Re:SpaceX receives FAA approval for return to flight [pdf]
by slededit on Friday January 06, 2017 @02:48PM
(#13339566)
The main ingredient is bacteria feeding on the hay, which causes an exothermic reaction. Above a certain temperature the thermophilic bacteria get happy and a runaway reaction occurs. These bacteria need moisture to survive.
Re:SpaceX receives FAA approval for return to flight [pdf]
by schiffern on Friday January 06, 2017 @03:14PM
(#13339784)
Essentially you're creating a compost pile unintentionally.
This phenomenon is easy to exploit actually. Laying out "sheet mulch" with 9-12" of hay on top of an opaque layer (typically newspaper or cardboard) can greatly accelerate the production rate of soil and repair degraded soils. No tilling or digging required, the mulch retains water and cuts down evaporation, and weeds are smothered by the opaque layer. This yields high quality produce without fertilizer and with a minimum of labor. The late Bill Mollison of permaculture design describes it here (@21m): https://vimeo.com/142711756
Re:SpaceX receives FAA approval for return to flight [pdf]
by Florin_Andrei on Friday January 06, 2017 @05:26PM
(#13340878)
Given the volumes involved, the deflagration must be monumental.
Re:SpaceX receives FAA approval for return to flight [pdf]
by freehunter on Friday January 06, 2017 @05:46PM
(#13341017)
Someone take this man's thesaurus away! :)
Re:SpaceX receives FAA approval for return to flight [pdf]
by Florin_Andrei on Friday January 06, 2017 @06:37PM
(#13341320)
With apologies.
In the interest of public wellbeing, from now on I shall restrict my vocabulary on HNews to Python keywords only.
That's right, wet hay bales can and will spontaneously combust. It sounds counter-intuitive, but wet hay bales are more dangerous than dry hay bales, because hay actually heats up as it dries. As the hay gets hotter, it starts giving off flammable gas. The heat it is generating combined with the gas it is giving off means they could light on fire at any moment if they've been stored before fully drying.
And where is hay commonly stored? In a barn, with an attached grain silo. And that grain silo is sometimes full of fine dust. Which, like flour, can easily explode at the smallest spark or flame.