Can a explosive be used as a power source?

Answer 1

It depends on what your definition of explosive is. The reaction that occurs within any internal combustion engine whether it be a car engine or gas turbine is a deflagration reaction. Without getting too detailed, this is basically something that just burns very quickly. For example, lighting gasoline vapor is a deflagration.

I believe what you are thinking of is a detonation in which the chemical reaction is actually sped up by the shock front. This includes explosives such as TNT, C4, etc. Basically, stuff that you won't find in normal life (with exception to black and gun powders).

The problem with using these sources of energy is that it's very hard to build something that can withstand the pressures for a long duration. We are looking at hundreds or thousands of times atmospheric pressure in less than a millisecond. In order to harness energy we would have to make some sort of piston engine that takes advantage of the expanding gasses, which with current technology cannot feasibly be done. (basically a gun with a moving plunger)

HOWEVER, there are engines that utilize explosive power to propel aircraft or rockets. These are pulse detonation engines. They, however, use a deflagration type explosion, but the pressures you see can certainly be considered explosions. There is a decent amount of research on the topic dating back way to WWII and prior, but we currently don't use them today because of noise, efficiency, and pollution issues.

Answer 2

In addition to the use of explosive fuel oxidezer mixtures in internal combustion engines, certain possible fusion technologies involve "exploding" small individual balls of light material by bombarding from several sides with powerful lasers.

Unlike fission, there is no critical mass needed in order to obtain a fusion reaction. Once the proper temperature, pressure, and magnetic resonance environment are supplied, fusion will take place. My understanding is that its being done, but so far the extracted energy is less than needed to pulse the lasers.

But the idea of discreet small fission reactions would fit loosely in your definition of using an explosive for power.

But the opposite is more likely to take place because the commerce in explosives, petrochemicals, and the precursers to explosive manufacture are all being brought under closer control.

That said, the energy on a laptop battery would be a pretty big bang if it went off all at once. So Lithium batteries ARE a present day example of an explosive being used as a power source.

Answer 3

Gasoline explodes inside the chambers of an internal combustion engine, so I'd give this an unqualified YES.

Answer 4

Generally not. The whole point of a decent explosive is the short uncontrolled release of energy. There is an exposion in a car cylinder, but it takes many thousands a minute to keep you moving.

Answer 5

Yes, its done all the time. It's called gasoline, in an internal combustion engine. Thats why there is the problem called detonation in an unproperly tuned engine

Answer 6

Yes

Answer 7

yes, the explosion of gasoline is what powers internal combustion engines...the engine in your car!!!

Answer 8

gasoline is an explosive...