DIY alcohol burner. Useful homemade products. Alcohol lamp How to use an alcohol lamp
For liquid fuel, containing a reservoir for alcohol, equipped with a lid through which a wick is passed, the lower end of which is placed in the reservoir, and the upper end outside it.
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Alcohol lamp from a flashlight.
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Application
Used in tourism for cooking; in chemical and school laboratories for heating and melting materials, for heating small laboratory vessels (test tubes, flasks for chemical work, etc.) and other similar thermal processes; V medical institutions for open flame sterilization medical instruments; and also wherever the use of an open flame of low thermal power is required.
Design
The container for alcohol is the main supporting part of a laboratory alcohol lamp, and its most important and main part is the wick, which transfers liquid fuel (alcohol) from the container to the end of the wick, where this fuel burns and is used for heating. The alcohol container is made in the form of a reservoir into which the lower end of the wick is lowered. The reservoir has a neck, which is equipped with a lid. The lid is necessary to separate the alcohol combustion zone from the internal volume of the tank where the liquid fuel is located. The tank cover can be placed both inside the neck and outside it, covering the latter with outside. A guide tube is usually installed in the hole in the lid through which the wick passes. The wick must be placed in the tube in such a way that, on the one hand, it can move smoothly and easily in the tube, and on the other hand, the contact of the tube with the wick must be tight enough so that the wick does not fall out of the tube. The lid of the spirit lamp may have a device for adjusting the protruding length of the wick, the recommended value of which is no more than 15 mm.
Typically, fuel for a spirit lamp is poured through the top hole of the tank after removing the lid. However, there are alcohol lamps whose tank has a side filler neck with a ground-in cap. The amount of fuel poured is determined internal volume reservoir. The alcohol from the reservoir rises up the wick due to capillary pressure and evaporates when it reaches the upper end of the protruding part of the wick. The alcohol vapor is ignited and the alcohol lamp burns with a flame temperature of no higher than 900° Celsius. Most alcohol lamps have a metal or glass cap, which is used both to extinguish the flame of the alcohol lamp and to prevent fuel evaporation.
By structural elements laboratory alcohol lamps differ from each other in the following parameters:
- tank material (metal or glass);
- tank shape (round or faceted);
- internal volume of the tank;
- wick material and thickness;
- the presence or absence of a device for regulating the protruding part of the wick;
The tank material should be selected based on the operating conditions of the alcohol lamp. If the spirit lamp is used in conditions in which the spirit lamp may accidentally fall onto a stone or metal floor, then from a safety point of view it is preferable to use a spirit lamp with metal tank. Alcohol lamps with a glass body are much cheaper than metal ones. In addition, when operating a spirit lamp, you can always monitor the alcohol level in the tank. However, glass is a brittle material that has little resistance to impact, and therefore there is always the possibility of destruction of the spirit lamp tank if it falls on a hard floor, which can cause a spill of burning alcohol. Therefore, in rooms with increased requirements for fire safety The use of glass spirit lamps, especially those made of thin laboratory glass, is not recommended.
The round shape of the tank is most widely used. Faceted spirit lamps are more expensive than round ones and they should be used only when performing a number of specific jobs, for example, those associated with heating low-melting materials such as waxes, in order to prevent drops of heated material from getting onto the wick of the spirit lamp.
The internal volume of the alcohol lamp tank must be chosen such that during its operation, at a minimum, there would be no need to refill the alcohol lamp during one hour of its continuous operation.
Wick material and thickness important elements for the operation of an alcohol lamp. Wicks made of cotton fabric and asbestos cord are used. The most widespread are wicks made of cotton fabric, as they give a more stable and even flame compared to asbestos wicks. As for the thickness of the wicks, we must proceed from the fact that the thicker the wick, the more fuel it supplies to the combustion zone. Thicker wicks also produce a larger flame with a higher flame height. As a result, the thermal power of alcohol lamps with a thicker wick is slightly higher, but the alcohol consumption is also higher. For most laboratory work When performed using alcohol lamps, a wick thickness of at least 4.8 mm and no more than 6.4 mm is sufficient. Thicker wicks are necessary for some professional jobs that require a high, voluminous flame. It is advisable to have alcohol lamps with different wick thicknesses in the set and use them depending on the technological requirements for the work being performed.
A device for adjusting the size of the protruding part of the wick provides great convenience when working with alcohol lamps, since it is not necessary to extinguish the flame of the alcohol lamp each time in order to adjust the flame parameters (height and volume) by changing the size of the protruding part of the wick. Alcohol lamps with devices for adjusting the protruding part of the wick are more expensive than alcohol lamps without these devices. However, the slightly higher price is more than covered by the amenities for professional work that this device provides.
