Can high-pressure steam cut a body in half?
Dear Cecil: I work for an electric utility. I’ve heard tales over the years of invisible high-pressure steam leaks in power plants that have “cut people in two.” Any truth to this? — wr99gre, via e mail Much to the disappointment of my inner ghoul, so far I’ve turned up no confirmed cases of steam bisection. Could it happen, though? You bet. The boilers in a typical power plant generate steam at around 2,400 pounds per square inch–about 163 times atmospheric pressure. Some “supercritical” steam plants operate at pressures over 4,000 PSI. Here the steam is heated far above the boiling point, generally to 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. This “superheated steam” is invisible when released until it starts to condense back into liquid water. Combine high pressure with high temperature and a jet of steam from a leak could travel a long way before becoming visible to an unwary passerby. Anyone walking into such a leak would be seriously injured or killed by the heat alone. It’s been well
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