoline on top of a 170g APAN charge, this charge failed to ignite the gasoline.

<small>[ March 05, 2003, 09:17 AM: Message edited by: DBSP ]</small>

[andreas]

Nitromethane wouldn't make a very impressive fireball, because it burns to clean. Light some and you'll see. It is furthermore even more difficult to light than gasoline.

[Al Nobel]

A few years ago I had quite impressive results using a metal pipe full of smokeless powder which was surrounded by several bottles of propane gas.The shrapnels destroyed the bottles and the gas was ignited by the smokeless powder.Result:a 2.5 meter wide fireball.
I´d suggest use a PVC tube full any HE and surround it with propane gas bottles.You could place a bag full of any usefull kind of fuel on top of it.The result should be quite impressive.

[Crazy Swede]

My experience from making fireballs with gasoline/diesel/xylene/whatever is a bit limited but I have some tips though:

It is very important to adjust the amount of liquid to the lift charge for two reasons: 1) too little liquid fuel will make a very short lasting and kind of transparent fire cloud; 2) too much will give you problems with burning fallout on the ground.

To make bigger and more long lasting clouds it can be effective to fire several smaller charges, with very short intervals, from the same spot (a bundle of seven 3" mortars for example). By doing this, you pump fuel into the oxygen deficient fire cloud which will prolong its life.

If a mortar bigger than 4" is used, it can be effective to place the lift charge at the side, close to the inner wall, at the bottom. This seems to decrease the risk of remaining liquid in the mortar. Maybe because of increased turbulence....? Of course this is only easy if a small flash bag or similar is used.

Several compositions will work in mortars, zinkite, flash or bp. But, if the liquid are to be placed on the ground in bags, high explosives like detonating cord is probably the best!

[DBSP]

While on the subject I'd like to report that I made a very successful fireball today from gasoline and some flash/BP. I rolled a paper tube about 15mm ID and sealed the ends, cut it about 80mm long and filled it with flash and some BP. I put it in the bottom of an olive can with a volume of abut 6x8x12cm=576cc=570ml. and filled it with gasoline. Wired it up, set the cameras, fired it, and smiled happily :)

the vid:
<a href="http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/gasoline_fireball_by_DBSP.avi" target="_blank">http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/gasoline_fireball_by_DBSP.avi</a>

The pics:
<a href="http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/gasoline_fireball_1_by_DBSP.JPG" target="_blank">http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/gasoline_fireball_1_by_DBSP.JPG</a>
<a href="http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/gasoline_fireball_2_by_DBSP.JPG" target="_blank">http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/gasoline_fireball_2_by_DBSP.JPG</a>
<a href="http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/gasoline_fireball_3_by_DBSP.JPG" target="_blank">http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/gasoline_fireball_3_by_DBSP.JPG</a>
<a href="http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/gasoline_fireball_4_by_DBSP.JPG" target="_blank">http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/gasoline_fireball_4_by_DBSP.JPG</a>
<a href="http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/gasoline_fireball_5_by_DBSP.JPG" target="_blank">http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/gasoline_fireball_5_by_DBSP.JPG</a>
<a href="http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/gasoline_fireball_6_by_DBSP.JPG" target="_blank">http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/gasoline_fireball_6_by_DBSP.JPG</a>
<a href="http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/gasoline_fireball_7_by_DBSP.JPG" target="_blank">http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/gasoline_fireball_7_by_DBSP.JPG</a>
<a href="http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/gasoline_fireball_8_by_DBSP.JPG" target="_blank">http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/gasoline_fireball_8_by_DBSP.JPG</a>
<a href="http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/gasoline_fireball_9_by_DBSP.JPG" target="_blank">http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/gasoline_fireball_9_by_DBSP.JPG</a>

