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posted by cmn32480 on Sunday January 08 2017, @05:19PM   Printer-friendly
from the things-that-make-you-go-boom dept.

Hackaday has an interesting article about explosions that save lives rather than take them.

Normally, when something explodes it tends to be a bad day for all involved. But not every explosion is intended to maim or kill. Plenty of explosions are designed to save lives every day, from the highway to the cockpit to the power grid. Let's look at some of these pyrotechnic wonders and how they keep us safe.

Explosive Bolts

The first I can recall hearing the term explosive bolts was in relation to the saturation TV coverage of the Apollo launches in the late 60s and early 70s. Explosive bolts seemed to be everywhere, releasing umbilicals and restraining the Saturn V launch stack on the pad. Young me pictured literal bolts machined from solid blocks of explosive and secretly hoped there was a section for them in the hardware store so I could have a little fun.

"Eject! Eject! Eject!"

Holding back missiles is one thing, but where pyrotechnic fasteners save the most lives might be in the cockpits of fighter jets around the world. When things go wrong in a fighter, pilots need to get out in a hurry. Strapping into a fighter cockpit is literally sitting on top of a rocket and being surrounded by explosives.

Behind the Wheel

There's little doubt that airbags have saved countless lives since they've become standard equipment in cars and trucks. When you get into a modern vehicle, you are literally surrounded by airbags — steering wheel, dashboard, knee bolsters, side curtains, seatbelt bags, and even the rear seat passenger bags. And each one of these devices is a small bomb waiting to explode to save your life.

Grid Down

We've covered a little about utility poles and all the fascinating bits of gear that hang off them. One of the pieces of safety gear that lives in the "supply space" at the top of the poles is the fuse cutout, or explosive disconnector. This too is a place where a small explosion can save lives — not only by protecting line workers but also by preventing a short circuit from causing a fire.


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  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by deadstick on Sunday January 08 2017, @06:38PM

    by deadstick (5110) on Sunday January 08 2017, @06:38PM (#451123)

    ...predate the space program: military aircraft have all manner of them. If a B-52 (prior to the G model) was shot down, for instance, the tail gunner could fire some explosive bolts, blowing the tail turret off and leaving a hole for him to bail out through. In later models, he was seated forward with the rest of the crew and had a proper ejection seat.

    Perhaps the weirdest use came on the F8F Bearcat naval fighter...the Wiki article on the F8F describes it.

    Earlier ejection seats were actually propelled by an explosive: the user was sitting on a 37mm cannon shell. It caused a lot of back injuries, and was eventually replaced with a rocket motor, but various explosive devices still blow a hole for the seat to come out through.

    An airbag, of course, is actually a nitrogen bag.

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 08 2017, @08:05PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 08 2017, @08:05PM (#451151)

    An airbag, of course, is actually a nitrogen bag.

    Of course? Of course? You give enough specifics to appear to know what you are talking about re: B52's and Bearcats. Then you say this. Credibility Rating: 0