MythBusters: Air Cylinder Rocket

MythBusters crew prove that an air cylinder will shoot though a concrete wall when the regulator stem is sheared off.

• Category

  Science & Technology

[TyrannFuhrer]

Adam's laugh at 1:05 is probably the best example I've heard of just pure joy.

[pleasuretrip]

It's a cinder block wall, and as a proof of concept tells you that you don't want one of these tanks flying around you. Your body isn't grouted or rebarred either; this would definitely leave a mark.

[EvanED]

For an awesome read and photos, Google "investigative report on chemistry 301a cylinder explosion". "The explosion blew all of the tile off of the floor for a 5' radius around the tank turning the tile into quarter sized pieces of shrapnel that embedded themselves in the walls and doors of the lab. The blast cracked the [4-6" concrete] floor but due to the presence of the [reinforced concrete beam] supporting beam, which shattered, the floor held." Fortunately, happened at 3AM.

[C. Timmerman]

Surprising they didn't put sandbags behind that brittle target.

[Richard Palmer]

the big tank they used I believe have a working pressure of 2240 psi. A lot of energy and mass but tanks that go to 3500 psi are widely available for suba diving. result would be more energy, less mass same result. might not fly true because it was smaller.

[janeyrevanescence12]

My dad told me about an accident that happened at his work place where that exactly happened. Not only did it go right through a concrete block wall, but it made a nice size dent in a steel bar on the other side. He said that it was a miracle nobody was hurt.

[parisuhdeterapia]

it just heats up and gets more compressed until it has escape (meaning that it´s cylinder explodes)

[Gary Wellings]

most Bottles are pressurized above 3000 psi in any work place lol

[jmar1371]

Where's the episode with the cannonball taking out the minivan and going thru the occupied house?

[Snoep76239]

Not on Chuck Norris.....

[cleaalex918]

It's probably pressurized to 3000 psi what did you think was gonna happen after breaking of the regulator

[dart2lawn]

It will heat up. You can't liquefy air at ambient temperatures, because the critical temperature of nitrogen and oxygen is far below ambient temperature. It can, however, become a supercritical fluid.