Fuel
All alcohol lamps primarily use ethyl alcohol as fuel. Three types are available for sale ethyl alcohol: rectified ethyl alcohol from food raw materials, hydrolytic technical alcohol from wood raw materials and synthetic alcohol obtained chemically. Industrial alcohol and synthetic alcohol are sometimes colored blue-violet with the addition of certain substances with a pungent odor. This alcohol is called denatured alcohol. All these types of alcohols can be used as liquid fuel for alcohol lamps.
Other types of fuel, such as isopropyl or methyl alcohol, are not recommended for use in laboratory alcohol lamps, since these alcohols have maximum permissible concentrations (maximum permissible concentration). permissible concentration in the air) is two or more orders of magnitude lower than that of ethyl alcohol and is therefore hazardous to health.
Safety precautions
When working with laboratory alcohol lamps, safety rules are as follows. It is necessary to use the alcohol lamp only for the intended purpose specified in its technical passport. Do not refuel the alcohol lamp near open flame devices. Do not fill the alcohol lamp with fuel more than half the tank volume. Do not move or carry a spirit lamp with a burning wick. It is strictly forbidden to light the wick of a spirit lamp using another spirit lamp. Fill the alcohol lamp only with ethyl alcohol. Extinguish the flame of the alcohol lamp only with the cap. Do not keep flammable substances and materials that can ignite from short-term exposure to an ignition source with low thermal energy (match flame, alcohol lamp) on the workbench where an alcohol lamp is used. The room in which work with alcohol lamp(s) is carried out must be equipped with primary fire extinguishing means, for example, a powder fire extinguisher.
Advantages
- Light weight - no more than 220 g.
- Ease of use - you only need to add alcohol to the alcohol lamp tank, and then the alcohol is independently supplied to the combustion area.
- Reliability - all design elements are practically trouble-free in operation.
- Quiet operation.
- No pungent odors - the smell of ethyl alcohol before it is set on fire is negligible compared to the smell gaseous fuel in similar cases.
- Not required maintenance- there is no need to carry out regulatory, as well as repair work for adjusting and cleaning structural elements.
- Safety at work - ethyl alcohol in small quantities is not explosive, and spilled burning alcohol can be easily extinguished using standard fire extinguishing agents (powder fire extinguishers).
- Ease of fuel storage - ethyl alcohol can be stored in regular plastic bottle or a plastic canister.
- Low price - the cost of alcohol lamps is significantly lower than laboratory ones gas burners or other types of burners using liquid fuel (kerosene, gasoline).
- Environmentally friendly fuel - does not pollute environment(safe when released into water and soil and does not form toxic substances when burned).
Flaws
- Low thermal power - the calorific value of ethyl alcohol is lower than that of other types of liquid fuel (kerosene, gasoline) and gaseous fuel (methane, propane).
- Unreliable operation low temperatures- poor evaporation of alcohol from the protruding upper part of the wick at sub-zero temperatures.
- Small mechanical strength- parts of alcohol lamps have low strength and can be deformed or destroyed even under slight mechanical stress.
For liquid fuel, containing a reservoir for alcohol, equipped with a lid through which a wick is passed, the lower end of which is located in the reservoir, and the upper end outside it.
Application
Used in tourism for cooking; in chemical and school laboratories for heating and melting materials, for heating small laboratory vessels (test tubes, flasks for chemical work, etc.) and other similar thermal processes; in medical institutions for sterilization of medical instruments in an open flame; and also wherever the use of an open flame of low thermal power is required.
Design
The container for alcohol is the main supporting part of a laboratory alcohol lamp, and its most important and main part is the wick, which transfers liquid fuel (alcohol) from the container to the end of the wick, where this fuel burns and is used for heating. The alcohol container is made in the form of a reservoir into which the lower end of the wick is lowered. The reservoir has a neck, which is equipped with a lid. The lid is necessary to separate the alcohol combustion zone from the internal volume of the tank where the liquid fuel is located. The tank cover can be placed both inside the neck and outside it, covering the latter from the outside. A guide tube is usually installed in the hole in the lid through which the wick passes. The wick must be placed in the tube in such a way that, on the one hand, it can move smoothly and easily in the tube, and on the other hand, the contact of the tube with the wick must be tight enough so that the wick does not fall out of the tube. The lid of the spirit lamp may have a device for adjusting the protruding length of the wick, the recommended value of which is no more than 15 mm.
