Metallic Mesh Wick for Stable Large Flame and Low Soot
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wicks in flame devices are consumable, prone to incomplete combustion, and require frequent adjustment due to high temperature, leading to soot production and inefficient fuel evaporation, especially when trying to maintain a larger flame scale.
Innovation Solution
A wick made from a metallic mesh material with a semi-open chamber design that increases surface area exposure to flame and air, slowing down hot combustion product convection and enhancing capillary action, thereby promoting complete combustion and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a thick wick is used to increase flame scale, then more pores are available for fuel evaporation, but fuel evaporation efficiency decreases and soot production increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wick is segmented into multiple layers with different pore densities. The lower layer has higher pore density for efficient fuel uptake, while the upper layer has lower pore density for controlled fuel release and complete combustion. This segmentation allows the wick to maintain both large flame scale and high fuel evaporation efficiency simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the wick are given different properties: the lower portion uses material with higher porosity for rapid fuel absorption, while the upper portion uses material with optimized pore structure for controlled evaporation and complete combustion. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between fuel supply rate and evaporation efficiency.
2Quantity of substance
If a thick wick is used to maintain larger flame scale, then more fuel can be supplied, but incomplete combustion increases and soot particles are produced
Solution Approach 1:
The upper layer of the wick uses material with optimized pore size and density that promotes complete combustion by ensuring sufficient oxygen access to fuel vapor. This local quality adjustment in the combustion zone eliminates incomplete combustion and soot production while maintaining large flame scale.
Solution Approach 2:
The pore size and density parameters are optimized in the upper wick layer to promote complete combustion. The controlled pore structure regulates fuel release rate to match oxygen supply, ensuring complete combustion even at large flame scales and preventing soot formation.
3Productivity
If a thin ribbon wick is used, then capillary flow is weaker and flame scale is smaller, but fuel evaporation efficiency is higher
Solution Approach 1:
The wick is segmented into multiple layers with progressively optimized pore structures. The lower layer compensates for the thin wick's limited capillary flow by using higher pore density for adequate fuel uptake, while the upper layer optimizes for complete combustion. This segmentation allows the thin wick to achieve both sufficient flame scale and high evaporation efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The wick uses composite material structure with different pore characteristics in different layers. The combination of high-porosity lower layer material and optimized-pore upper layer material creates a composite system that overcomes the limitations of thin wick design, achieving both adequate fuel supply and complete combustion.
4Ease of manufacture
If conventional consumable wick material is used, then initial combustion is easy, but frequent adjustment and trimming are required to maintain stable flame
Solution Approach 1:
The lower layer of the wick uses consumable material that is easily ignited and provides initial combustion, but is designed to be replaced rather than trimmed. This disposable lower layer simplifies maintenance by eliminating the need for frequent trimming operations while maintaining stable flame.
Solution Approach 2:
The upper layer uses non-consumable or slow-consuming material that maintains stable combustion without requiring frequent adjustment. This local quality differentiation between consumable lower layer and stable upper layer resolves the contradiction between easy ignition and low maintenance frequency.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The metallic mesh wick achieves efficient fuel evaporation, reduces soot production, and maintains a stable flame without frequent adjustments, even at larger scales, by optimizing pore density and surface area exposure.
Implementation Method 1
liquid fuel or melted wax is drawn up through the wick to reach the flame by capillary action
Implementation Method 2
After ignition, fuel vaporizes and combusts on tip of the wick
Implementation Method 3
fuel inside the pores away from the wick surface is also heated
Implementation Method 4
heat generated by the flame also creates convection to carry the hot combustion products away from the fuel source
Implementation Method 5
The wick uses the heat of the flame itself to vaporize its fuel and diffuses the oxidizer (oxygen) into the flame from the surrounding air
Data Source
AI summary
A wick configured from a single metallic meshed wick material continuously includes a spiral section with a shape including at least one loop, and a folded section with a shape including a fold. A first length extends away from the spiral section to the fold and along a first imaginary plane, and a second length extends from the fold to the spiral section and along a second imaginary plane. A wrapped section has a shape including at least one contour conforming shapes of the spiral and folded sections.