I read in sci.electronics.design that Cecil Moore
EDOT.org wrote (in ) about 'CB Radios,
Cellphones and Gasoline Vapor Ignition', on Tue, 23 Mar 2004:
John Michael Williams wrote:
I share this skepticism. Burning TNT probably would produce 10x more
free energy than detonating it.

When you detonate it, what happens to the 90% lost energy?
Fails to actually detonate?

Sort of. Bill S more or less explained it further up the thread. When it
detonates, it all happens so quickly that only it's on-board oxygen (in
the nitrate groups) is available. So the oxidation is imperfect, and not
all the available energy is released. You get free carbon, carbon
monoxide, oxidized organic residues and nitrogen. When it burns, using
atmospheric oxygen as well, you get carbon dioxide, water and nitrogen -
all the available energy is released.
--
Regards, John Woodgate, OOO - Own Opinions Only.
The good news is that nothing is compulsory.
The bad news is that everything is prohibited.
http://www.jmwa.demon.co.uk Also see http://www.isce.org.uk