A blue flame vortex generator with stable and adjustable fuel level

Abstract

The application discloses a blue fire whirlwind generating device with stable and adjustable fuel liquid surface, which comprises a flame generating platform and a fuel supply system. The flame generating platform is composed of a base, a supporting leg, a metal flat plate and a semi-cylindrical glass plate. A recess is arranged on the upper surface of the metal flat plate, and a burner module is embedded in the recess. A reverse conical recess is arranged on the upper surface of the burner module, which can significantly improve the stability of the fuel liquid surface and keep the liquid surface diameter constant. The fuel supply system comprises a mass balance, an oil storage tank, a lifting platform, an oil conveying pipe and a valve. The oil storage tank is placed on the lifting platform, and the two ends of the oil conveying pipe are connected with the oil storage tank and a fuel inlet located at the bottom of the metal flat plate respectively. The height of the lifting platform can be adjusted to control the size of the fuel liquid surface diameter. The application solves the technical problems of unstable and uncontrollable fuel surface of the current blue fire whirlwind experimental device, brings great convenience to the experimental research of the blue fire whirlwind, and has the popularization and application value.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of fire safety technology and relates to a blue fire cyclone generator, particularly a blue fire cyclone generator with stable and adjustable fuel level, which can be used to quantitatively study the fuel scale effect of blue fire cyclones. Background Technology

[0002] Fire whirls are a common and unique fire behavior in large-scale forest fires. They are typically the result of strong coupling between a spreading flame and a special swirling current influenced by the surrounding terrain. Compared to traditional spreading flames (such as conventional oil pool fires), fire whirls have higher flame temperatures, larger flame sizes, and stronger radiation, thus exhibiting greater hazard and destructive power. Fire whirls pose a significant threat to the safety of people and property, especially firefighters. Laboratory simulations of fire whirls have shown that when the boundary layer remains almost horizontal, increasing the swirling intensity in the combustion zone gradually reduces the flame size, with a blue flame appearing at the base. When the swirling number reaches a certain critical value, the central yellow flame disappears, and the flame takes on a blue, inverted cone shape. This flame is commonly referred to as a blue fire whirl. Blue fire whirls are considered a special form of fire whirl, and their formation is closely related to vortex breaking. Compared to traditional fire whirls, blue fire whirls have smaller flame sizes, weaker radiation, and are relatively controllable, producing almost no soot during combustion. Therefore, if fire whirls in forest fires can be transformed into blue fire whirls, the threat of the fire will be significantly reduced, which is of great significance for emergency response to forest fires.

[0003] However, since the formation of blue fire cyclones requires relatively flat boundary conditions, common fire cyclone simulation experimental devices cannot be directly used to generate them. Although some experimental devices capable of generating stable blue fire cyclones have been reported in the literature, these devices typically use a still water surface or a horizontal metal surface as the boundary condition. While both of these boundaries can generate stable blue fire cyclones, they cannot fix the fuel surface, causing the fuel surface to constantly change and oscillate during combustion, making it impossible to conduct experimental studies on the fuel-scale effects of blue fire cyclones.

[0004] This invention provides a blue fire cyclone generator with stable and adjustable fuel surface. This device significantly improves the stability of the fuel surface, maintaining a constant surface diameter, and allows for free adjustment of the fuel surface diameter, thereby enabling quantitative experimental research on the scale effect of the blue fire cyclone. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention overcomes the shortcomings of existing technologies and provides a blue fire cyclone generator with stable and adjustable fuel level. This device can stabilize the fuel level, keeping the liquid surface diameter constant, and can be used to conduct quantitative experiments on the scale effect of blue fire cyclones.

[0006] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows: a blue fire cyclone generator with stable and adjustable fuel liquid level, comprising: a flame generation platform and a fuel supply system.

[0007] The flame generation platform includes a base, legs, a metal plate, and a semi-cylindrical glass plate. The upper surface of the metal plate has two coaxial grooves of different depths and diameters at its center: a shallow groove with a large diameter and a deep groove with a small diameter. A burner module is embedded in the shallow groove with a thickness matching the depth of the groove. The intermediate area between the deep groove with a small diameter and the lower surface of the burner module forms a fuel transition zone. A through hole is located at the center of the bottom surface of this zone, with a metal mesh covering the upper end of the hole and a fuel inlet at the lower end. Hollow glass beads are laid within the combustion transition zone. The metal plate is fixed to the base by the legs. The semi-cylindrical glass plate consists of two semi-cylinders horizontally staggered on the metal plate, forming two vertical slits. The central axes of the two semi-cylinders are on the same vertical plane as the central axis of the metal plate.

[0008] The fuel supply system includes a mass balance, a lifting platform, an oil storage tank, an oil pipeline, and valves. The lifting platform is mounted on the mass balance, and the oil storage tank is placed on the lifting platform. The two ends of the oil pipeline are connected to the oil storage tank and a fuel inlet located at the bottom of a metal plate, respectively. The valves are installed on the oil pipeline.