Frame by frame:
<a href="http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/fireball_frame_1_by_DBSP.JPG" target="_blank">http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/fireball_frame_1_by_DBSP.JPG</a>
<a href="http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/fireball_frame_2_by_DBSP.JPG" target="_blank">http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/fireball_frame_2_by_DBSP.JPG</a>
<a href="http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/fireball_frame_3_by_DBSP.JPG" target="_blank">http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/fireball_frame_3_by_DBSP.JPG</a>
<a href="http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/fireball_frame_4_by_DBSP.JPG" target="_blank">http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/fireball_frame_4_by_DBSP.JPG</a>
<a href="http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/fireball_frame_5_by_DBSP.JPG" target="_blank">http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/fireball_frame_5_by_DBSP.JPG</a>
<a href="http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/fireball_frame_6_by_DBSP.JPG" target="_blank">http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/fireball_frame_6_by_DBSP.JPG</a>
<a href="http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/fireball_frame_7_by_DBSP.JPG" target="_blank">http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/fireball_frame_7_by_DBSP.JPG</a>
<a href="http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/fireball_frame_8_by_DBSP.JPG" target="_blank">http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/fireball_frame_8_by_DBSP.JPG</a>
<a href="http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/fireball_frame_9_by_DBSP.JPG" target="_blank">http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/fireball_frame_9_by_DBSP.JPG</a>
<a href="http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/fireball_frame_10_by_DBSP.JPG" target="_blank">http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/fireball_frame_10_by_DBSP.JPG</a>
<a href="http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/fireball_frame_11_by_DBSP.JPG" target="_blank">http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/fireball_frame_11_by_DBSP.JPG</a>
<a href="http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/fireball_frame_12_by_DBSP.JPG" target="_blank">http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/fireball_frame_12_by_DBSP.JPG</a>
<a href="http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/fireball_frame_13_by_DBSP.JPG" target="_blank">http://dbsp.sensorystatic.com/pictures/fireball/fireball_frame_13_by_DBSP.JPG</a>

[ALENGOSVIG1]

Fireballs rule! I use a long propane cylinder with the end cut off for my fireballs. The capacity is 1L but its still enough to make a large fireball. Im going to get a fire extinguisher and use that for a larger tube. For 1L fireballs i use 10-12g of sodium benzoate/potassium perchlorate as a lift charge. I'll have to try a charge of NG underneath a bag of gas though. Mabe i'll add a lighter flint to the NG to make sure the fuel ignites. I can't remember who thought of the flint but i belive it would work well. A good fuel mix is 70/30 gasoline/xylene. Kerosene additive works nice too.

[green beret]

Excellent work EP. I have some experience with fireballs and have found that deisel gives it more depth, and sort of an orangey colour.

[DaveTheShit]

<a href="http://www.skylighter.com/skylighter_info_pages/article.asp?Item=8" target="_blank">Colored alcohol fueled fireballs</a> are cool too ya know.

[Arkangel]

In the military, we used to use catering size baked bean cans that we'd collected from the kitchens, with one end completely open, and buried level with the rim. We'd quarter fill it with Kerosene (Avtur is Kero, Avgas is petrol) and when we wanted to fire it, just toss in a thunderflash. Nobody really gave a shit if it was an efficient burn, so I can't say the amount of fuel was right, but this IS an easy way to make reliable and effective fireballs. I'll see if I can find a picture!

Ahaa.... <img src="http://www.boomspeed.com/arkangel/fireball.jpg" alt=" - " />
A baked bean tin kero-bomb using probably 2 pints of Kero. Sorry about the odd pic. I had it in a scrap book and had trimmed the shit I didn't want out. The highest point of the fireball in the pic is about 40 feet, you can see the single story factory fifty yards away. I was 30 yards in front of the explosion. You can see the unburnt fuel below the flame, but iirc it did all burn.

I'd be fairly confident that most of the Blastards fireballs were kero - gas is more expensive no?

<small>[ March 11, 2003, 11:32 AM: Message edited by: Arkangel ]</small>

[Guerilla]

I made a small gasol bomb, couple dl of gasoline with 30g Zn/S lift charge. It was pretty cool, but obviously I used too much of Zn/S because it became rather skinny, not as round as DBSB's (nice video and pics btw! <img src="http://www.roguesci.org/ubb/icons/icon14.gif" alt=" - " /> ). I made one with acetone also, it gave a somewhat bluish but a weak flash. I took some photos of them but can't show them to you yet..

