Do You Know Where This Picture is From?
Last Updated on Monday, 14 September 2015 10:47 Written by Keith Donaldson Monday, 21 October 2013 08:35
It could be from any dining room, café, or restaurant from the first 70 of the last 100 years. But there is something special about this one; it is from the dining room of the Hindenburg from April 1936.
This was taken about a month before this blimp burst into flames after a transatlantic flight. When it was coming into a tower dock it exploded. Many witnesses claimed they saw a blue discharge and fluttering fabric of the balloon material. According to that testimony, what happened was a combination of torn material and a natural phenomenon. First, the blimp’s outer layer tore, which explains the fluttering fabric, the part of it which tore fluttered as the pressurized and flammable gas leaked out. Whereas we regret the loss of life that occurred on that tragic day, it is important, as with any tragedy, to learn from the accident to help prevent a similar occurrence in the future.
The blue discharge is a bit more complicated. It is believed to be St. Elmo’s Fire. The Hindenburg was half a day late on its ocean crossing. It was storming at the landing area in New Jersey so the blimp took its time over New York City. Citizens flooded the streets to see the big blimp, famous pictures of this passage still exist. But, once the storm subsided the blimp continued onto its destination.
Storms create electrical disturbances. Often at the end of a storm the clouds stay charged. This electrical imbalance in the clouds has a natural drive to be neutralized or grounded, by connecting electrically to earth. Balancing electrons from the ground gather at the highest point they can to disperse back into the atmosphere. In this case it was at the top of the landing tower. When electrons in this state reach a certain voltage they can spark and can create a blue discharge. This discharge, along with the rushing gas from the blimp, creates an environment primed for catastrophe.
St. Elmo’s fire is known because it creates a faux flame which is actually a Physics Phenomena called Plasma. This plasma is caused by a very high energy that is applied to matter. It causes a disassociation of gaseous atoms from each other so they are free-formed and flow unlike other forms of matter. Sailors used to watch the tops of their masts for it and can also be seen on airplane tips or high points during a storm. The point I am getting at is that no matter the circumstance the basic properties of physics are at work as in the Sun or a neon light.
I urge you to be more prepared than the unsuspecting people in the picture. Our customers use our Static Intercept® films and bags in order to have permanent, humidity independent ESD protection. ESD is most commonly felt by humans by way of a spark (or jolt), a spark most often felt in the winter time when reaching for a doorknob. In order for humans to feel the electrical discharge it has to be at least 7,000 volts, much less than St. Elmo’s fire, but much more than it takes to damage sensitive electronics or electrical equipment.
Our ESD materials safely dissipate the electrostatic charge that may have built up due to the component moving around inside of packaging or built up from the worker unpacking the product walking to his or her workstation. Static electricity even in small doses, imperceptible to the touch, and even without being set up by possibly disastrous scenarios can have dire effects on your business. Many computer chips or motherboards cost thousands of dollars each and the right packaging can save sensitive materials from being damaged and doing so with our clean and proven Intercept Technology. Static Intercept® has been approved for Space Flight – meaning that it meets the most stringent cleanliness and contamination standards, as well as providing that all-important permanent ESD protection.
Come back and learn more about how corrosion and ESD impacts our daily lives.
