Wicked Ventless Fireplace Fuel Composition to Prevent Refill Flash Fires
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ventless fireplaces using ethanol or isopropyl alcohol fuels pose significant safety risks during refilling, as they can cause explosions, burns, and rapid fire spread, with bio-ethanol fireplaces being a growing source of domestic burn injuries due to their high flammability.
Innovation Solution
Employing a propylene glycol based fuel with a flashpoint above 50°C and a wick in an open geometry device, which minimizes the risk of flash fires and toxic emissions, ensuring the fuel is non-flammable at room temperature but combustible under controlled conditions, and extinguishes when spilled.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ethanol or isopropyl alcohol fuel is used in ventless fireplaces, then the fuel burns cleanly and the device is portable, but the risk of explosion and burn injury during refilling increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the fuel by using propylene glycol as the base fuel instead of ethanol or isopropyl alcohol. Propylene glycol has a higher flash point (above 50°C) compared to ethanol (around 13°C) and isopropyl alcohol (around 11°C), which fundamentally alters the safety characteristics during refilling operations while maintaining clean burning properties
Solution Approach 2:
The patent promotes the use of readily available propylene glycol, which is commonly used in food industry and de-icing applications, replacing specialized alcoholic fuels. This makes the safe fuel option more accessible and economically viable for consumers
2Ease of operation
If the ventless fireplace is designed to be portable and easy to install, then ease of operation is improved, but the risk of accidental fire spread when the device falls over increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fuel's physical and chemical parameters - specifically using propylene glycol which has a higher flash point and different combustion characteristics compared to alcoholic fuels. This reduces the intensity and speed of fire spread in case of accidental tipping, while the portable design remains unchanged
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 use of propylene glycol based fuel in open geometry wicked devices eliminates the risk of explosions during refilling and minimizes the risk of fire spread when the device falls, while producing low levels of toxic gases, providing a safer and cleaner burning alternative.
Implementation Method 1
the fuel is non-flammable at room temperature but combustible under controlled conditions
Implementation Method 2
open geometry wicked device
Implementation Method 3
combustible under controlled conditions
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
The present invention relates to a combination of a safe fuel and a ventless fireplace, or more in general, an open geometry wicked device. Open geometry wicked devices, such as so-called "ventless fireplaces" (or ventless ovens or ventless burners), burn gel or liquid fuel, and exist in a variety of forms. Such devices typically have several advantages over various more traditional fireplaces in that these cleanly burn their fuel (contrary to paraffin and oil based burners and solid material based burners, such as coal or wood burners, and also contrary to fuel containing additives which lead to undesirable by-products), are often portable, and may not require installation. Such fireplaces burn gel or liquid fuel that is dispensed from a fuel container into a fuel reservoir where the burning occurs. To avoid safety problems, the present invention is directed to a product comprising a specific fuel and a wicked burner.