Colored fire balls.. hmm.. those might be worth of try. I wonder why BaCl₂ nor SrCl₂ were listed in the coloring agents at the Skylighter's page (bad methyl/ethyl alcohol solubility?)..

[simply RED]

I am just coming back from the forest!!!
It is midnight now, before 20 minutes i set off my gas stove!!!
I got drunk (so am i now) and get all the aftershave and all the medicine spirt i had. Get my half full gas stove ( some liters bottle made of steel). And some cotton and went in the forest (there was not any other explosive left to detonate if i had something it would be put in the bomb too).
I put the stove on the ground, wrap it with cotton, put the alcohol on the cotton and lit it....
After 3,5 minutes a flame was coming from the top of the botttle, i thought it would just burn and suddenly
BOOOM!!!
5,6 meters in hight 4,5 in diameter...

<small>[ March 13, 2003, 05:14 PM: Message edited by: simply RED ]</small>

[Crazy Swede]

simply RED, such a waste of good cotton! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />

Did you know that it is quite common on Malta to shoot fireballs during fireworks shows? They dig a hole in the ground, drop a 3" or 4" salute on the bottom and a 5 l bottle of propane or similar on top.

Insane?
Yes!

Effective?
Very!

[xyz]

I made a small fireball device once (gas, not liquid) that consisted of a CO₂ cannister filled with AP and then taped to a small butane tank. A container of KNO₃/Sugar was then taped above the CO₂ cannister in such a way that the fuse lit the KNO₃/Sugar and then the KNO₃/Sugar lit the CO₂ cannister and burst the tank. The KNO₃/Sugar was placed in a way that it would still be burning when the tank burst. It made a fireball about 4m high and 3m wide. I caught it on video but the video is pretty crappy quality as it was taken from about 75m away because of the danger of shrapnel.

Still, I can upload the video if anyone wants it.

[simply RED]

Even the normal propane cans for lighters recharge make a good fireball. I put the can in a nylon bag, with some napalm in the bag.
Light the napalm with fuse... and run...
It is good to put cotton soaked in water on the top of the can(on the duse), otherwise the heat can melt the plastic duse and the gas just burns. When the can is burst by the heat gas it gives better performance than the can burst by high EX.

[IPN]

I was wondering could it work if I take a metal pipe (10cm*40cm) and place 200g ANNMZn on the bottom (sealed) and take a plastic bag filled with gasoline and place it on the ANNMZn?
The test would be made on an open ground.

<small>[ March 14, 2003, 03:24 PM: Message edited by: IPN ]</small>

[Celtick]

last new year I've made some impressive fireballs with just a few litres of terpentine and I did it with regular benzine, I've filmed these balls and a screenshot can be seen at my site <a href="http://www.angelfire.com/goth/celtick/improvis.htm" target="_blank">http://www.angelfire.com/goth/celtick/improvis.htm</a>

[DaveTheShit]

Oh and I made a nice fireball a week or so ago. Propane is in liqid form in the tank, so it fits in this topic I suppose. I used 4 linear TNP shaped charges (using copper liners) on a Coleman propane tank. I had lit a sparkler over it, and used an electrical system with the shaped charges. It worked well, and I had the video camera aimed at it. Unfortunately, I am an idiot, and I left the lens cover on the camera. Oh well, next time I'll get it on video to show everyone. I'll try to move up from 1 pound Coleman tanks to one of those white tanks they use for gas grills.

[mt1988]

i have made fire balls using turps and homemade BP it burns like 3F, i got a little bag filled it up with BP(about 15grams) put a ematch in then taped it up realy tight and put it in the bottom of a 2"x 12" pipe filled it 3/4 fill and using my homemade rocket motor ignition system , i get lovly 2-4" fireballs with that burn a nice orange with black smoke, ill try and do some more this week and ill take a few pics to show what i mean

matt

[FireBomb]

Hmm I wonder has anyone tried White Gass I believe it has a higher octaine rating then unleaded. Also you could add just a little Ethonal to raise the octaine on the fule. Hell if you wanted to you could just use streight Ethonal but thats a waste of good booze. ;)

If I had the time and the money I would do a test using deferent types of fule but unfortunatly I dont.

