Take me out Walker-style, not: 1/3rd tank? 1/2 tank? safe? fuel cell?

[adorable]

On the topic of explosion/gasoline safety in crashes re: the recent death of Paul Walker from Fast & Furious, I'm currently filling only 1/2 tanks (~5gal) for fuel economy in my car. But as for safety, how little gasoline is needed to blow up like Walker's Porsche? 5 gal of gasoline still feels like enough to replicate. Or is it a matter of needing a fuel cell tank, etc instead?

Be good to hear from any solid studies, physics calculations, etc. re: ecomodding+fire safety with less gas in the tank.

[Miller88]

Was the cause listed as an empty gas tank?

I know with tanker trucks, an empty gasoline tanker is significantly more dangerous than a full gas tanker.

[Frank Lee]

Figure the odds of any certain event happening and then prioritize the sh.... stuff you're going to worry and obsess about.

[wmjinman]

Yeah, cars "blowing up" in a crash are extremely rare. In the movies, it happens almost every time there's a high speed wreck, but in real life, I've never even seen it once - and I spent a 27 year carreer working on the highway. I've seen cars BURN after a wreck a couple of times (had one happen to me once without even having a wreck), but not explode.

Of all the ways you can get hurt or killed in a car mishap, I'd say having the car EXPLODE in a wreck lists right alonside getting zapped in a lightning strike or having a plane crash on you! Even in the so-called "investigative shows" where they're trying to say certain cars are too dangerous in crashes (like pickups with tanks OUTSIDE the frame rails) - I heard that in order to get "footage" of them blowing up in a crash for the show, they had to actually "Rig" them with igniters so it would happen. .... without doing that, they were wrecking truck after truck and not getting the explosion they were wanting to "warn" us about...

(I've got no references or numbers to back that up, but it's what I've experienced/heard...)

[gone-ot]

Don't know if it's TRUE or not, but initially the TV had mentioned the possibility of NOx "feeding" the fire combustion.

[Cobb]

Nothing is more dangerous than an empty gas tank.

1, Fumes ignite easier than liquid.
2, People use lighters to see if there is any gas inside.

Me, I fill up at the half way point to full as the fuel doubles as a way to keep the pump cool, reduce chance of condensation to build up and to keep from sucking trash into the fuel system.

[adorable]

I usually fill up 1/2 way because of the lighter load, more mpg.

---

Saw things like this after the crash that made me start thinking, should I worry about my fuel tank?
Fuel Safe Racing Fuel Cells and Bladder Tanks
Fuel Safe Racing Fuel Cells and Bladder Tanks

After all, why should only racers get safer fuel cells?
That and hydrogen cars use fuel cells, too.

---

But if it's really as 'rare' as mentioned for a car to blow up like that, then I'll simply stick to having a razor blade in my car to cut the seat belt and get out in time if my car should burn. (That and never buy a burning Telsa/Fiskar...)

I have seen burning cars - one on the side of the freeway, engulfed. Never knew they could get that hot! Two lanes away, passed by and could feel the searing heat through closed windows! =O All those movies with people running towards burning cars even closer....no way in real life! They'd all chicken and scorch before they even got close.

Way I drive, it's gonna be the idiots out there that'll kill me... >.< (eco in a subcompact...or survive in a Monster Truck....)

[Frank Lee]

Re: short fills: http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...omy-17900.html

[pgfpro]

IMO I think the fire had a lot to do with the centrally located fuel tank, and the passenger side impact where the tanks fill spout is located.

Because the Carrera has its engine in the middle so it’s more agile and turns more quickly than the cars having engines in the front or in the rear.

The fuel tank is located in the bulkhead immediately behind the driver and passenger, and in front of the engine.

This central location is used in many race cars, since it helps shield the tank from severe frontal or rear impacts, but not a side impact especially where it takes out light pole then a tree.

The rate of speed on impact was so extreme that the fuel tank was damage severely and the extremely hot rear engine was shove forward into the tank area causing it to ignite the fuel.

There was no Nitrous Oxide system on this car. The car did not explode. It burned.

[gone-ot]

TWA flight 800 "suffered" a rather catastrophic 'empty tank' explosion.