Flickering Fire

2021/05/21

Where do you look when you see a lit candle? Usually, you probably look at the glowing orange part, recognizing it as a candle while feeling the flickering of the flame as a whole. But I find myself looking not at this glowing part, but at the "root" of the flame, located between the glow and the candle wick. Actually, this root of the flame is very troublesome and important. Whether the fire burns well or is extinguished effectively depends on the "mood" of this root.

The best way to manage the mood of the flame's root is with sound. That said, I don't mean lovely music, but rather inaudible ultrasound. Try making a sound like "ah" or "oh" toward a candle flame. Doesn't the flame flicker slightly? If this sound is just right for the fire, it burns well; if it's not right at all, it goes out. Higher pitches work with pinpoint accuracy. My research proposes applying this as a control device to improve efficiency by making fire burn better inside combustors, or as a fire extinguishing method using ultrasound in places like operating rooms or space stations where normal fire extinguishers cannot be used.

These days, our lifestyles are dependent on electricity. Stoves are electric, lights are electric, and even fireplaces are sold as electric appliances. Cigarettes are electronic. Candles and incense for Buddhist altars are LEDs. Even cars and airplanes are shifting toward electricity. That is why when power is lost during a disaster like an earthquake, we feel great inconvenience and suddenly appreciate the value of fire. In people's hearts, the question of whether the root of life is electricity or fire wavers. Research on fire is evolving within this fluctuation.

The fleeting and beautiful glow of a sparkler. The countless tiny sparks emitted from its root make you forget the passage of time. Fire soothes the human heart and makes life convenient, but it can also bring uncontrollable disasters. This duality is the mysterious part of fire. First, let's light a candle. You can lose yourself in philosophical thought, or think about it from an engineering perspective. Why not spend some quiet time while touching upon the mystery of the flickering fire? And when you extinguish the flame, instead of blowing it out, try putting it out with your own voice by saying "ah." However, make sure there is no one around, so as not to be thought of as a strange person shouting odd noises at a candle.