INTRODUCTION

In todays world, fire prevention, detection and

suppression plays a major role. The technology used
presently in various types of fire extinguishers has certain
drawbacks. Considering these drawbacks, we came with
the idea of utilizing sound waves for fire suppression.

Research papers, experiments and numerical

simulations of acoustic effects on fire have shown that
both frequency and sound velocity may affect the surface
of a flame. Several researches were carried out by
scientists like Tyndall, Hertz who were the major
contributors along with institutes like DARPA (Defense
Advanced Research Projects Agency), JASMA (Japan
Society Of Microgravity Application).

It was John Tyndall who first observed in 1857 that

sound could put out a flame. He discovered this by
singing at a candle. However, Hertz gave more
elaborated theory that molecules of air are pushed
together by disturbance so they all bunch up in one place
thus creating elevating pressure in that region.

LITERATURE REVIEW
John Tyndall (1857): It was John Tyndall who first
observed that sound could put out a flame. He discovered
this by singing at a candle. He was investigating
absorption of radiant heat by different substances.
Heinrich Hertz: According to Hertz, sound travels in
waves .The molecules of air are pushed together by
disturbances, so they all bunch up in one place. This
creates an elevated pressure in that region. However all
the rest of molecules in the world are resisting this push,
so the bunched up molecules eventually fall back to their
original position. This back and forth movement creates
high pressure zone. According to ideal gas law,
temperature, pressure and volume are interrelated. That
means, when pressure drops ,so does the temperature
which further leads to extinguishing the flame.
DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects
Agency, 2008):
In 2008, DARPA published a video about suppression
of fire by low frequency sound waves, putting the
research into application.

NASA Glen Research Center (1974): Fire prevention

for spacecraft has been developed primarily from
established aircraft system with the help of experience
gained from previous space operation. NASA renewed its
focus on spacecraft fire safety and research projects in
material flammability. Their research was related to fires
in microgravity environments.

Objective
To create an effective and eco-friendly system for fire
suppression using sound waves.
To create a fire suppression system which can avoid
hazards, example: In case of fuse boxes.
To design a collimator tube that can guide sound
waves in best possible manner to suppress the fire.
To create a cost effective and user friendly fire
suppression system

PROBLEM DEFINATION
Our Project is concerned with extinguishing the fire using
only acoustic effect.
What is the problem with conventional extinguisher?
1.They are susceptible to frost.
2. It can be messy.
3. It can damage delicate equipments.
4. It has limited supply.
5. It can cause corrosion.
Who has the need for replacement of conventional
methods?
For extinguishing fires in space shuttles.
Domestic appliances.
Enclosed space like aircraft cockpits, ship holds.
For solar panel protections.
For extinguishing fire in fuse box.
Why it is important to replace conventional system?
Materials used in conventional system aggravate
respiratory conditions when discharged. They also cause
corrosion. They reduce visibility when discharged
especially in cases of escape routes and stair ways. It has
limited cooling properties and limited supply of

extinguishing materials. Large amount of water is also

wasted during such extinguishing process.
Supression of fire using sound waves is a non-destructive
technique it does not cause mess and limitless supply is
available.