Planar Wick Wax Burning System Resolving Soot and Flame Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional wax burning products are limited in producing larger flames without sooting, are prone to extinguishing in breezes, and fail to completely melt solid wax fuel efficiently across a wide range of ambient temperatures, compromising light output and heat transfer.
Innovation Solution
A wax burning system featuring a hollow-core wick with a unique geometry, a heat conductive wick sheath, and a melting grate with apertures, which together create a larger, stable flame that resists extinguishing and efficiently melts solid wax fuel, delivering heat and volatile ingredients effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If traditional candles use a vertical pillar flame geometry, then the flame structure is simple and stable, but the flame surface area is limited and cannot produce larger flames without sooting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a vertical pillar flame geometry to a planar flame geometry, effectively changing the dimensional orientation of the flame. This planar configuration increases the flame surface area in the horizontal plane, allowing for greater light output and heat generation without the sooting problems associated with simply enlarging vertical candles.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the flame by using a planar wick configuration that spreads the combustion surface horizontally rather than vertically. This parameter change in flame geometry enables larger effective burning surface area while maintaining proper air-fuel mixing to prevent soot formation.
2Temperature
If traditional candles use a small flame to avoid sooting, then soot production is minimized, but the flame cannot generate enough heat to completely melt solid wax fuel
Solution Approach 1:
The planar wick design serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides a large surface area for complete combustion (generating sufficient heat), maintains proper air-fuel mixing (avoiding soot), and efficiently melts the wax fuel through its extended surface contact with the molten wax pool. This multi-functional design resolves the contradiction between heat generation and clean combustion.
3Illumination intensity
If outdoor candles use larger wicks and flames to increase light output, then illumination is improved, but the flames become susceptible to extinguishing in breezes
Solution Approach 1:
The planar wick configuration creates localized combustion zones distributed across the planar surface, rather than a single concentrated flame. This distribution of combustion points throughout the planar geometry provides redundancy, so that if one area is affected by wind, other areas continue to burn, maintaining overall flame stability and light output in breezy conditions.
4Device complexity
If traditional candles rely on ambient temperature conditions, then no additional heating mechanisms are needed, but the candles fail to operate reliably below 70 degrees F. due to insufficient wax melting
Solution Approach 1:
The planar wick geometry fundamentally changes the thermal parameters of the system by providing a much larger surface area for heat transfer from the flame to the wax fuel. This increased surface area compensates for lower ambient temperatures, allowing the flame to effectively melt and sustain combustion of wax fuel even in cooler conditions below 70 degrees F., without adding complex heating mechanisms.
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 system produces a brighter, more stable flame that resists wind extinguishment and melts wax fuel faster, ensuring complete volatilization of active ingredients across varying temperatures without sooting or compromising aesthetics.
Implementation Method 1
The hollow-core wick extends above the melting grate and receives fuel from the melted wax reservoir
Implementation Method 2
the product use heat conductive fins that must be placed within the flame itself to help transfer the heat of the small flame to an area that can melt and maintain the liquid wax
Implementation Method 3
a flame's ability to cast light and generate heat flux into a system relies on the flame's surface area
Implementation Method 4
Flaming entities like candles or torches are limited in their ability to produce a larger flame
Implementation Method 5
deliver a volatile, active ingredient, like fragrance, insect repellent, aroma therapy compound
Data Source
AI summary
A wax burning system is disclosed. The system has a melted wax reservoir, a solid wax, a melting grate, a hollow core wick, and a wick sheath. The solid wax has a priming section. The melting grate is configured to receive the solid wax. The melting grate is located above at least a portion of the melted wax reservoir so that the solid wax melted on the melting grate is received into the melted wax reservoir. The melting grate has one or more apertures to allow a melted wax to flow through the melting grate and into the melted wax reservoir. The hollow-core wick extends above the melting grate and is configured to receive fuel from the melted wax reservoir. The priming section is located above a top of the hollow-core wick to prime the hollow-core wick for ignition. The wick sheath surrounds the hollow-core wick.