OT: Clever fire extinguisher

[JKS]

Pretty nifty device. Good luck to these young guys! This would be perfect for home use as it's WAY less messy.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/...506_story.html

[Pete Schumacher]

Re: OT: Clever fire extinguisher

Pretty nifty device. Good luck to these young guys! This would be perfect for home use as it's WAY less messy.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/...506_story.html

Nifty for putting out a fire in a pan. Not sure it would replace CO2 or even powder for a larger area in flames.

[Paul K.]

Re: OT: Clever fire extinguisher

I saw this on the news this morning. Maybe I'm just missing something, but it appears to me that all that's happening is the cone movement creates air movement and simply blows out the flame. Other than the air from the cone moving back and forth, why would this be much more different than simply fanning the flames?
Paul

[Face]

Re: OT: Clever fire extinguisher

I'd prefer old fashioned extinguishers due to no electricity needed, but still that appears pretty cool if it's more than the cone fanning the flames.

[JKS]

Re: OT: Clever fire extinguisher

I was hoping someone could explain how it differs than fanning the flames. The explanation of displacing the oxygen molecules makes sense, but I need an Alton Brown or Mr. Wizard to explain it to me in an infotaining way. This would be great for kitchen use imo.

[Pete Schumacher]

Re: OT: Clever fire extinguisher

I was hoping someone could explain how it differs than fanning the flames. The explanation of displacing the oxygen molecules makes sense, but I need an Alton Brown or Mr. Wizard to explain it to me in an infotaining way. This would be great for kitchen use imo.

Fanning the flames simply blows air across the fire. The sound creates areas of greatly differing air pressure with the molecules basically moving back and forth at the speed of sound. That may be too much for the combustion to hold up. They use similar technique with explosions to extinguish flames at burning oil wells.

This device could easily be mounted into the hoods over stoves so that when a fire does pop up, on kicks the woofers over each burner and out goes the flame without drenching the area in chemicals.

[Paul Carmody]

Re: OT: Clever fire extinguisher

A problem I saw (that the article pointed out near the end) is that this solution isn't doing anything to cool the fuel. So if the fuel is still hot, there's a strong chance it will reignite.

Regardless, it's some great out-of-the-box thinking, and is a cause that could help mankind. So I applaud them.

[Face]

Re: OT: Clever fire extinguisher

So what kind of cone material would be superior? Definitely not paper. :D

[Tin_Ears]

Re: OT: Clever fire extinguisher

I wonder how much that thing weighs, especially at the 'wand' end where the woofer and cone are attached. Then there's the battery and electronics in the other hand.

[Face]

Re: OT: Clever fire extinguisher

Neo magnet woofer and Li-Ion batteries could help in the weight department, but there goes the price.

[Wolf]

Re: OT: Clever fire extinguisher

Neo magnet woofer and Li-Ion batteries could help in the weight department, but there goes the price.

Neo loses the charge in high heat areas.
Later,
Wolf

[Face]

Re: OT: Clever fire extinguisher

Neo loses the charge in high heat areas.
Later,
Wolf

I believe Li-Ion does as well.

[Pete Schumacher]

Re: OT: Clever fire extinguisher

I believe Li-Ion does as well.

It's not like the thing is stored in a fire. The magnets and batteries would be just fine even when stored at high ambient temps experienced in a kitchen. Neo motors will get warm when driven by the amp. If neo magnets were that sensitive, they wouldn't be putting them in motors that get quite hot under use.


https://www.kjmagnetics.com/neomaginfo.asp

[joeybutts]

Re: OT: Clever fire extinguisher

Cooling is the main element of fire suppression at the current moment. The displacement of oxygen get's the flames down but heat is a stronger element in the fire tetrahedron after something has already ignited.

This is really neat to see my two passions come together though. Hopefully these two guys keep at it. The one is from nearly a stones throw away, Newport News.

[joeybutts]

Re: OT: Clever fire extinguisher

The thermal layering in a building that has experienced flashover will range in temps from 200*-2000* depending on the contents. At that point no one is alive. The magnets of anything will be absolutely fine if you are capable to grab your speak'-inguish'-er and manage the source.