NationStates Jolt Archive

continued from here: http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=84847&highlight=

The tests on using it as an armor failed horribly as much of the international community had predicted, but we have a new idea.

Liqud Nitrogen Bombs. These bombs would be used for targeting infastructural improvements such as power stations, water treatment, water pumps, and farms. This would be a formiable weapon because the liquid nitrogen would freeze the target and then the target would melt in the sun. This happens in RL, it can be used by gardners to freeze weeds and then the weeds melt in the sun. Even if the LN2 doesnt melt the target, it most certainlly will do heavy damage by freezing the components.


http://www.eas.slu.edu/isotope/l_nitrogen.jpg

OOC:
The main problem with that is the container. It has to keep the temperature of the liquid nitrogen below -195.808 degrees Celsius up until it hits the target.

We are working on that. We are trying to develop a bomb that resembes the type seen in the pic above.

No you see, to keep it cold enough to remain liquid, at least temporarily, it is stored in a Dewar. Dewar is a glass or metal double walled, vacuum-insulated, silver-coated bottle that insulates extremely well. Similar to that above. The real problem is because it weakens too fast in room temperature, that Dewar above is maintained at all times, a bomb falling down isn't.

You'll have to find something else to insulate it, or figure out a way to maintain the Dewar in flight.

Yes, that is what we are doing.

OOC:
Good luck then.

Because the modern world has never done or even thought of it before.

We will be using the dewar containers with rounded solar panels on one side to provide electircity generation.

Kahta: i hate to break it to you, but cooling stuff with liquid nitrogen won't cuase it to melt.

The reason it is used on plants (and for certain topical operations on humans) is that it is rhater effective at killing cells by stopping all the activities (exposure to liquid nitrogen would cause you feel a very nasty bruning sensation (like when you touch a cold bit of metal and get stuck).

Sure could could probably biuld a bomb that would house it but how do you ensure than you get any possible effect area coverage, you can't use explosives to detonate it and just cracking the container (unless the contents are under very high preasures) isn't going to do it.
The nitrogen would likely boil off before it covers any real distance.

We are still trying to figre out ways to use this weapon.

Our current testing invloves using laser or GPS guidance to send the Dewars directly into the most sensitve part of the building, where it will expell liquid nitrogen into an area about 1 foot around. We are still working on this because we feel it could have tremendous potential.

Another possible use of this would be bombing bunkers with the Dewar bombs, then the nitrogen would kill everyone inside, but that would only work if there was poor ventilation.

There was a sucessful test done today, a specially modified Dewar container was dropped on a target water pump. The result was an entire freezing of the pipes leaving the pump. The water flooded the ground around the pumping station as it continued to pump water into the surrounding area. {note this is a fairly large pump} The pump pumped about 10,000 gallons of water per second into the surrounding areas. Here are a few pics:

http://www.quietlywild.com/qwpix/recentpix/flood.jpg

http://dwp1.bigplanet.com/prepared/nss-folder/pictures/flood.jpg

Using a computer model to estimate damage, if the pump had been in a civillan area with 150 people per square mile, in fairly hilly terrain then over 5,000 would be killed as the water would rush down the valley knocking over homes, sweeping away cars, and uprooting trees. The damage would be in the billions of dollars, and no trace of explosives would be found.

We will continue to research this technology.

After more test results, the weapon idea is very cost effective, but not very militarily effective. They work only about 60% of the time, we had hoped for 90%, but will continue to work on the testing of these weapon systems. There is a lot of potential but it is difficult to realize.

I hope you're listening to what these people are saying. Unlike in the movies, liquid nitrogen doesn't behave that way. It would evaporate before it had a chance to do much damage. You'd be better off bombing the target then trying to freeze it.

I know.

The weapon has reached low quanity production status meaning that it is used, but only in special situations. Special forces will be using it in the civil war to damage RWK's infastructure.

http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=88950

The weapon has reached low quanity production status meaning that it is used, but only in special situations. Special forces will be using it in the civil war to damage RWK's infastructure.

http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=88950

Pour LN2 on your hand. It evaporates before it damages you.

I have heard otherwise by using a google search. Well, I may be backing off of this.

Actually, we have an alternate use for it, and we already use it in our Fog Bombs, scroll to very bottom of page (http://www.freewebs.com/bluebomber/storefrontweapons.htm). We wont say what else we do to it or what other systems are involved, but you could probably figure it out yourself with your current research.... Nice flooding BTW!

A liquid nitrogen bomb is impossible. Why? Lets consider some elementary physics.

First, as everyone is well aware, liquid nitrogen needs to be kept at extraordinarily low temperatures. Going above that will cause it to evaporate. This can be expressed as inputting energy into the system. As more energy gets put in, the liquid nitrogen absorbs more energy. When a given molecule absorbs enough energy that it is traveling to fast to maintain coherence with the liquid, it becomes a gas. If enough energy is absorbed that all molecules start moving quickly, it all evaporates. Often, when exposing liquids, this happens over prolonged periods of time because energy input is constant, but not sufficient in one dt to evaporate it all. However, for any volume of liquid, there is some amount of energy which will cause it all to evaporate.

When you drop a bomb, it has energy. Its energy is equal to its height * gravity * mass. This is all potential energy. (Assuming no guidance, no propulsion, just free fall... adding anything else increases the energy). As the bomb falls, it turns that potential energy into kinetic energy. Ie, if you start at height h1, and look at the energy of the bomb at height h2, it would have potential energy mgh2 and kinetic energy mg(h1-h2). When the bomb hits, all of its potential energy will have become kinetic energy, and this will instantly turned into heat energy.

Without boring you with too much details, this means that the kinetic energy of just the liquid from a liquid nitrogen bomb will turn into enough heat energy to cause all of the liquid nitrogen to instantly evaporate, doing no damage (it got too warm to freeze anything when it becomes a gas). Adding the casing, which will likely be heavy, only increases the problem. Thus liquid N2 is not a viable bomb weapon.... i believe the effective delivery height is a few cm.

I'll also note that the human body is warm enough relative to LN2 that you can put a small bit in your mouth and breathe it out quickly without injuring yourself (Do not try this at home). While the temp of the LN2 is low enough to cause serious cold damage, the first layer that touches your skin is instantly boiled into steam, forming a barrier between the rest of the LN2 and the inside of your mouth. Swallowing however, forces the liquid against your throat, and is probably lethal. The same principle applies to walking on coals (sweat on the bottom of your feet), or dipping you hand first in water and then in molten lead (quickly) - also do not try at home. There's a neat article about it that was published in a journal, and then on the web by the author that if i'm bored i may dig up.

Anyway, the whole point of that last paragraph is that, for any endotherm or warm object, merely getting splashed by LN2 will do nothing because of the steam layer that will form and protect you. Thus animals, vehicles that have been running or sitting in the sun, sidewalks, etc... are immune to the casual collision of LN2 with them. Assuming that a device could be made which would be able to deliver LN2 in the first place.