7 World Trade Center - why it blew up:

[E_Zapata]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20030911/us_nm/sept11_lawsuit_dc_1

"In that ruling, the judge completely dismissed two counts charging the city with negligence relating to the placement of diesel tanks at 7 World Trade Center, which exploded in the attacks. But he ruled the bank could refile two other charges relating to the city's measures after the attacks."

Is it common knowledge around here that tehre were two diesel trucks outside 7 World Trade Center on 9-11? I did not know that.

What were they doing there?

There was time to move them before the 1st building fell. Almost an hour, right?

???????????????????????????????

[TrogL]

1. Learn how to read

Tanks - not trucks. Tanks.

They were inside the building. Probably fuel for the backup generators.

[E_Zapata]

4. Excuuuuuuuuussssssssssseeeeeeeee meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

I will go work on those reading skills.

[Rick Myers]

2. They are referring to tanks within the building

Used to power emergency generators.

[JHB]

3. No, diesel TANKS,...

...not trucks, and they were inside the building. Among other things, they were supposed to fuel generators for the mayor's emergency command center (inside WTC7) so that it would have an independent power supply.

[E_Zapata]

5. Thank you for your kind response.

It is appreciated.

[DoYouEverWonder]

6. But isn't it true

that diesel fuel is not explosive?

[Fixated]

7. ......

No...it certainly blows up.

[nolabels]

10. But you will need the correct conditions

A vaporized mist in a closed container, at high temp it will on its own with out ignition (thats how a diesel engine works, kinda)

http://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/archive/topic/58868-1.html
Posted by: formula

A couple more points on diesel fuel.
It has a relatively high flashpoint and low vapor pressure. These characteristics are mainly attributed to the average length of the carbon chains that make up the molecules of the fuel. Diesel has an average of something like 14 carbons and gasoline has 8. So, a larger carbon chain relates to a heavier molecule which does not move around as much and does not vaporize or burn as easily as a smaller hydrocarbon (such as propane). On the other hand, the longer the hydrocarbon, the higher will be its density. This means that for a fixed volume of fuel, the larger (diesel), will have more potential energy. This is one of the reasons our diesels burn less fuel than a gasser of the same HP. As far as diesel fuel exploding at room temperature....surface area!! So you try to light a can of diesel on fire. Nothing happens. Now, spray the fuel through a nozzle like the one on an oil burner or a fuel injector and.....poof, it lights right up. This is because the surface area of the fuel exposed to the ignition source is greatly increased. With the can of fuel, the fuel itself is absorbing the energy of the ignition source so much that it will not even come close to igniting. With very small droplets of fuel, the ignition source is able to heat them to the point where they will burn and ignite neighboring droplets of fuel...BOOM.

The truck explosion still sounds a bit fishy though......

(snip)

[JHB]

8. Maybe not under normal circumstances...

...but with a fire outside the tank heating it up?

[qb]

9. If it wasn't explosive, diesel engines wouldn't work

It explodes under pressure. It doesn't even need a spark.