Typically, fuel for a spirit lamp is poured through the top hole of the tank after removing the lid. However, there are alcohol lamps whose tank has a side filler neck with a ground-in cap. The amount of fuel poured is determined by the internal volume of the tank. The alcohol from the reservoir rises up the wick due to capillary pressure and evaporates when it reaches the upper end of the protruding part of the wick. The alcohol vapor is ignited and the alcohol lamp burns with a flame temperature of no higher than 900 °C. Most alcohol lamps have a metal or glass cap, which is used both to extinguish the flame of the alcohol lamp and to prevent fuel evaporation.
In terms of structural elements, laboratory alcohol lamps differ from each other in the following parameters:
- tank material (metal or glass);
- tank shape (round or faceted);
- internal volume of the tank;
- wick material and thickness;
- the presence or absence of a device for regulating the protruding part of the wick.
The tank material should be selected based on the operating conditions of the alcohol lamp. If the alcohol lamp is used in conditions where it is possible that the alcohol lamp may accidentally fall onto a stone or metal floor, then from a safety point of view it is preferable to use a spirit lamp with a metal reservoir. Alcohol lamps with a glass body are much cheaper than metal ones. In addition, when operating a spirit lamp, you can always monitor the alcohol level in the tank. However, glass is a fragile material that has little resistance to impact, and therefore there is always the possibility of destruction of the spirit lamp tank when falling on a hard floor, which can cause a spill of burning alcohol. Therefore, in rooms with increased fire safety requirements, the use of glass spirit lamps, especially those made of thin laboratory glass, is not recommended.
The round shape of the tank is most widely used. Faceted spirit lamps are more expensive than round ones and should be used only when performing a number of specific jobs, for example, those associated with heating low-melting materials such as waxes, in order to prevent drops of heated material from getting onto the wick of the spirit lamp.
The internal volume of the alcohol lamp tank must be chosen such that during its operation, at a minimum, there would be no need to refill the alcohol lamp during one hour of its continuous operation.
The material and thickness of the wick are important elements for the operation of a spirit lamp. Wicks made of cotton fabric and asbestos cord are used. The most widespread are wicks made of cotton fabric, as they give a more stable and even flame compared to asbestos wicks. As for the thickness of the wicks, we must proceed from the fact that the thicker the wick, the more fuel it supplies to the combustion zone. Thicker wicks also produce a more voluminous flame with a higher flame height. As a result, the thermal power of alcohol lamps with a thicker wick is slightly higher, but the alcohol consumption is also higher. For most laboratory work performed using alcohol lamps, a wick thickness of at least 4.8 mm and no more than 6.4 mm is sufficient. Thicker wicks are necessary for some professional jobs that require a high, voluminous flame. It is advisable to have alcohol lamps with different wick thicknesses in the set and use them depending on the technological requirements for the work being performed.
A device for adjusting the size of the protruding part of the wick provides great convenience when working with alcohol lamps, since it is not necessary to extinguish the flame of the alcohol lamp each time in order to adjust the flame parameters (height and volume) by changing the size of the protruding part of the wick. Alcohol lamps with devices for adjusting the protruding part of the wick are more expensive than alcohol lamps without these devices. However, the slightly higher price is more than offset by the professional work amenities this device provides.
Fuel
All alcohol lamps primarily use ethyl alcohol as fuel. There are three types of ethyl alcohol on sale: rectified ethyl alcohol from food raw materials, hydrolytic technical alcohol from wood raw materials and synthetic alcohol obtained by chemical means. Industrial alcohol and synthetic alcohol are sometimes colored blue-violet with the addition of certain substances with a pungent odor. This alcohol is called denatured alcohol. All these types of alcohols can be used as liquid fuel for alcohol lamps.
Other types of fuel, such as isopropyl or methyl alcohol, are not recommended for use in laboratory alcohol lamps, since these alcohols have a maximum permissible concentration in the air that is two or more orders of magnitude lower than that of ethyl alcohol, and are therefore hazardous to health.
Safety precautions
When working with laboratory alcohol lamps, safety rules are as follows. It is necessary to use the alcohol lamp only for the intended purpose specified in its technical data sheet. Do not refuel the alcohol lamp near open flame devices. Do not fill the alcohol lamp with fuel more than half the tank volume. Do not move or carry a spirit lamp with a burning wick. It is strictly forbidden to light the wick of a spirit lamp using another spirit lamp. Fill the alcohol lamp only with ethyl alcohol. Extinguish the flame of the alcohol lamp only with the cap. Do not keep flammable substances and materials that can ignite from short-term exposure to an ignition source with low thermal energy (match flame, alcohol lamp) on the workbench where an alcohol lamp is used. The room in which work with alcohol lamp(s) is carried out must be equipped with primary fire extinguishing means, for example, a powder fire extinguisher.