[0009] The burner module and the metal plate are made of high-temperature resistant metal material.

[0010] The burner module has an inverted conical groove on its upper part with its upper surface as the bottom surface, and a through hole at the top of the cone.

[0011] The semi-cylindrical glass plate is made of polymethyl methacrylate.

[0012] The operation method of the device includes the following steps:

[0013] Step 1: Embed the burner module into the large-diameter shallow groove, close the valve, lower the lifting platform to the lowest height and inject fuel into the oil storage tank, then open the valve to allow the fuel to enter the fuel transition zone, but not to reach the upper surface of the burner module;

[0014] Step 2: Adjust the slit width of the semi-cylindrical glass plate, slowly raise the height of the lifting platform, and at the same time observe the liquid level on the upper surface of the burner module. Stop raising when the fuel reaches the upper surface of the burner module.

[0015] Step 3: Ignite the fuel on the upper surface of the burner module with an igniter to form a blue flame vortex. During the stable phase of the blue flame vortex, control the diameter of the fuel surface by slowly adjusting the height of the lifting platform.

[0016] The advantages of this invention compared to the prior art are:

[0017] (1) It can stabilize the fuel liquid level. The burner module with an inverted conical groove on the flame generation platform can lock the liquid fuel in the center of the burner module, so that the fuel liquid level hardly oscillates under strong swirling conditions and the liquid surface diameter remains constant;

[0018] (2) It has the function of adjusting the fuel surface diameter. The oil storage tank is connected to the fuel inlet located at the bottom of the metal plate through the oil pipeline, and the fuel surface diameter is controlled by adjusting the height of the lifting platform and utilizing the communicating vessel effect. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a blue fire cyclone generator with stable and adjustable fuel liquid level according to the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the flame generation platform of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the metal plate of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the burner module of the present invention.

[0023] In the diagram: 1-base, 2-support leg, 3-metal plate, 4-semi-cylindrical glass plate, 5-mass balance, 6-lifting platform, 7-oil storage tank, 8-oil pipeline, 9-valve, 10-burner module, 11-fuel transition zone, 12-metal wire mesh, 13-hollow glass bead, 14-fuel inlet, 15-large diameter shallow groove, 16-small diameter deep groove, 17-bottom angle of inverted conical groove, 18-diameter of the central through hole of the burner module. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments:

[0025] Reference Appendix Figure 1 A blue fire cyclone generator with stable and adjustable fuel level mainly includes a flame generation platform and a fuel supply system.

[0026] Reference Appendix Figure 2 and 3The flame generation platform includes a base 1, legs 2, a metal plate 3, and a semi-cylindrical glass plate 4. The upper surface of the metal plate 3 has two coaxial grooves of different depths and diameters at its center: a large-diameter shallow groove 15 and a small-diameter deep groove 16. A burner module 10 is embedded in the large-diameter shallow groove 15, and the thickness of the burner module 10 is the same as the depth of the large-diameter shallow groove 15. The intermediate area between the small-diameter deep groove 16 and the lower surface of the burner module 10 constitutes a fuel transition zone 11. A through hole is located at the center of the bottom surface of this zone, with a metal mesh 12 covering the upper end of the through hole and a fuel inlet 14 at the lower end. Hollow glass beads 13 are laid within the combustion transition zone 11 to suppress strong convection caused by temperature gradients. The metal plate 3 is fixed to the base 1 by the legs 2. The semi-cylindrical glass plate 4 is made of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) material and consists of two symmetrical semi-cylindrical sections, both open at the top and bottom. The two semi-cylinders are horizontally staggered and placed on the metal plate 3, forming two vertical slits to guide air tangentially into the combustion zone to create a swirling flow. The central axes of the two semi-cylinders and the central axis of the metal plate 3 are in the same vertical plane.

[0027] Reference Appendix Figure 1 The fuel supply system includes a mass balance 5, a lifting platform 6, an oil storage tank 7, an oil delivery pipe 8, and a valve 9. The lifting platform 6 is mounted on the mass balance 5, and the oil storage tank 7 is placed on the lifting platform 6. The two ends of the oil delivery pipe 8 are connected to the oil storage tank 7 and the fuel inlet 14 located at the bottom of the metal plate 3, respectively. The valve 9 is installed on the oil delivery pipe 8. Utilizing the communicating vessel effect, the diameter of the fuel liquid level on the upper surface of the burner module 10 can be controlled by adjusting the height of the lifting platform 6, thereby achieving changes in the combustion scale.

[0028] Reference Appendix Figure 3 and 4 The burner module 10 and the metal plate 3 are made of high-temperature resistant metal. The upper part of the burner module 10 has an inverted conical groove with its upper surface as the bottom surface, ensuring that the fuel level remains stable at the center of the module under gravity, without swaying with the airflow. The apex of the inverted conical groove has a through hole, allowing fuel to be delivered to the upper surface of the module through the through hole. Furthermore, the burner module 10 can be flexibly removed from the metal plate 3, and replaced with a module having a suitable inverted conical groove bottom angle 17, surface roughness, and burner module center through hole diameter 18, depending on the experimental scenario.

