Fire in O’Neill Cylinders/space shuttle or Pure oxygen Environments

[e24ohm]

I am reading about O’Neill cylinders, and I have an odd question, which deals with space stations/shuttles and/or pure oxygen environments.

Since shuttles/space stations are pure oxygen sealed environments, would an electric spark or small fire turn the environment into a fireball?

I am not a smoker, but I can remember a time when individuals were able to smoke in hospitals; however, now you see "no smoking" signs due to pure oxygen environments, so wouldn’t the same be for space shuttles/space stations?

I seem to remember a fire breaking out on the Mir space station in 1998, but I could be wrong. In addition, I am unsure if it was inside or caused in a piece of equipment that was outside.

[Quackers]

I don't think NASA use pure oxygen environments any more. Three pilots were killed in Apollo 1 (I think it was) due to an electrical short which created a fierce fire, due to the 100% oxygen environment.

[Paqman]

Since shuttles/space stations are pure oxygen sealed environments, would an electric spark or small fire turn the environment into a fireball?


Yes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_1).

Which is why subsequent spacecraft no longer use a pure oxygen atmosphere.

[Quackers]

Lol, just like buses! Nothing for half an hour then 2 come along :-)

[e24ohm]

Lol, just like buses! Nothing for half an hour then 2 come along :-)

or the underground...thanks mate...

So the environments are not 100% oxygen, but a mixture like a normal environment?

cheers!!!

[trekrem]

There is a common misconception that oxygen is flammable, IT IS NOT FLAMMABLE! Oxygen itself will not even burn, it does however, assist in the combustion of other materials (that's what the word combustion actually means, the reaction of an oxidizer with another substance).

(I am a Firefighter)

[Paqman]

So the environments are not 100% oxygen, but a mixture like a normal environment?


Nope, pure oxygen is just too dangerous. The ISS's atmosphere is designed to be as close as possible to Earth's IIRC.

[mips]

So the environments are not 100% oxygen, but a mixture like a normal environment?


Not since that accident nasa had that killed 3 astronauts on the launchpad.

This could have been prevented if they knew about a similar prior incident the soviets had but back in those days everything was hush hush & top secret.

[Khakilang]

Is that what we breath in, Oxygen?

[grahammechanical]

As a safety officer I was taught about the fire triangle - a source of ignition - fuel - Oxygen. Where the three are present then fire is possible. Remove one and the fire goes out. Heat is a source of ignition by the way.

We do not breathe in oxygen. We breathe in air which contains oxygen (about 20%), nitrogen, water vapour and other things. Increase the oxygen content of the air and fire will start more quickly and rage more fiercely. Reduce the oxygen content of the air and normal activity would be a struggle as the cells of our bodies need oxygen. Breathing pure oxygen for too long a period might damage the lungs.

Regards.

[sdowney717]

If it is all you have, plain old dirt will help smother and put out a fire

[e24ohm]

If it is all you have, plain old dirt will help smother and put out a fire
*smiles* there should be some dirt in an O’Neill Cylinder.

[Dustin2128]

*smiles* there should be some dirt in an O’Neill Cylinder.
Yeah, the concept as I understand it is kind of like a mini dyson shell; a full biosphere rotating to simulate 1G gravity.

[Tristam Green]

Is that what we breath in, Oxygen?

78% nitrogen/21% oxygen/1% trace minerals+gases is what we breathe at sea level.

[Quackers]

Is that what we breath in, Oxygen?


Unless you're a plant :-)

[lisati]

The triangle I was taught had heat, fuel and oxygen. Take away one of them, and the fire tends to go out. (/me thinks: was it really 37 years or so ago that I saw that film (not videotape) in school?)

[Swagman]

We must've seen the same film then.

btw.. I vividly remember laying on my back in a hyperbaric chamber pumped full of pure oxygen for four hour stints after sustaining a serious industrial accident.

[Sub101]

Is that what we breath in, Oxygen?

The actual impulse to breath is to get rid of CO2.

[lisati]

We must've seen the same film then.
Quite possibly.

btw.. I vividly remember laying on my back in a hyperbaric chamber pumped full of pure oxygen for four hour stints after sustaining a serious industrial accident.
Ouch. I hope that you've recovered sufficiently that any injuries you sustained don't come back and make a nuisance of themselves.

[Dustin2128]

We must've seen the same film then.

btw.. I vividly remember laying on my back in a hyperbaric chamber pumped full of pure oxygen for four hour stints after sustaining a serious industrial accident.
ouch..

pure oxygen is actually good for humans to a point, but its a fine line between that and O2 poisoning. Kinda reminds me of the europan amphibians from 2061, they had to rush underwater after the water-fusion ship flew overhead because the oxygen byproduct was so deadly.

[trekrem]

The actual impulse to breath is to get rid of CO2.

Someone in the medical field eh? ;)