Forums > Technical Discussion > Propane/Butane powered spinning devices
Login/Join to Participatestarring Skippy the green llama
1,148 posts
Location: Seattle, WA
1,148 posts
Location: Seattle, WA
Posted:
It could be another one of those fire urban legends, but I heard about a fire flag used by some high school band that actually has fire flags(the pole kind), with no wicks! They were supposedly powered by propane or butane, and had air vents in them so that as you spun, it created a 2-3 foot 'flag' of flame. I'm sure these are ridiculously expensive, if they're even in the market. Has _anyone_ heard of these, possibly have any information on these????
It could be another one of those fire urban legends, but I heard about a fire flag used by some high school band that actually has fire flags(the pole kind), with no wicks! They were supposedly powered by propane or butane, and had air vents in them so that as you spun, it created a 2-3 foot 'flag' of flame. I'm sure these are ridiculously expensive, if they're even in the market. Has _anyone_ heard of these, possibly have any information on these????
First intention, then enlightenment..
Ars Pyronomica
" Life is programmed. Whether death is programmed or not is yet to be determined."
SILVER Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,899 posts
Location: Austin, Texas, USA
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,899 posts
Location: Austin, Texas, USA
Posted:
hmmm....
< vanize starts some preliminary scetches.... >
Ok, how would the fuel source work? I could see storing some in the pole itself, but that would run out really quickly if you were producing that sized flame, even if it were stored at very high pressure. I suppose you could support a minutes or so though.
at the second Lalapalusa concert, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers came onstage for their encore wearing metal chinaman hats that turned out to actually be gian bunson burners that made flames about 10 feet high from the tops of their heads (looked really cool as they shook their heads to and fro to the beat as they were playing). I think all that propane was stored in the hat, as they weren't wearing much besides shorts and there was no obvious canister. It lasted about one or tow minutes.
so maybe you you could get a reasonable amount of spinning in just by pressurizing the pole.
next thing, how to work out the on/off switch in such a way that it is reliable, durable, easy to access, and not prone to accidental switching on or off.
hmmm....
< vanize starts some preliminary scetches.... >
Ok, how would the fuel source work? I could see storing some in the pole itself, but that would run out really quickly if you were producing that sized flame, even if it were stored at very high pressure. I suppose you could support a minutes or so though.
at the second Lalapalusa concert, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers came onstage for their encore wearing metal chinaman hats that turned out to actually be gian bunson burners that made flames about 10 feet high from the tops of their heads (looked really cool as they shook their heads to and fro to the beat as they were playing). I think all that propane was stored in the hat, as they weren't wearing much besides shorts and there was no obvious canister. It lasted about one or tow minutes.
so maybe you you could get a reasonable amount of spinning in just by pressurizing the pole.
next thing, how to work out the on/off switch in such a way that it is reliable, durable, easy to access, and not prone to accidental switching on or off.
-v-
Wiederstand ist Zwecklos!
starring Skippy the green llama
1,148 posts
Location: Seattle, WA
1,148 posts
Location: Seattle, WA
Posted:
good point, if we're talking about the possibilities of one tho, suppose that most of the flame was created by the movement?
ie no propellant, except that created by the movement of spinning(oxidation using the air flowing through the fuel stream). Know propellant is the wrong term as a gas under pressure is in a sense it's own propellant, given an outlet. Is there some type of fuel different from the above mentioned that might make this possible? powdered fuels mebbe?
good point, if we're talking about the possibilities of one tho, suppose that most of the flame was created by the movement?
ie no propellant, except that created by the movement of spinning(oxidation using the air flowing through the fuel stream). Know propellant is the wrong term as a gas under pressure is in a sense it's own propellant, given an outlet. Is there some type of fuel different from the above mentioned that might make this possible? powdered fuels mebbe?
First intention, then enlightenment..
Ars Pyronomica
" Life is programmed. Whether death is programmed or not is yet to be determined."
SILVER Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,899 posts
Location: Austin, Texas, USA
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,899 posts
Location: Austin, Texas, USA
Posted:
anything that burns in powdered form is generally quite hot and notoriously hard to estinguish (eg, phosphorous, magnesium, gunpowder) until it burns itself out, so I'd avoid that train of thought, especially since it tends to explode when confined.
plus even if you could control it, you are going to have problems with gravity making all your powder fall to the ground instead of lingering in the air like a gaseous fuel would.
of course using a liquid fuel would be redundant, since that is what we all do anyway with our wicks.
I think gaseous fuels are the way to go here for this idea. but to get a lingering flame to give a flag effect, you are going to have to be burning a fair amount of any kind of fuel you use.
anything that burns in powdered form is generally quite hot and notoriously hard to estinguish (eg, phosphorous, magnesium, gunpowder) until it burns itself out, so I'd avoid that train of thought, especially since it tends to explode when confined.
plus even if you could control it, you are going to have problems with gravity making all your powder fall to the ground instead of lingering in the air like a gaseous fuel would.
of course using a liquid fuel would be redundant, since that is what we all do anyway with our wicks.
I think gaseous fuels are the way to go here for this idea. but to get a lingering flame to give a flag effect, you are going to have to be burning a fair amount of any kind of fuel you use.
-v-
Wiederstand ist Zwecklos!
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