Advantages
- Light weight - no more than 220 g.
- Ease of use - you only need to add alcohol to the alcohol lamp tank, and then the alcohol is independently supplied to the combustion area.
- Reliability - all structural elements are practically trouble-free in operation.
- Quiet operation.
- No pungent odors - the smell of ethyl alcohol before it is ignited is negligible compared to the smell of gaseous fuel in similar cases.
- No maintenance required - there is no need to carry out routine or repair work to adjust and clean structural elements.
- Safety at work - ethyl alcohol in small quantities is not explosive, and spilled burning alcohol can be easily extinguished using standard fire extinguishing agents (powder fire extinguishers).
- Easy to store fuel - it is possible to store ethyl alcohol in a regular plastic bottle or plastic canister.
- Low mechanical strength - parts of alcohol lamps have low strength and can be deformed or destroyed even under slight mechanical stress.
IN recent years with the development of the popularity of tourism and survival themes, a lot of different different designs homemade alcohol lamps. In this article, of course, I will not describe them all and analyze how they differ. Instead, I will tell you in detail how to make an alcohol lamp with your own hands from an aerosol can. This is one of the most effective and simple designs In my opinion.
Alcohol lamp device
First, let's look at the device of the alcohol lamp. This design has only 3 parts: body, cover and filler made of glass wool. Well, the case is clear, this is a container into which we pour alcohol.
Lid made from the top part of an aerosol can, it, let’s say, does not allow alcohol vapors to burn from above, they come out through the side holes and burn in the form of a burner, like on a gas stove.
Glass wool needed to ensure that the alcohol does not overheat, does not bubble, and evaporates more evenly. Without glass wool, the alcohol inside the spirit lamp, when it is full, boils, begins to boil and splashes out through the side holes with strong fire.
To ensure the stability of the alcohol lamp and initial heating, you need a metal stand, such as a regular jar lid.
How does an alcohol lamp work?
Pour alcohol through the hole in the lid almost to the side holes. Because of the glass wool, the alcohol level is not visible, but it is quite possible to adapt to pouring “by eye” or marking a bottle of alcohol in portions. In my alcohol lamp it is about 20 ml.
On metal cover We put a spirit lamp, and put a mug of water on it.
Then pour a little alcohol onto the lid-stand around the spirit lamp and set it on fire.
What happens:
The alcohol burns around the spirit lamp, thereby heating it and the alcohol inside. It begins to evaporate more actively and comes out through the side holes, igniting from the fire outside. At first the flame will be quite large. Then the alcohol on the lid-stand burns out. By this time, the alcohol lamp itself has already warmed up enough and the alcohol inside it is actively evaporating and burning in the form of a burner. As soon as the alcohol from the lid has burned out, the flame of the alcohol lamp becomes a little smaller and burns evenly along the bottom of the mug, almost without going beyond its limits. At the same time, the flame continues to heat the upper edge of the alcohol lamp above the holes and the alcohol inside it is constantly heated from the walls of the body. A stable equilibrium is established between heating the alcohol, its combustion and evaporation. After some time, the water in the mug boils.
Important point - the mug should stand exactly on the alcohol lamp, in direct contact with its body. Since the mug is cold and gradually warms up, it takes some of the heat from the body of the spirit lamp and prevents it from overheating. This is very noticeable; if you lift the mug above the alcohol lamp, the flame immediately becomes much more intense and the alcohol burns out much faster. When the mug is on the alcohol lamp, the flame most of burns evenly over time.
What is this alcohol lamp for?
The main purpose of this small alcohol stove is to boil one mug of water for coffee or tea. You can brew coffee in a Turk or heat canned food.
Since the alcohol lamp is quite small, its power is only enough to boil water up to 0.5-0.6 liters. I tried to boil 1 liter of water on this alcohol lamp at room temperature. After some time, the water would, of course, boil, but fully filling the alcohol lamp is not enough for this. You can, of course, add more alcohol when all of it has burned out, but for such tasks it is better to use a large alcohol lamp with large size burners, just like on a gas stove.
How to make an alcohol lamp from an aerosol can
First you need to find an empty aluminum can of suitable size and completely release the pressure from it through the top valve. I have a cylinder with a diameter of 35 mm.
We mark 43-45 mm from the bottom and carefully, trying not to crush the body, cut off the bottom cup. This can be done with the blade of a stationery knife, clamping it between the pages of a thick book at a height of 45 mm from the table surface. We press down the book with the blade, press the can against it and turn it several times until we cut it.
