[SOLVED] Any chance a LCD/LED display can explode and hurt people?

[rockman413]

Hi there,
By theory and by practical , is there any chance, no matter what extreme circumstances its under, can an LCD/LED/OLED/LGD/etc. Display/TV/cellphone screen/ipad screen Explode and hurt people?
I've heard news of such explosion but it seems to be a fake news later on, although some people say there's high voltage inside which can create the explosion. I've also asked an display repair engineer and he told me there's no chance at all, absolute 0% an LCD/LED display can explode... so I want to listen to tech gurus here at our forum !

 

[jay32267]

I don't see where there is any significant potential energy there that can be easily released...so I agree with the display repair engineer.

 

[rockman413]

I don't see where there is any significant potential energy there that can be easily released...so I agree with the display repair engineer.

I edited my OP. Some people say it's the high voltage part which might cause the explosion?

 

[USAFRet]

I edited my OP. Some people say it's the high voltage part which might cause the explosion?

That's not the screen, but rather the rest of the electronics.

A malfunctioning phone can overheat and melt down in your pocket. The battery, in particular.

 

[rockman413]

That's not the screen, but rather the rest of the electronics.

A malfunctioning phone can overheat and melt down in your pocket. The battery, in particular.

the high voltage is not the screen, but rather the rest of the electronics, but can it explode and push screen glass out and hurt people?

 

[USAFRet]

the high voltage is not the screen, but rather the rest of the electronics, but can it explode and push screen glass out and hurt people?

Exploding anything can "hurt people".

 

[Glenwing]

I suppose anything connected to mains has the potential for a direct short. There are capacitors which could pop. So there are some things that could go "poof", but I wouldn't call it an "explosion".

the high voltage is not the screen, but rather the rest of the electronics, but can it explode and push screen glass out and hurt people?

No

 

[rockman413]

Exploding anything can "hurt people".

I suppose anything connected to mains has the potential for a direct short. There are capacitors which could pop. So there are some things that could go "poof", but I wouldn't call it an "explosion".



No

How big is this inside "poof" might be the key issue here. Glenwing means it's so so little and mild so it won't hurt people. USAFRet's post, although I'm not sure what he means , but I think he means it's possible the "poof" can be big enough to be considered as an "explosion" and possibly shatter the screen and hurt people.

 

[USAFRet]

A capacitor popping will not hurt anyone.

A lightning strike nearby, that eventually travels to the device power supply, could, in theory "explode".
In this explosion, plastic bits, including the screen, could turn into shrapnel.

But this has nothing to do with the initial premise of the question..."Any chance a LCD/LED display can explode and hurt people"

The screen itself is not going to "explode".

 

[jay32267]

I edited my OP. Some people say it's the high voltage part which might cause the explosion?

My post was more geared toward the display itself.

When you add in the line voltage...there is a little more potential for destruction.

I think probably the worst that could happen would a short from hot to neutral or ground.

In this case you would get an arc flash...but it would be very limited due to the breaker and the fact that the voltage would be residential voltage (which is low compared to industrial or transmission voltages).

So it would probably be a loud pop and it would probably blow the breaker.

As far as there being enough energy in the pop to injure you.....I doubt it.

I experienced this scenario quite a few times and have yet been injured by this.

The arc flash may have enough energy to blow some small components around or something similar....but that's about it.

I suppose in an extreme case....with everything just right....it could also start a fire...but that's not typical.

 

[Glenwing]

My post was more geared toward the display itself.

When you add in the line voltage...there is a little more potential for destruction.

I think probably the worst that could happen would a short from hot to neutral or ground.

In this case you would get an arc flash...but it would be very limited due to the breaker and the fact that the voltage would be residential voltage (which is low compared to industrial or transmission voltages).

So it would probably be a loud pop and it would probably blow the breaker.

As far as there being enough energy in the pop to injure you.....I doubt it.

I experienced this scenario quite a few times and have yet been injured by this.

The arc flash may have enough energy to blow some small components around or something similar....but that's about it.

I suppose in an extreme case....with everything just right....it could also start a fire...but that's not typical.

Pretty much this. The monitor's internal power supply should be fused as well. I don't see any potential for real danger unless every layer of upstream protection, including the building circuit breakers, were not functioning. And in that case, practically anything could be a potential fireball.

 

[rockman413]

Thanks Jay and Glenwing, you guys made your point very clear except:
"The arc flash may have enough energy to blow some small components around or something similar....but that's about it."
Jay: do you think this small components can be blowed out of the display and hurt people? I think the small component maybe will just be contained inside the box of the display, do you agree?

 

[rockman413]

A capacitor popping will not hurt anyone.

A lightning strike nearby, that eventually travels to the device power supply, could, in theory "explode".
In this explosion, plastic bits, including the screen, could turn into shrapnel.

But this has nothing to do with the initial premise of the question..."Any chance a LCD/LED display can explode and hurt people"

The screen itself is not going to "explode".

If there's a thunder and lightning then that's another case.
Back to the OP, do you think that no matter what, the display it self will not have any chance of explode? I know you said "The screen itself is not going to explode" but want to confirm, as screen is just a part of the display.

 

[Gam3r01]

Anything strong enough to cause an explosion (IE close lightning strike) would cause anything to explode.
Ever see lightning hit a tree? Same concept for a monitor. Its not the hardware exploding, but rather an outside force exploding the hardware.

Screens/displays/etc are not going to explode

 

[Glenwing]

Thanks Jay and Glenwing, you guys made your point very clear except:
"The arc flash may have enough energy to blow some small components around or something similar....but that's about it."
Jay: do you think this small components can be blowed out of the display and hurt people? I think the small component maybe will just be contained inside the box of the display, do you agree?

Yes, it would never make it outside the display casing.

 

[jay32267]

Thanks Jay and Glenwing, you guys made your point very clear except:
"The arc flash may have enough energy to blow some small components around or something similar....but that's about it."
Jay: do you think this small components can be blowed out of the display and hurt people? I think the small component maybe will just be contained inside the box of the display, do you agree?

I experienced shorts and thus arcs from 120 VAC quite a bit.
It generally sounds like a pop....like a firecracker and probably has about the energy of a firecracker.
I would think it would be rare to be injured by it.

Like...if you had a short on a board near some components like resistors etc....it might blow them off the board.

 

[rockman413]

Thanks everyone so far for discussing this. Very helpful and mind-easing for many people... at least me!

I'm also thinking about the theory side: in order to explode, it needs oxygen, lighting and a burning gas. Can anyone think of any gas which may chemical reaction with oxygen to produce the explode inside the display? I think high-voltage can produce the lighting and oxygen is everywhere.

 

[jay32267]

I think an arc flash is more thermal than chemical...so maybe technically it wouldn't be an explosion.

The source of the boom in an arc flash is the expanding gas from all the sudden heat I believe.

I think there may be some ozone generated as well...but those chemical reactions are the result of the arc flash and not the cause of the arc flash.

An arc flash doesn't result from a chemical reaction.

 

[rockman413]

So in one word, the display no matter how bad the shape is, will not explode and push the screen into shatters and hurt people.
I guess this is the end of the post, unless someone gives us new clues.