My
fellow readers, turns out you can extinguish a fire using sound.
And
here was I thinking that Sound could only transfer Power wireless to recharge
laptops and smartphones as explained in my blog article
entitled “Meredith
Perry's Ubeam Ultrasonic Power Transfer and the Venture Capitalists - Ubeam's
Wireless Charging Future is a Good Vibration with a Magnetic Personality”.
Computer
engineering major Viet Tran and electrical engineering major Seth Robertson of
George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia have developed a way to put out
fires using sound as stated in the article “Engineering
students extinguish fire with sound”, published March 26, 2015 5:27 PM PDT
by Michelle Starr, CNET News.
However,
Viet Tran and Seth Robertson Sound based fire extinguisher, is a huge
improvement; they've developed a way to make their portable and handheld utilizing the research done by DARPA (Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency) and other before them.
So
how does sound extinguish a fire?
Extinguishing fire with
sound – DARPA Research the basis of Portable Sound Fire Extinguisher
Theirs
is not the first to demonstrate that capability of putting out fires using
sound, as DARPA had previously demonstrated
that this was possible as shown below.
DARPA research was based on the initial
research work of Dmitriy Plaks and several of his fellow students at the
University of West Georgia in 2004 as detailed in the article “When
Fire Strikes, Stop, Drop and... Sing?”, published January 24, 2008 by
Alison Snyder, Scientific American.
Like
the researchers at the University of West Georgia, they hoped to use this
technology in space to out fires as using water is not an option.
Onboard
the ISS (International Space Station) water is so precious; every drop of
moisture onboard the ISS is recycled and is the basis of the technology behind
the Orbital Shower System as explained in my MICO Wars Blog article
entitled “Orbital
Systems Shower of the Future is a Water Recycler for your Favourite Martian”.
Hence
you can see why I’m pretty excited about this story.
Portable Sound Fire
Extinguisher - How Viet Tran and Seth Robertson Sound based fire extinguisher
probably works
To
be honest, I’m not quite sure that even the explanation that I’m about to give
even makes sense.
Their
prototype for the Portable Sound Fire Extinguisher consists of a sound frequency generator, a small amplifier
and a collimator to focus the sound waves in specific direction as shown in the
video above. Basically a portable Subwoofer that looks like a prop from
Ghostbusters!
From
cursory reading, the concept seems to be based on choosing a particular frequency,
around 30 to 60 Hz that causes oxygen (O2(g)) molecules in the fire
to get displaced. Music is obviously unsuitable; the music is a mixture of
mostly high and low bass notes, with 30 to 60 Hz being more associated with a
Subwoofer.
Through
their experimentation, they also discovered that higher frequencies caused the
flames to vibrate, which I'd expect, as the Carbon Dioxide (CO2(g))
gas, Water Vapour (H2O(g)) that vapourizeds and unburnt
hydrocarbons would have enough mass to be influenced by these high frequencies.
That
might have future applications as it relates to manipulating fire and might
just be they way that Pyro, a character in X-Men Series of Comics, is able to
control fire.
In
fact, there is copious evidence online of the use of high frequency sounds, particularly
Ultrasonic frequencies to lift and move minute objects as explained in the
DNEWS video below.
It’s
possible therefore that at 30 to 60 Hz, the energy in the pressure waves that
make up sound prevent oxygen (O2(g)) molecules from forming molecular bonds and may be equivalent
to the energy needed for oxygen (O2(g)) molecules to react with atoms in a macro-molecular
structure such as wood or a liquid Hydrocarbon.
This
as in order for oxygen to create flames of a fire during combustion, the bond
energy between the covalently bonded molecules or atoms of any macromolecular structure
that may be Polar or Van Der Waals Force based, have to be overcome. Once that
is overcome, the oxygen can react with individual atoms of molecules.
Possibly
what happens here is that at 30 to 60 Hz, the vibration energy is enough to
prevent the exchange of electron on a subatomic level from happening, thereby creating
a situation where oxygen can be present but cannot react, as the energy needed
to lose the electron is already being supplied by the low frequency sound, thus
preventing the reaction from taking place.
At
least, that's my explanation from a Chemistry point of view being based on
Engineering Experience working in the Telecommunications field and Bauxite
Mining sector at CWJ (2001 to 2004), CLARO Jamaica (2008 to 2009) and then at
JAMALCO (2014) as laid out in my Engineering
Resume and Diploma and Degree
qualifications for anyone to see!
Commercial
possibilities for Portable Sound Fire Extinguisher – Kickstarter is possible and
VC’s may be circling
It
would be interesting and totally no surprise, if these two (2) George Mason
University final year students Viet Tran and Seth Robertson were to follow in
the footsteps of Meredith Perry and start their own company to license their
technology for use on the ISS (International Space Station) or for more down-to-Earth
uses putting out fire in your kitchen!
This
is a story to watch over the next few months, as VC (Venture Capitalist) may
already be circling and they may end up at CES 2016 if they haven't started a
Kickstarter to make this device into commercially viable product.
They
still have a long way to go, such as figuring how much energy is needed for
larger fires as well as how to prevent fire from re-igniting, especially if
they fuelled by hydrocarbon combustibles like plastic or rubber as explained in
the article “When
it comes to putting out fire, GMU students show it’s all about that bass”,
published March 22 2015 by Tom Jackman, The Washington Post.
To
Computer engineering major Viet Tran and electrical engineering major Seth
Robertson of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, congratulation on
your invention, making a POC (Proof of Concept) idea of a Portable Sound Fire
Extinguisher a reality.
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