Upper part, where the valve is located, we cut it off in the same way. For different cans, this part is rounded differently, so choose its height yourself. It is necessary to mark 3-5 mm from the place where the rounding turns into a flat body. The main thing is that later this part does not block the side holes on the body of the spirit lamp.
These two parts must be thoroughly cleaned with sandpaper, inside and out. Otherwise, the heated paint and varnish will then stink for a long time and strongly. Don't forget to remove the canister valve. It is plastic and can be easily pulled out from the inside with pliers.
We retreat approximately 1 cm from the upper edge of the spirit lamp body and mark the locations of the holes in 5 mm increments. In thin aluminum, holes can simply be carefully pierced with an awl, but to ensure that they are all the same, it is better to drill them with a thin drill no thicker than 1 mm.
Let's start assembling. We put a piece of any glass wool inside the spirit lamp body so that it does not tightly, but evenly fills the entire space. We turn the upper part of the can over with its bulge inside the alcohol lamp and insert it into place. It won't all fit in at once. Place the alcohol lamp on a flat, solid surface. Place it flat wooden block and gently tap it with a hammer until the lid is hammered into place. Don't overdo it! Aluminum is very soft and the entire structure can easily be crushed.
The alcohol lamp is almost ready. In order for any utensil to stand on it steadily, you need to make sure that it does not rest on the entire circumference of the spirit lamp, but only on three points. We mark these points evenly on the body and use a file to slightly grind down the metal between them, at the same time leveling the edges.
Alcohol lamp tests
That's it. You can pour alcohol and test it.
An alcohol lamp similar in size to mine easily heats 300 gr. metal mug with water in room conditions in about 7 minutes. In experiments at room temperature, a full alcohol lamp burned for 15 minutes. This is enough to make tea for one person.
Species
- alcohol lamp with wick;
- open bath;
- self-heating alcohol lamp without (wick);
Application
They are used in tourism for cooking, in chemical and school laboratories, medical institutions, and also wherever the use of an open flame of low thermal power is required. There are aroma lamps based on alcohol lamps.
Tourist alcohol lamps
Trangia camping kit, including dishes and a spirit lamp on the left.
Trangia alcohol lamp flame
One of the most popular camping alcohol lamps is the alcohol lamps of the Swedish company Trangia AB.
Laboratory alcohol lamps
Alcohol burners are used in laboratories and medical institutions for heating and melting materials, sterilizing medical instruments in an open flame, heating small laboratory vessels (test tubes, flasks, etc.) and other similar thermal processes.
Design
The alcohol container is the main supporting part of the alcohol lamp, and the most important and main part of it is the wick, which transfers liquid fuel (alcohol) from the container to the end of the wick, where this fuel burns, forming a flame that is used for heating. The alcohol container is made in the form of a metal or glass container into which the lower end of the wick is lowered. The reservoir has a neck, which is equipped with a lid. The lid is necessary to separate the alcohol combustion zone from the internal volume of the tank where the liquid fuel is located. The reservoir cover can be placed both inside the neck and outside it, covering the latter from the outside. A guide tube is usually installed in the hole in the lid through which the wick passes. The wick must be placed in the tube in such a way that, on the one hand, it can move smoothly and easily in the tube, and on the other hand, the contact of the tube with the wick must be tight enough so that the wick does not fall out of the tube. The most widespread are wicks made from cotton fabric consisting of straight threads. Wicks made from asbestos cord are also used. The lid of the spirit lamp may have a device for adjusting the protruding length of the wick, the recommended value of which is no more than 15 mm.
Fuel
All alcohol lamps primarily use ethyl alcohol as fuel. There are three types of ethyl alcohol on sale: rectified ethyl alcohol from food raw materials, hydrolytic technical alcohol from wood raw materials and synthetic alcohol obtained by chemical means. Industrial alcohol and synthetic alcohol are sometimes colored blue-violet with the addition of certain substances with a pungent odor. This alcohol is called denatured alcohol. All these types of alcohols can be used as liquid fuel for alcohol lamps. But you can use other types of fuel such as kerosene, other alcohols and some types of oils.
Typically, fuel for a spirit lamp is poured through the top hole of the tank after removing the lid. However, there are alcohol lamps whose tank has a side filler neck with a ground-in cap. The amount of fuel poured is determined by the internal volume of the tank. The alcohol from the reservoir rises up the wick due to capillary pressure and evaporates when it reaches the upper end of the protruding part of the wick. The alcohol vapor is ignited and the alcohol lamp burns with a flame temperature of no higher than 900 degrees. Celsius. Most alcohol lamps have a metal or glass cap, which is used both to extinguish the flame of the alcohol lamp and to prevent fuel evaporation.