[Tuatara]

Octane rating is irrelevant - it only relates to the tendency of the fuel to detonate under pressure.
White gas may have an advantage in being more volatile.

And please learn to spell.

Edit: Sorry, thats awfully rude. Bad spelling just happens to be one of my pet hates

[FireBomb]

Its ok Tuatara it just reminds me that i need to proof read all of my posts and learn to spell better. I never was very good in English class but then again most of my English teachers really didn't teach much English. Most of the stuff was Literature and while I love to read books and study good literature I also wish they spent more time on actual gramer and spelling.


[Well here's my tip of the day! It's spelled grammar, not gramer. - ALEN]

[The Crazed]

I once made a fireball out of BP and 2 Aerosol cans(full of course). I put the BP inside of a Co2 container (empty) and stuck a fuse in the end to light it. I then taped the Aerosol cans to the Co2 container and lit the fuse. It took a few times to get it right but it made a pretty nice sized explosion and fireball. Better stand back far though if you try this bacause of shrapnell.

[Anarchy 4 life]

Yesterday I had a nice dream... I was on a big piece of land with no one around me! So I took a 3" pipe and put 15 gram of granulated blackpowder in it... After that I put about 300ml Diesel on it in a plastic bag...

Sticked a fuse in the pipe to the granulated blackpowder, and lit it...

It gave a nice fireball with much black smoke... I'll try to make pictures of my next one.

[xyz]

Er, the mods may be interested in what you've just posted (and in your username) .

[grammarless]

I have tried a liquid fireball with some BP and a bag of white gas in a can, but I was wondering has anyone tried a bag of gas over a charge of APAN or some HE?

[rooster]

I have wanted to try this for a while, an I believe the fuel is first spayed out to a mist, and then ignited. Just hypothetically, wont the fireball be much bigger, and look more like a fireBALL?

[DBSP]

If you are to use a HE for a fireball, you should definately add some Al or preferable Ti powder to the HE to ignite the gasoline.

If using a straight HE the gasoline is indeed sprayed out into a thin mist but it doesn't ignite in most cases scince the period of time that the HE "burns" is so incredibly short that it hasn't got time to ignite that gasoline. This is where the metal powder comes into place, it burns in the air a while after the HE has detonated and it is the burning metal particals that ignites the gasoline.

If you have a look at the boombershoot homepage there are some great movies of
gasoline/HE-Ti fireballs.

http://www.boomershoot.org/

[DaveTheShit]

Do you think 600 mesh or ~200 mesh would work better for this? The 200 mesh would ensure the mist would ignite, but I'm not sure the HE would be able to ignite it. The 600 mesh would more than likely be ignited by the HE, but would it be able to ignite the fuel?

[rooster]

What about a mix of the two? The HE would definately ignite the 600 mesh, and the 600 mesh would surely ignite the 200 mesh...

If you have access to both, I would try this

[Anarchy 4 life]

Originally posted by xyz
Er, the mods may be interested in what you've just posted (and in your username) .

If you think I'm like those kewls reading Anarchist Cookbooks... Your wrong.. I'm just like my name say's; Against the state and it's order.

I now.. my way of placing posts is a bit weird. But I remember a friend told me that I should always tell things like I didn't do a thing, and it was just a "dream"...

[zaibatsu]

That is exactly the way to post - we dream about doing things, we never actually do them. Or, maybe we decided to write a story... I'm sure you see what I mean

[Mr Cool]

I'm still convinced that lighter flints are the way to go for ignition of HE-dispersed liquid fuels. I haven't tried it, but lighter flint alloy burns at the slightest provocation, with many sparks (not like Mg for example, with a more localised flame), and it burns hot too.