Aug 4, 2009
Wanton use of fire for entertainment will work against green efforts
I REFER to the report "Flaming vortex gets Science Centre fired up" last Saturday.
While I am not against scientific research and activities that yield benefits for the planet and humankind, I feel that the wanton use of fire as entertainment or attraction is a spit in the face of pro-environmental efforts.
On the one hand, we are discussing the problem of forest fires in Indonesia and global warming on an unprecedented scale. On the other hand, we are burning fuel purely for the sake of entertaining people for a few minutes.
Not only that, the Singapore Science Centre is actually thinking of producing smaller versions of this invention for commercial sale.
Besides being a potential fire hazard, this invention goes against the green message: conserve energy and reduce global warming.
Aeronautics engineer Tsai Her Mann's invention can be used to demonstrate how fires may spread or grow in strength, but let us not waste resources on transient entertainment.
Adam Leo Isidore Tan
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[Extreme Environmentalism. Next he would travel to Hawaii and terminate the employment of many fire entertainers. Think Global. Act Loco.]
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Aug 1, 2009
Flaming vortex gets Science Centre fired up
A SWIRLING tornado of fire, 6m high, will be the showpiece of a fire exhibition at the Science Centre later this year.
Aeronautics engineer Tsai Her Mann has invented a structure which can channel wind to create the flaming vortex, and the centre is spending $250,000 to put the flames on show.
Visitors will be able to get close to the roaring flames, which will be encased in a steel and glass structure at the centre.
To create 'Tornado', which will go on show in early November, about 3 litres of kerosene will be placed in the central shallow pan. Once lit, 24 slanted vents around the base channel in cool air.
As the cool air rushes in at an angle to replace the rising hot air, a swirl of air currents is created, spinning the flame into a spiralling column in the tower.
The column, which can reach a width of about 1m and a temperature of 300 to 600 deg C, will burn for three to five minutes. There will be bubbles released into the column to demonstrate the air flow, and Dr Tsai has also developed technology for the creation of hydrogen bubbles which will crackle when they burst, adding another dimension to the show.
However, before it can go on display, the exhibit must get safety approval from Singapore Civil Defence Force fire chiefs.
'It will be the iconic, awe-inspiring attraction of the fire exhibition,' said Dr Tsai, who took about four months to build the device. The fire exhibition will include a look at the impact of fire on human civilisation, and the use of fire in domestic and industrial settings.
The Science Centre has filed a patent for a smaller prototype of his invention, at a cost of about $10,000. Patenting an exhibit idea has not been done before at the centre, which is looking to sell tabletop versions of the device at its Jurong shop and other outlets, and hopes it will be as popular as lava lamps. 'I think it represents a milestone for the centre. Even though we may not patent everything, we want to recognise a good idea when it occurs,' said the centre's chief executive, Dr Chew Tuan Chiong.
The invention is believed to be the first flame tornado that does not have to rely on mechanics such as air jets and fans to generate the swirl.
Said Dr Tsai: 'I felt it in my bones, having spent years in aerodynamics, that there must be a way to do it better.'
VICTORIA VAUGHAN
Wanton use of fire for entertainment will work against green efforts
I REFER to the report "Flaming vortex gets Science Centre fired up" last Saturday.
While I am not against scientific research and activities that yield benefits for the planet and humankind, I feel that the wanton use of fire as entertainment or attraction is a spit in the face of pro-environmental efforts.
On the one hand, we are discussing the problem of forest fires in Indonesia and global warming on an unprecedented scale. On the other hand, we are burning fuel purely for the sake of entertaining people for a few minutes.
Not only that, the Singapore Science Centre is actually thinking of producing smaller versions of this invention for commercial sale.
Besides being a potential fire hazard, this invention goes against the green message: conserve energy and reduce global warming.
Aeronautics engineer Tsai Her Mann's invention can be used to demonstrate how fires may spread or grow in strength, but let us not waste resources on transient entertainment.
Adam Leo Isidore Tan
--------------
[Extreme Environmentalism. Next he would travel to Hawaii and terminate the employment of many fire entertainers. Think Global. Act Loco.]
--------------
Aug 1, 2009
Flaming vortex gets Science Centre fired up
A SWIRLING tornado of fire, 6m high, will be the showpiece of a fire exhibition at the Science Centre later this year.
Aeronautics engineer Tsai Her Mann has invented a structure which can channel wind to create the flaming vortex, and the centre is spending $250,000 to put the flames on show.
Visitors will be able to get close to the roaring flames, which will be encased in a steel and glass structure at the centre.
To create 'Tornado', which will go on show in early November, about 3 litres of kerosene will be placed in the central shallow pan. Once lit, 24 slanted vents around the base channel in cool air.
As the cool air rushes in at an angle to replace the rising hot air, a swirl of air currents is created, spinning the flame into a spiralling column in the tower.
The column, which can reach a width of about 1m and a temperature of 300 to 600 deg C, will burn for three to five minutes. There will be bubbles released into the column to demonstrate the air flow, and Dr Tsai has also developed technology for the creation of hydrogen bubbles which will crackle when they burst, adding another dimension to the show.
However, before it can go on display, the exhibit must get safety approval from Singapore Civil Defence Force fire chiefs.
'It will be the iconic, awe-inspiring attraction of the fire exhibition,' said Dr Tsai, who took about four months to build the device. The fire exhibition will include a look at the impact of fire on human civilisation, and the use of fire in domestic and industrial settings.
The Science Centre has filed a patent for a smaller prototype of his invention, at a cost of about $10,000. Patenting an exhibit idea has not been done before at the centre, which is looking to sell tabletop versions of the device at its Jurong shop and other outlets, and hopes it will be as popular as lava lamps. 'I think it represents a milestone for the centre. Even though we may not patent everything, we want to recognise a good idea when it occurs,' said the centre's chief executive, Dr Chew Tuan Chiong.
The invention is believed to be the first flame tornado that does not have to rely on mechanics such as air jets and fans to generate the swirl.
Said Dr Tsai: 'I felt it in my bones, having spent years in aerodynamics, that there must be a way to do it better.'
VICTORIA VAUGHAN