Characteristics
Distinctive characteristics of alcohol lamps are:
- flame temperature 900 degrees. Celsius;
- tank material glass or metal;
- presence or absence of a wick;
- the weight of alcohol lamps usually does not exceed 0.25 kg;
- height is usually no more than 120 mm.
The tank material should be selected based on the operating conditions of the alcohol lamp. If the alcohol lamp is used in conditions where it is possible that the alcohol lamp may accidentally fall onto a stone or metal floor, then from a safety point of view it is preferable to use a spirit lamp with a metal reservoir. Alcohol lamps with a glass body are much cheaper than metal ones. In addition, when operating a spirit lamp, you can always monitor the alcohol level in the tank. However, glass is a fragile material that has little resistance to impact, and therefore there is always the possibility of destruction of the spirit lamp tank if it falls on a hard floor, which can cause a spill of burning alcohol. Therefore, in rooms with increased fire safety requirements, the use of glass spirit lamps, especially those made of thin laboratory glass, is not recommended.
The internal volume of the alcohol lamp tank must be chosen such that during its operation, at a minimum, there would be no need to refill the alcohol lamp during one hour of its continuous operation.
The material and thickness of the wick are important elements for the operation of a spirit lamp. Wicks made of cotton fabric and asbestos cord are used. The most widespread are wicks made of cotton fabric, as they give a more stable and even flame compared to asbestos wicks. As for the thickness of the wicks, we must proceed from the fact that the thicker the wick, the more fuel it supplies to the combustion zone. Thicker wicks also produce a larger flame with a higher flame height. As a result, the thermal power of alcohol lamps with a thicker wick is slightly higher, but the alcohol consumption is also higher. For most laboratory work performed using alcohol lamps, a wick thickness of at least 4.8 mm and no more than 6.4 mm is sufficient. Thicker wicks are necessary for some professional jobs that require a high, voluminous flame. It is advisable to have alcohol lamps with different wick thicknesses in the set and use them depending on the technological requirements for the work being performed.
A device for adjusting the size of the protruding part of the wick provides great convenience when working with alcohol lamps, since it is not necessary to extinguish the flame of the alcohol lamp each time in order to adjust the flame parameters (height and volume) by changing the size of the protruding part of the wick. Alcohol lamps with devices for adjusting the protruding part of the wick are more expensive than alcohol lamps without these devices. However, the slightly higher price is more than offset by the professional work amenities this device provides.
When working with alcohol lamps, you must follow the safety rules, which boil down to the following. It is necessary to use the alcohol lamp only for the intended purpose specified in its technical data sheet. Do not refuel the alcohol lamp near open flame devices. Do not fill the alcohol lamp with fuel more than half the capacity of the tank. Do not move or carry a spirit lamp with a burning wick. It is strictly forbidden to light the wick of a spirit lamp using another spirit lamp. Fill the alcohol lamp only with ethyl alcohol. Extinguish the flame of the alcohol lamp only with the cap. Do not keep flammable substances and materials that can ignite from short-term exposure to an ignition source with low thermal energy (flame of a match, alcohol lamp) on the work table where the alcohol lamp is used. The room in which work with alcohol lamp(s) is carried out must be equipped with primary fire extinguishing means, for example, a powder fire extinguisher.
Advantages
- Light weight - no more than 220 g.
- Ease of use - you only need to add fuel, which is independently supplied to the combustion area.
- Reliability - all design elements are practically trouble-free in operation.
- Quiet operation.
- No pungent odors - the smell of liquid fuel before it is ignited is negligible compared to the smell of gaseous fuel in similar cases.
- No maintenance required - there is no need to carry out routine or repair work to adjust and clean structural elements.
- Safety at work - the fuel used in small quantities is not explosive, spilled burning alcohol can be easily extinguished using standard fire extinguishing agents (powder fire extinguishers).
- Easy to store fuel - fuel can be stored in a regular plastic bottle or plastic canister.
- Low price - the cost of alcohol lamps is significantly lower than laboratory gas burners or other types of burners that use liquid fuel (kerosene, gasoline).
- Environmentally friendly fuel - does not pollute the environment (it is safe when released into water and soil and does not form toxic substances during combustion).
The presented material is intended for personnel of organizations that use laboratory burners.
The alcohol reservoir is the main load-bearing part of the alcohol lamp, and the most important and main part of it is the wick, which transfers liquid fuel (alcohol) from the reservoir to the end of the wick, where this fuel burns, creating a flame that is used for heating.
The wick is fibers collected in a bundle. The gaps between them form transport channels for liquid, which moves along them in the direction from the fuel reservoir to the combustion zone. In the simplest case, the wick is made from cotton fibers in the form of a rope or woven tape.
