Fighting Fire with Sound. Rock on?

[thebes]

A couple of engineering students have become instant sensations by using basically a low frequency tube sub to put out alcohol fires. 

 

Here's the gist of what they have done:

 

"A pair of engineering students at George Mason University in Virginia managed to create a fire extinguisher that operates using sound waves.

This started as an idea for a senior research project, and after a year’s worth of tinkering (and spending $600 of their own money), Seth Robertson and Viet Tran created something fully functional, the Washington Post reports. As you’ll see in the clip above, the portable device puts out a blaze in mere seconds.

Sound waves are also “pressure waves, and they displace some of the oxygen,” Tran told the Washington Post, explaining how the apparatus works. At the right frequency, the sound waves “separate the oxygen [in the fire] from the fuel,” he said. “The pressure wave is going back and forth, and that agitates where the air is. That specific space is enough to keep the fire from reigniting.”

After quite a bit of trial and error, Tran and Robertson found the frequency that worked. Before applying for a patent, though, the engineers plan to do a lot more testing. Stay tuned for the day when you’ll be able to use this in your kitchen."

 

As with all of these things. further testing, development, and experimentation is needed. I'm also suspicious that so far they've only put out alcohol fires.  Teetotalers maybe?

 

I think we should help things along by determine not what the best frequency is, but what's the best music to use.  Given the low frequencies required I'm thinking Minnie Driver is out.  Maybe Foghat?  Me I've always thought that  "In  da god davita" had an indefinable something else going for it.

 

Of course I did flame out with a date once while playing Barry White.  (what was wrong with that woman!)

 

Now I know this is counter-intuitive to most of us Klipschers, having big  speakers designed more to initiate a five-alarm fire than put it out.  But what say ye?  Any suggestions?

Edited March 27, 2015 by thebes

[ryanm84]

Alcohol fire? Like spilling a flaming shot?

Don't want to thread crap with any stories of flaming shots.

I guess the pressure wave makes sense...

[mxr dad]

Some Brittney Spears would make the fire want to extinguish itself !   

[oscarsear]

http://www.chonday.com/Videos/sounfriewav3

[oscarsear]

It really looks as though they need to get quite close to the flame with this rig.  It is the sound wave putting out the fire which is not much different than using explosives to puff out oil rig fires.  Hard to conceive of a practical application beyond something over your stove top in an an engine compartment.

[mustang guy]

They are not the inventors. I found some info regarding Darpa tests in 2012 with explanations.

 

http://www.wired.com/2012/07/wall-of-sound-fire/

[BigStewMan]

Cops just came to my door because the music was too loud.  

i said “Do you see a fire?"  

They said “no."

I said "Your Welcome."

[swapface]

Yeah, that's pretty cool.