[0029] The operation method of the device includes the following steps:

[0030] Step 1: Embed the burner module 10 into the large-diameter shallow groove 15 in the center of the upper surface of the metal plate 3, close the valve 9, lower the lifting platform 6 to the lowest height and inject fuel into the oil storage tank 7, then open the valve 9 to allow the fuel to enter the fuel transition zone 11, but not reach the upper surface of the burner module 10.

[0031] Step 2: Adjust the slit width of the semi-cylindrical glass plate 4, slowly raise the height of the lifting platform 6, and at the same time observe the liquid level on the upper surface of the burner module 10. Stop raising when the fuel reaches the upper surface of the burner module 10.

[0032] Step 3: The fuel on the upper surface of the burner module 10 is ignited by the igniter to form a blue fire vortex. During the stable phase of the blue fire vortex, the diameter of the fuel surface is controlled by adjusting the height of the lifting platform 6.

[0033] The key feature of this device is its ability to achieve stable and adjustable fuel surface diameter for blue fire cyclones. By adjusting the height of the lifting platform and replacing the burner module, the flame morphology and heat release rate of blue fire cyclones under different fuel surface diameters and boundary conditions can be measured. This device solves the experimental technical challenges of unstable and uncontrollable fuel surface in current blue fire cyclone experimental devices, greatly facilitating blue fire cyclone experimental research and possessing significant value for widespread application.

[0034] The parts of this invention not disclosed in detail are well-known technologies in the field.

[0035] Although the illustrative specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above to enable those skilled in the art to understand the invention, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the scope of the specific embodiments. For those skilled in the art, various changes are obvious as long as they are within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined and determined by the appended claims, and all inventions utilizing the concept of the present invention are protected.

Claims

1. A blue fire cyclone generator with stable and adjustable fuel level, characterized in that: This includes a flame generation platform and a fuel supply system; The flame generation platform includes: a base (1), legs (2), a metal plate (3), and a semi-cylindrical glass plate (4); the upper surface of the metal plate (3) is provided with two coaxial grooves of different depths and diameters, namely a large-diameter shallow groove (15) and a small-diameter deep groove (16); the large-diameter shallow groove (15) is embedded with a burner module (10), and the thickness of the burner module (10) is the same as the depth of the large-diameter shallow groove (15); the middle area between the small-diameter deep groove (16) and the lower surface of the burner module (10) constitutes a fuel transition zone. (11) A through hole is provided at the center of the bottom surface of the area. The upper end of the through hole is covered with a metal wire mesh (12), and the lower end of the through hole is a fuel inlet (14). Hollow glass beads (13) are laid in the fuel transition area (11). The metal plate (3) is fixed on the base (1) by the support leg (2). The semi-cylindrical glass plate (4) is composed of two semi-cylinders. The two semi-cylinders are horizontally staggered and placed on the metal plate (3) to form two vertical slits. The central axis of the two semi-cylinders is on the same vertical plane as the central axis of the metal plate (3). The fuel supply system includes: a mass balance (5), a lifting platform (6), an oil storage tank (7), an oil delivery pipe (8), and a valve (9); the lifting platform (6) is placed on the mass balance (5), and the oil storage tank (7) is placed on the lifting platform (6); the two ends of the oil delivery pipe (8) are respectively connected to the oil storage tank (7) and the fuel inlet (14) located at the bottom of the metal plate (3); the valve (9) is installed on the oil delivery pipe (8); the upper part of the burner module is provided with an inverted conical groove with its upper surface as the bottom surface, and the top of the cone is provided with a through hole.

2. The blue fire cyclone generator with stable and adjustable fuel level according to claim 1, characterized in that: The burner module (10) and the metal plate (3) are made of high-temperature resistant metal material.

3. The blue fire cyclone generator with stable and adjustable fuel level according to claim 1, characterized in that: The semi-cylindrical glass plate (4) is made of polymethyl methacrylate material.

4. A method for operating the blue fire cyclone generator with stable and adjustable fuel level as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The steps include the following: Step 1: Insert the burner module (10) into the large-diameter shallow groove (15), close the valve (9), lower the lifting platform (6) to the lowest height and inject fuel into the oil storage tank (7), then open the valve (9) to allow the fuel to enter the fuel transition zone (11), but not reach the upper surface of the burner module (10); Step 2: Adjust the slit width of the semi-cylindrical glass plate (4), slowly raise the height of the lifting platform (6), and at the same time observe the liquid level on the upper surface of the burner module (10). Stop raising when the fuel reaches the upper surface of the burner module (10). Step 3: Ignite the fuel on the upper surface of the burner module (10) to form a blue fire cyclone by igniting the igniter. During the stable stage of the blue fire cyclone, control the size of the fuel surface diameter by adjusting the height of the lifting platform (6).

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