The ability of the wick to transfer alcohol to the combustion zone is ensured by the action of capillary forces, which, in turn, are caused by the effects of wetting and surface tension in the capillary channels of the wick material.
If the wick is positioned vertically, the alcohol rises to the combustion zone, overcoming gravity. The required balance of forces is determined by the size of the capillary channels of the wick material.
At the top of the tank there is a neck through which the wick is passed. The alcohol lamp is also filled with liquid fuel through the neck.
Since the alcohol lamp has two working zones, in one of which the alcohol enters the wick, and in the second this alcohol burns, in order to separate the above working zones the neck of the tank is equipped with a lid through which the wick is passed.
The wick is passed through a wick tube, which is necessary element tank cover, while the latter can be installed both inside the neck and outside it, covering the latter from the outside.
The wick must be placed in the wick tube of the lid in such a way that, on the one hand, it can move smoothly and easily in the tube, and on the other hand, the contact of the tube with the wick must be sufficiently tight (i.e., the wick must be installed in the wick tube with some compression).
Installing the wick into the wick tube with some compression allows, on the one hand, to practically eliminate the leakage of alcohol through the wick tube in emergency situations, because the hydrodynamic resistance of the wick tube, densely filled with the fibrous mass of the wick, is very high; on the other hand, compressing the wick does not allow the wick to spontaneously slide down the wick tube when the alcohol lamp is operating.
However, the latter circumstance is not important for alcohol lamps that have mechanisms for holding the wick in the wick tube and moving it relative to the latter.
In almost all of the above cases, it is necessary to strive to ensure that the compression of the wick in the wick tube is minimal, since with increasing compression, the diameter of the capillary channels decreases and the rate of rise of alcohol along the wick drops sharply.
Distinctive characteristics of alcohol lamps
Designs of alcohol lamps
Let's look at the basic designs of alcohol lamps using examples.
change the picture
Fig.3 Alcohol lamp SL-1 1 - reservoir
2 - alcohol
3 - wick
4 - bushing
5 - cap
In Fig. Figure 3 shows the device of a standard SL-1 alcohol lamp.
This alcohol lamp is made of 2mm thick laboratory glass and has round shape and cotton wick. There is no device for adjusting the protruding part of the wick.
The reservoir (item 1) is filled with alcohol (item 2). The wick (item 3) is placed in the alcohol lamp so that its lower end is in the tank, immersed in alcohol, and the upper end should be outside the tank in the open air.
The tank cover is made in the form of a sleeve (item 4), which is installed inside the neck of the tank, and through the axial hole through which a wick is passed with some compression. The alcohol lamp has a cap (item 5), which is used both to extinguish the flame of the alcohol lamp and to prevent evaporation of fuel from the top of the wick.
Appearance of this spirit lamp can be seen in the same figure if you move the cursor to it.
change the picture
Fig.4 Alcohol lamp 306 1 - reservoir
2 - cover
3 - tube
4 - wick
5 - bushing
6 - cap
Figure 4 shows the appearance of a spirit lamp mod.306.
This alcohol lamp is made of 3mm thick bottle glass, has a faceted shape and a cotton wick. There is a device for adjusting the protruding part of the wick by moving the wick tube relative to the wick.
The reservoir (item 1) has a metal cover (item 2), which is attached to the neck of the reservoir using a screw thread. A metal wick tube (pos. 3) is fixed in the hole of the lid, through which the wick (pos. 4) is passed. A movable bushing (pos. 5) is installed on the tube, through which the protruding part of the wick is adjusted. When moving the sleeve up, the protruding part of the wick decreases, downwards - it increases.
The alcohol lamp has a cap (6), which is installed on top of the sleeve. Any of the five edges of the tank can be used as a supporting surface on the work table, which allows you to use the alcohol lamp in both a vertical and inclined position.
One of the inclined positions of this spirit lamp can be seen if you move the cursor to the picture.
The flame of an alcohol lamp, having a faceted reservoir, when installed on various faces is shown in Fig. 5
Rice. 5 Flame of a faceted spirit lamp°
Figure 6 shows the appearance of a spirit lamp mod.304.
This alcohol lamp is made of 3mm thick bottle glass and has cylindrical shape and cotton wick. There is a device for adjusting the protruding part of the wick by moving the wick relative to the wick tube.
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Fig.6 Alcohol lamp with wick adjustment 1 - handle
2 - shaft
3 - wick
4 - tube;
5 - flame stabilizer tube
6 - hole
7 - cap
The alcohol lamp has a handle (item 1), through which rotation is transmitted through the shaft (item 2) to a gear (not shown in the figure). The sharp teeth of this wheel interact with the wick (position 3), moving it relative to the tube (position 4) up or down depending on the direction of rotation of the handle.
