Explosive decompression
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'''Explosive decompression''' ('''ED''') refers to a sudden marked drop in the [[pressure]] of a system that occurs in less than 0.1 seconds, associated with [[explosion|explosive]] violence. Generally it results from some sort of [[fatigue (material)|material fatigue]] or [[engineering]] failure, causing a contained system to suddenly vent into the external atmosphere.
== Explanation ==
Seals in high [[pressure vessel]]s are also susceptible to explosive decompression; the [[rubber]] [[gasket]]s used to seal pressurised pipelines tend to become saturated with high-pressure [[gas]]es. If the pressure inside the vessel is suddenly released, then the gases within the rubber gasket may expand violently, causing blistering or explosion of the material. For this reason, it is common for military and industrial equipment to be subjected to an explosive decompression test before it is certified as safe for use.
The pressure drop in other situations often takes longer than 0.1 [[second]], and is then more accurately described as '''rapid decompression'''.
An example of explosive decompression is the [[Byford Dolphin accident|Byford Dolphin diving bell accident]].
== Fallacies ==
Misunderstandings of the meaning of the words are quite likely to be a fuelling factor for a [[Urban legend|persistent myth]] that [[human]]s would explode if exposed to the non-pressure of [[outer space]]. Accidents in [[space exploration]] research and high-altitude [[aviation]] have shown that while [[Human_adaptation_to_space#Unprotected_effects|vacuum exposure]] causes swelling, [[skin|human skin]] is tough enough to withstand a drop of one [[atmosphere (unit)|atm]]. This assumes that the person doesn't attempt to hold their breath (which ''is'' likely to cause acute lung trauma), the limiting factor on consciousness then being hypoxia after a few seconds.<ref name="FAA" >{{cite web
|title=Advisory Circular 61-107
|url=http://www.faa.gov/pilots/training/airman_education/media/AC%2061-107A.pdf
|pages=table 1.1
|format=PDF
|publisher=[[FAA]]
}}</ref><ref name="" >{{cite web
|title=Flight Surgeon's Guide
|url=http://wwwsam.brooks.af.mil/af/files/fsguide/HTML/Chapter_02.html
|chapter=2
|publisher=[[USAF]]
}}</ref> A sudden drop of ''eight'' atm in the [[Byford Dolphin]] accident had intensely fatal results. <ref name="Giertsen, 1988" >{{cite journal
|last=Giertsen |first=J.C. |coauthors=''et al.''
|title=An Explosive Decompression Accident
|journal=The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology
|volume=9
|issue=2
|pages=pp. 91–101
|date=1988
}}</ref>
==Explosive decompression accidents on aircraft==
*[[BOAC Flight 781]]
*[[South African Airways Flight 201]] (suspected)
*[[Aloha Airlines Flight 243]]
*[[China Airlines Flight 611]]
*[[Japan Airlines Flight 123]]
==See also==
*[[Cabin pressurization]]
==References==
National and international standards for explosive decompression testing include:
*[[MIL-STD]]-810, 202
*[[Radio_Technical_Commission_for_Aeronautics|RTCA]]/D0-160
*[[NORSOK]] M710
*API 17K and 17J
*NACE TM0192 and TM0297
*TOTALELFFINA SP TCS 142 Appendix H
==External links==
*[http://www.sff.net/people/Geoffrey.Landis/vacuum.html Human Exposure to Vacuum]
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Failure]]
[[Category:Pressure]]
[[Category:Aviation accidents and incidents]]
[[pt:Descompressão explosiva]]