AMAZON TECH NEWS A Flame Created By Water Our observations of the natural world seem to indicate that water and fire are sworn enemies. Putting out fires, for instance, usually means dousing it with water. Except for grease fires! Meanwhile, it’s heat that causes water to evaporate. So it’s understandable why the mere existence of a blowtorch that uses water to create a scorching flame might rattle our mental cages a bit. SafeFlame, a European Union-backed collaboration between several European technology companies, was designed as a portable alternative to conventional acetylene-based torches that have become standard equipment for welders throughout the world. The device relies instead on what’s called an electrolyzer system. Water is poured into the electrolyzer unit, where electricity is used to separate the liquid’s hydrogen and oxygen molecules, then remix and ignite them to produce a type of flame that a Euronews report describes as “cleaner,” creating only water as a byproduct. The technology isn’t anything new. Technically called an oxy-gas torch, these devices have also been more commonly referred to over the years as a “water torch.” In fact, the Henes Manufacturing Company sold one of the earliest versions known as the “Water Welder” way back in 1969. However, as other technologies such as acetylene-fueled and arc-based welding proved to be more cost-effective and gained wider adoption by professional welders, oxyhydrogen torches were relegated to smaller niches, such as welding glass and plastics. Read more...
Posted on: Fri, 22 Nov 2013 22:52:15 +0000
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