The flame stabilizer tube (pos. 5) is fixed coaxially relative to the tube in which the wick is located. Alcohol vapor enters the gap between the tubes through a hole with a diameter of 1.5 mm (pos. 6). At the outlet of the flame stabilizer tube, the vapors are ignited and, as a result, an additional circular flame is created around the protruding part of the wick. The above hole also has another purpose. By means of it, the pressure inside and outside the tank is equalized.
The appearance of this spirit lamp can be seen in the same figure on the left, if you move the cursor to it.
Typically, fuel for a spirit lamp is poured through the top hole of the tank after removing the lid. However, there are alcohol lamps whose tank has a side filler neck with a ground-in cap.
Properties of fuel for alcohol lamps
Alcohol lamps, represented by the company "LLC FIRMA BST-3", meet the highest requirements for devices for professional work.
The most modern and advanced materials are used for the manufacture of alcohol lamps.
All metal parts of alcohol lamps are made of high quality bronze or brass with galvanic nickel or chrome plating. All glass elements are made of durable thick glass, sufficiently resistant to destruction under mechanical stress.
Thick-walled bottle glass 3 mm thick or high-strength cut glass of the same thickness is used as glass for the manufacture of an alcohol tank.
Alcohol lamps are equipped mechanical devices to adjust the length of the protruding part of the wick, while the wicks themselves are made of high-quality cotton, which guarantees stable operation of the alcohol lamps during operation.
The protective elements of the alcohol lamps, namely the metal caps, are connected to the body of the alcohol lamp with a strong metal chain, which allows the caps to always be “at hand” and be used urgently if necessary.
IN high quality manufacturing and modern design The quality of these alcohol lamps can be verified by comparing them with some analogues on the domestic market.
The table shows technical specifications alcohol lamps, which are supplied to the domestic market by FIRMA BST-3 LLC. All alcohol lamps have a maximum combustion temperature of 900° Celsius and a service life of at least 5 years.
If you move the cursor to the picture (models 302, 304, etc.) and click on it, you can go to the detailed technical description alcohol lamps of this model.
Alcohol lamps should be used in a well-ventilated, closed, heated room at temperatures from +10° to +35°C and relative humidity up to 80% at a temperature of +25°C. The room must be equipped with primary fire extinguishing means.
Advantages and Disadvantages
In conclusion, we present the advantages and disadvantages of laboratory alcohol lamps (alcohol burners) compared to other types of laboratory burners.
ADVANTAGES
- ● Light weight- no more than 220 g.
- ● Ease of use- you only need to add alcohol to the fuel container (reservoir), and then the alcohol is independently supplied to the combustion area.
- ● Reliability- all structural elements are practically trouble-free in operation.
- ● Quiet operation- during operation, the alcohol lamp does not create any extraneous noise.
- ● No pungent odors- the smell of alcohol before it is ignited is negligible compared to the smell of gaseous fuel in similar cases.
- ● No maintenance required- there is no need to carry out routine or repair work to adjust and clean structural elements.
- ● Safety at work- the fuel used in small quantities is not explosive, spilled burning alcohol can be easily extinguished using standard fire extinguishing agents (thick fabrics made of natural fibers and powder fire extinguishers).
- ● Easy fuel storage- it is allowed to store small volumes of fuel (about 1 liter) in a regular plastic bottle.
- ● Low price- the cost of alcohol lamps is significantly lower than laboratory gas burners or other types of burners that use liquid fuel (kerosene, gasoline).
- ● Environmentally friendly fuel- does not pollute the environment (safe when released into water and soil and does not form toxic substances during combustion).
FLAWS
- ○ Low thermal power- the calorific value of ethyl alcohol is lower than that of other types of both liquid fuel (kerosene, gasoline) and gaseous fuel (methane, propane).
- ○ Unreliable operation at low temperatures- poor fuel evaporation at sub-zero temperatures.
- ○ Low mechanical strength- glass elements of alcohol lamps have low resistance upon impact, which can lead to their damage or destruction under mechanical stress.
We hope that the presented material will help specialists decide on the variety of laboratory alcohol lamps presented on the domestic market and make right choice when purchasing them.
Copyright 2008- LLC "FIRM BST-3" Address: 127282 Moscow Chermyansky proezd, building 7, building 1, entrance 3, office 3624.
Email: [email protected] Phones:8-495-4856463, 7822029, 7824687
Website developer F.A. Bronin (content, design, layout, programming). The site was created on 02/12/2008. Last edition dated 02/20/2019
